ON CLOUDSTRATUS 3£170Could this be your new daily training shoe?
In the past, we’ve found some shoes in On’s range a little firm underfoot. That certainly wasn’t the case with the brand’s new Cloudsurfer, though, which came out last year and was incredibly plush. What we have here in the Cloudstratus 3 is something in the middle and it works well. It’s far from firm underfoot. In fact, On describes the cushioning as plush, though it’s much less-so than the Cloudsurfer. It’s still comfortable, though, and in no way harsh, which is in part thanks to the Helion superfoam midsole.
There’s more good news, too. The Cloudstratus 3’s updated Speedboard has been designed to encourage a forward roll as part of the ride and it’s certainly noticeable, especially when you push the tempo, as things feel smooth and efficient. It almost feels like the shoe is egging you on to go a little faster. Vitally, it’s equally as comfortable at a slower pace and felt great on zone 2 runs where the comfort, support and stability really come to the fore.
On that note, there’s a substantial amount of cushioning around the ankle and in the tongue, while the lacing helps deliver a foot-hugging fit. We went up a half size here, as we normally do with Ons, and it worked well. There’s ample space for toe splay and the fit felt a little wider than we’ve experienced with some of the brand’s shoes in the past, yet it still felt secure. That cushioning and stability does come with a bit of a weight penalty, though, and our size UK11.5s come in at 340g per shoe.
Turning our attention to the underside of the shoe, the Cloudstratus 3 sports On’s ‘double CloudTec’ technology, which the brand says has been proven to reduce the onset and duration of muscle soreness. It’s hard for us to qualify that, but what we can say is that the outsole offers fantastic traction on tarmac and gravel, while there are no issues with stones getting stuck as has happened with On’s outsoles in the past.
The styling feels discreet, yet fashionable, and there are four colours available for both men and women. Sizing runs from a UK3-9 for women and UK6.5 to 13.5 for men, offering a good range. It’s also worth noting that the base material is 100% recycled, while the overall percentage of recycled content comes in at 23%.
All-in-all, we think this is a great daily trainer that’ll be up for slow runs and tempo efforts alike. While not a race shoe, it does feel comfortable sockless and co
