On Cloudmonster 2 vs 1 Comparison Running Shoe Review

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The main difference between the On Cloudmonster 2 running shoes and the On Cloudmonster 1 running shoes is the weight, with the On Cloudmonster 2 being fractionally heavier for increased durability.

As Sportitude running shoe expert Josh Willoughby explains in his On Cloudmonster 2 running shoe review, for most runners this is a welcome trade-off. More durability means you can enjoy more kilometres on the road with your running shoes providing consistent cushioning for longer. The improvements in longevity stay true to the purpose of this running shoe – to help you tackle daily training and long distances in cloud-like comfort.

On Running have listened to customer feedback and responded with positive changes to the engineering of the On Cloudmonster family. The vertical gap in-between the CloudTec pods of the outsole that acted as a stone-catcher in the past, has been filled in to solve the issue and ensure more distraction-free runs. The traction is reliable on the road in both dry and damp conditions.

The upper is more voluminous through the forefoot, making it an ideal fit for foot types that prefer a roomier running shoe. On Running achieve balance in the fit with an extra eyelet for a secure lockdown on the wider platform. Many runners have found that dropping down half a size as they transition between the On Cloudmonster to the new On Cloudmonster 2 offers a sweet spot in fit.

Like other On Running shoes, the midsole is where the On Cloudmonster 2 stands a part from the pack with dual layer CloudTec technology, nylon Speedboard and updated Helion foam. This resilient cushioning delivers increased compression for a more responsive push-off. Runners craving more bounce naturally gravitate to the On Cloudmonster 2.

Check out the review with full transcript below.

Hey guys, Josh here from Sportitude. It is shoe review time and in front of me I have the new On Cloudmonster 2.

There are some big expectations with this running shoe because the On Cloudmonster version 1 was a running shoe that created a lot of hype with this brand in the running community all over the world.

The On Cloudmonster 2 has been available for 18 months. The number of people taking up this model has continued to grow, so the attention is real.

The runners out there know and are confident with the brand. With a running shoe like this, the second iteration of a very popular shoe, we obviously expect big things.

In today's review I'm going to go over the key features of the On Cloudmonster 2 running shoes. However, at the end I'm going to address a couple of whys.

Why have On Running changed this shoe in comparison to where it was from the On Cloudmonster 1? While these running shoes look very similar, there are some key updates that you the running community need to know.

Before we get into that, I will go over the engineering features of the running shoe being the outsole, midsole and upper and profile the foot type to give you the information that you need at home to potentially make this your next shoe purchase.

Outsole

First things first, I'm going to jump to the outsole. On Running have addressed a little issue that was creeping into a lot of their running shoe outsole engineering.

In last year's model, there is the exposed Speedboard through the centre piece of the vertical decoupled line at the back. On Running have filled in that gap to stop you from picking up all the little rocks, sticks, twigs and gum nuts here in Australia.

By filling it out, you would assume and you'd be right in saying the weight would probably go up with reference to midsole engineering. Other than that, the outsole coverage is great.

We have a filled in border with reference to the CloudTec pods. You can see the pods encapsulate and connect to one another on the medial and lateral side. That’s going to help keep those pods in their strategic positioning throughout the forefoot and hopefully hold shape right the way through the longevity of this running shoe.

The rubber isn't really much different than the On Cloudmonster 1. It's a nice rubber - it grabs with the ground and it provides ample friction on those surfaces it's been designed for, being bitumen and pavement running. When it's damp and slippery you're still going to get enough traction and grip which I really liked about the On Cloudmonster 1 and I will certainly like about the On Cloudmonster 2.

Where there is exposed Helion foam with no rubber, there’s no issues with reference to durability. The On Cloudmonster 1 held up quite well and the On Cloudmonster 2 will be the same.

Upper

Let's talk about the upper. I'm not going to give you all the information around fit, feel and function just yet as we'll talk about that at the end of this review.

The upper is very similar to last year with reference to the engineering. The breathability channelling is almost exactly the same through the toe box.

The tongue itself has a subtle change. We have an anatomical construction which is gusseted on both the lateral and medial side. Being anatomical, the left and right execution of the tongue is slightly different for both feet.

It’s a very thin tongue this year. Last year it was quite thin as well, but this year they've taken that game to another level and have gone very thin which is going to offer a lot more breathability.

There’s been a subtle change in the eyelets with reference to the lacing. Last year we had three eyelets which were used with the synthetic material on the medial and the lateral side which offered ample tension.

However, On Running have thrown in an extra eyelet with the new model. It has four eyelets before the extra hole at the top of the shoe. Why they have done that? They want to provide a little bit more security on top of your arch.

Coming back to the heel counter, we have a nice amount of memory foam on the instep. It offers great comfort and the heel counter is nice and stable as well. I would suggest it feels a bit higher, but there’s enough heel counter support for your heel to sit true inside the back of this running shoe.

Midsole

Let's talk all things midsole next. If you're an On Running purist or you haven't heard of the brand before, the midsole is where all the magic goes because it's very unique with its engineering and design. I really like what On Running are doing in this space and will be doing in the future.

First things first, the stack height has been provided to us from On Running. We have 35mm in the heel and 29mm in the forefoot for that offset of 6mm.

It has the same heel-to-toe drop as last year being 6mm. We have the dual layer CloudTec technology, so some Cloud pods sit closer to the ground and some sit closer to the foot. They have attached them to the Speedboard which is that nylon construction which runs close to the foot and provides that snappy almost stabiliser with reference to this midsole roll.

We have a new compressed Helion foam which again is attached to that Speedboard. Helion technology is their most resilient, most cushioned foam but we have this compressed Helion through the forefoot. That's going to provide a slightly snappier toe-off experience within this running shoe and provide a little bit more integrity through the forefoot as well.

Overall, the running shoe in reference to cushioning feels soft enough. There is a subtle change to last year which we'll get on to in the next part of this review. I would expect the On Cloudmonster 2 to have made subtle improvements in their midsole and I believe they have done that.

Summary Of The On Cloudmonster Changes – ‘The Why?’

I want to start talking about the why. Why have On Running made their changes in the On Cloudmonster 2 from the On Cloudmonster 1?

When brands make changes with their technologies, the first thing we like to ask is why? Why did you make them lighter? Why did you make them heavier? Why did you make them softer?

Whatever the question is in reference to the outcome of execution of engineering, we want to know why because it's our role in this industry to impart that information to you the running community.

The first thing I'd like to address is the size and fit. Last year in the On Cloudmonster 1, I was a 9.5 D width. I love the fit, no questions whatsoever.

This year in the On Cloudmonster 2 I've had to drop down half a size. I am a 9 US in the On Cloudmonster 2. That's not just me, that's been a consistent message from all of our team here that have had the On Cloudmonster 1 and have put the On Cloudmonster 2 on their foot.

They've all come down half a size in the men's and women’s model, so just keep that in mind.

The other change which needs to be addressed is the way it has gone up in weight. Last year in a men's size 9 the On Cloudmonster was about 275 grams.

In my On Cloudmonster 2 this year we're getting closer to that 300 grams mark, so almost 25 grams heavier in the new version. That's significant enough for us to talk about, because while the weight has gone up a lot of people will be sitting there going, “That's just not on, I'm not going to buy this shoe because it's heavier”.

However, the reason the weight has gone up and where the weight has actually been executed is more in the midsole.

Last year's midsole was very comfortable. It offered great cushioning and a snappy ride with that Speedboard. However, the feedback that On Running had to address was the longevity of the shoe.

Once you get to around that 400km to potentially 500km mark (depending on the person using them), I personally started to feel that the On Cloudmonster 1 was starting to lose its integrity in the midsole. At around 450km I was starting to notice that the shoe wasn't really giving me that cushioning and pop that I had experienced in the previous 400km.

With the On Cloudmonster 2 filling out the midsole through the outsole vertical decoupled line, having that new compressed Helion through the forefoot and a slight tweak in reference to the Helion geometry and durometer, the shoe is marginally heavier because of the new and improved midsole.

I use the word improved because we're addressing the longevity or the durability factor with reference to On Cloudmonster 1. While the running shoe has gone up ever so slightly in weight with an increase of 25 grams, the durability is going to be there which is a good thing.

When you're spending the money on a running shoe like this you want it to meet its intended purpose. As a mileage shoe, the On Cloudmonster 2 is designed to spend hours out in the road pounding the pavement as your workhorse, so you want the durability to be there.

It's not a lightweight super trainer like your Asics SuperBlast or your Saucony Endorphin Speed which are light, poppy and you will sacrifice some mileage in those running shoes.

The On Cloudmonster 2 is designed to spend plenty of miles out on the road, hence addressing that midsole change and the weight going up.

As I touched on with the overall fit, we have come back half a size in overall sizing. Although you can't see it, the On Cloudmonster 2 running shoe is marginally more voluminous through the forefoot.

I think that's why we see the extra eyelet with lacing on top of the arch. When they executed the upper in the On Cloudmonster 2 it was going to have a little bit more volume. Having an extra eyelet allows you to get a bit more of a customised lockdown with reference to the fit and feel of this running shoe.

Having more volume is going to play to a lot of runners who have been seeking a more voluminous upper. However, if you found the On Cloudmonster 1 to be marginally too wide for your foot, you'll find the On Cloudmonster 2 to be too wide. Unfortunately, you won't be stepping into this running shoe with absolute confidence.

However, if width is something you were chasing and you didn't get it in the On Cloudmonster 1 you should certainly try the On Cloudmonster 2. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Josh’s Subjective Opinion Of The On Cloudmonster 2

For my subjective opinion on how the On Cloudmonster 2 ran for me - on my first experience stepping into the shoe, I noticed the midsole to be a bit denser.

You don't get that really compressed feel like I got from my On Cloudmonster 1. However, putting a couple of runs into the On Cloudmonster 2, I did notice the running shoe to perform more consistently from entry, midstance and toe-off.

I noticed that compressed Helion foam through the forefoot when I stood in the running shoes and there's obviously a bit of a discrepancy between the two different foams. However, when running in them I didn’t notice it.

I found the On Cloudmonster 2 running shoe to be nice and consistent on entry. On midstance that Speedboard plays a significant part in restabilising this shoe with the size of the CloudTec pods underneath the body. However, that release through the forefoot was exactly what I wanted and expected out of this running shoe.

As I touched on in this review, there is a bump up in weight. However, for a shoe like this and what it's intended for I will always sacrifice 20 to 30 grams within reason, to get more durability out of my running shoes.

If I can get an extra 150km to potentially 200km out of this running shoe, I think that's a win from On Running and I think it's a win for you the runner.

I'm going to jump ahead and say give me 6 weeks - because I obviously do a lot of running in a lot of different shoes - then let's do a review after 100 km in the On Cloudmonster 2. We'll see how they're holding up in comparison to where they were with the On Cloudmonster 1.

That'll hopefully give you some confidence that yes, On Running are on the right track with improving the midsole for the intended purposes of durability, but I think they are certainly trending the right direction and making subtle improvements in areas they needed to.

The Wrap Up

Thank you for tuning into today's review. There is some changes that we needed to address in reference to the On Cloudmonster 2.

I like what this brand's doing, I like that they're listening and making the changes that the running community are asking for with reference to their running shoes.

The On Cloudmonster 2 while it's gone up in weight, I think it's a good thing. This brand is listening, it's progressive and I love what they're doing. There's some exciting shoes coming out in 2024 and I know they're going to put their foot to the floor in 2025 as well.

If you have any questions about this running shoe please contact our Sportitude shoe experts.

Please subscribe to the Sportitude YouTube channel if you haven't already done so to stay notified and we'll keep pushing out these shoe reviews for you the fabulous running community all over the world.

Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, happy running and we'll see you out the road. Take care.

FEATURES

On Cloudmonster 2

Support: Neutral
Upper: Mesh
Midsole: On CloudTec, On Helion
Heel Height: 35mm
Forefoot Height: 29mm
Offset / Drop: 6mm

Men

Weight: 295g / 10.4oz
Width: D (standard)

Women

Weight: 230g / 8.1oz
Width: B (standard)

On Cloudmonster 1

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