On Cloudsurfer Next Review
By David Salas and Andrea Myers
On Cloudsurfer NextPrice: $149.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.4 oz, 266g (men's size 9), 8.1 oz, 230g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 37 mm heel / 31 mm forefoot (via Running Warehouse)
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Lightweight training shoe
Pros: Balanced rocker with decent responsiveness, good enough cushioning for long runs
Cons: May be too firm for some, platform is more on the narrow side, true neutral shoe
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The On Cloudsurfer Next is a lightweight training shoe that is a continuation of the original Cloudgo line. The change in name comes from some of the platform changes. The original Cloudgo used a TPU Speedboard, though they changed the midsole configuration to now be Cloudtec Phase. This removes the Speedboard and relies on a new midsole and geometry. The forefoot rocker has been increased some to allow for smoother and more responsive transitions. The On Cloudsurfer Next aims to be a versatile lightweight trainer.
SIMILAR SHOES: On Cloudgo
PAST MODEL: new model
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The On Cloudsurfer Next fits true to size in my Men's 9.5. The shoe has a streamlined feel to it, but with enough durability and structure to work for daily training as well. The width in the heel is normal, the midfoot normal to slightly wide, and the forefoot normal to slightly wide. The toe box does taper a little quick at the end. There is a good amount of volume throughout to help with swelling accommodation. The upper material feels a bit more synthetic in nature, but still provides enough comfort for daily miles. The heel is surprisingly padded and plush for how streamlined the rest of the shoe feels. Underneath that padding there is a decently stiff heel counter present, but this did not provide any irritation. Throughout the upper there is some gentle reinforcement, but the upper is decently lightweight throughout. The tongue is gusseted and does a good job of holding the foot down onto the platform. The tongue is moderately padded and I did not have any issues of biting from the laces. The eyelets are more elastic in nature, which does let you lock the laces down a little bit tighter when you synch the shoe up. The feeling throughout the shoe is very secure. This does feel consistent with the upper of a performance training shoe. I do think I would like to see a little bit more forefoot width, and maybe a little less padding in the heel collar, but this is a pretty well done upper throughout.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Andrea: The On Cloudsurfer Next fits true to size in my usual women's 9.5. I have a full thumb's width from the front of the shoe to my big toe, and I found the length to be similar to the Cloudboom Echo 3. Initially, I found the toe box slightly low volume, with some pressure on the dorsum of my toes the first few runs. Fortunately, the upper broke in/stretched out a little after 15 miles and I no longer experienced toe discomfort. The width in the midfoot and rearfoot are normal and I was able to lock my feet down with the flat laces easily, without many mid-run adjustments. There is a semi-rigid heel counter that has a moderate amount of internal padding. I found the heel to fit securely and comfortably, without much awareness of the rear of the shoe while running. The gusseted tongue is of medium thickness and is further held in place by a lace loop. Once the toe box broke in, I greatly enjoyed the fit of the shoe and was pleased with both its security and comfort.
Andrea's Typical Size: Women's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Andrea well: Brooks Hyperion Max 1 and 2, Topo Cyclone 2, Nike Vaporfly 3, ASICS Novablast 4 and 5, PUMA MagMax Nitro
Shoes that have fit snug: Altra Escalante 4 (toe box width and volume), Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2 and 3 (length), Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro 1-4 (length)
Shoes that have fit large: Adidas Boston 12 (length), Adidas Adios 8 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Average
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Average
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Somewhat, though on stiffer side
How Flexible is the Shoe: somewhat, though stiffer
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average - Above Average
PERFORMANCE
David: I had mixed feelings with the On Cloudsurfer Next. There was a part of me that thought this was going to have a hyper responsive ride, but it didn't. Despite the difference of initial expectations the shoe performed really well in its own way. I was a fan of the Cloudsurfer Next's predecessor, the On Cloudgo, for similar reasons that I like the Surfer Next. Simplicity is the strength of the On Cloudsurfer Next. The shoe does not have any nonsense to it. The On Cloudsurfer Next is a truly neutral shoe with a modest rocker in the heel and a slightly larger forefoot rocker. The foam is very much on the firm side, but does have some bounce to it when you load it. The shoe is responsive to what you put into it. This does not have a super shoe bounce, but does have a firm and reliable ride that gives you a smaller bounce through the toe off. The shoe is decently stiff for not having a Speedboard, but does have a small amount of flex to it through the forefoot. The shoe feels decently smooth at all paces, without being overwhelming in any specific pace range. I do feel like I can take this for daily miles, long runs, and even workouts with some success.
My longest effort in the Cloudsurfer Next so far is 13.5 miles without any issue. This will be one of the firmer trainers of the year, but gives you a really well balanced profile to work with. Outsole traction underfoot is also pretty good. There is quite a bit more outsole coverage and thickness, and so I do expect the shoe to last for a while. The firmer nature combined with the good traction does make this shoe pretty reliable for using in runnable trail and dirt situations as well. So though I was expecting to be wowed with a super responsive ride, I was pleasantly surprised in a different way with a really balanced offering. This is a shoe that I can see myself using for a good variety of situations. It will certainly be too firm for some, but those wanting a balanced rocker on a lightweight and firmer package have something pretty solid here. For future models, I do think that this could be a promising platform and geometry to have a really lively midsole and perhaps super shoe training companion type feel.
Andrea: The On Cloudsurfer Next is a neutral daily trainer with a firm midsole that feels lower than its stated 37mm/31mm stack height. I tend to enjoy shoes like this, so I was excited to get some miles on the shoe and see how it stacks up to some of my other favorites. My first few runs were limited to 4-5 miles due to the tight toe box. I was really happy when the toe box finally opened up and the pressure on the dorsum of my toes disappeared. The firm midsole provides much more ground feel than the stack height would suggest, which I appreciated. The ride has a very neutral feel, which allowed me to just run rather than thinking about what the geometry or foam might be encouraging me to do. The forefoot rocker is only mildly noticeable and mainly serves to smooth transition to push off, rather than giving the shoe a propulsive ride.
Like the Cloudboom Echo 3, I found the Cloudsurfer Next to feel lower than its stated drop, likely due to the well designed heel bevel and firmer midsole. The platform is very stiff, with only a mild amount of flexibility in the forefoot. I mainly tested the shoe during easy runs, but did use it for some pickups at marathon to LT pace, and found it to respond well to faster efforts. At 8.1oz for a women's 8, the shoe is a little heavy for it to be a lightweight performance trainer that I would use for intervals, but works well for me as a lightweight daily trainer that I could reliably use for pickups or strides.
All of my runs in the shoe have been on slushy and sand covered roads, and I have been very pleased with the outsole traction. I have 30 miles on my pair and there is almost no visible wear, even on the section of exposed midsole in the midfoot. I would expect higher than average durability from the Cloudsurfer Next.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: The On Cloudsurfer Next is very much a neutral shoe, but has some things that go in its favor for stability. The shoe has a firmer midsole that holds its shape well under load. The rocker profile is well balanced and dialed in well. The upper lockdown is good throughout the entirety of the shoe. The outsole traction is pretty good underfoot and is reliable for a good amount of situations. Despite this, the midfoot does have a little bit of width to it in the upper, and the underfoot platform is a little narrow through the midfoot. There are some gentle sidewalls integrated into the shoe, but not very much usage of sole flaring. For being a true neutral shoe though stability is not too bad.
Andrea: The On Cloudsurfer Next is a neutral daily trainer with minimal guidance features. The platform is overall quite narrow, particularly in the midfoot. The firmer midsole and stiff platform provide mild stability to the 37mm/31mm stack height and the heel bevel and forefoot rocker provide mild forward guidance from initial contact to pushoff. The upper also locks down well, which is even more important with a narrow platform. This shoe will be best for those who do not have significant stability needs and prefer a firmer riding daily trainer.
Thoughts as a DPT: Why the Increased Forefoot Rocker?
By David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
Shoe designs can be overwhelming, and the marketing that goes into them even more so. Despite this, many shoe companies do try to back some of their marketing endeavors with either internal lab testing or with claims from some of the available research. One of the featured components of the On Cloudsurfer Next is the that it is "Forward Focused". They tuned the forefoot rocker to be more prominent to make running feel a little bit easier. Does it do that? In some ways...
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I did enjoy my time in the On Cloudsurfer Next, but I do have some recommendations. The first would be to widen the forefoot a little bit. I could feel it on the sides of my toes some, but not enough to cause any serious issues. The other would be to streamline the heel collar a little bit to be consistent with the feeling you get from the rest of the shoe. The shoe is good as is, but there is a part of me that would love to see this become a training companion to a super shoe. Potentially putting in a really lively midsole foam without the plate could make for a really fun training shoe without any plate usage.
Andrea: The On Cloudsurfer Next is a nicely done lightweight trainer with a firmer ride and I have enjoyed testing it. I echo David's recommendation to open the toe box a touch to improve the fit and comfort of the shoe. I hesitated to take the shoe for runs longer than an hour because I wasn't sure if the toe box would start bothering me again. I also think that this shoe could be a fantastic lightweight performance trainer if On can shave a little weight off, which I think could easily be achieved by reduced the stack height a few millimeters.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The On Cloudsurfer Next is a neutral training shoe for someone that wants a modest rocker and a firmer midsole. The shoe has pretty good versatility of being able to hit paces of all ranges. The platform and ride of the shoe is truly neutral throughout. This will be a pretty decent "everything" shoe for those that like firmer and slightly stiffer rides. This also does not have a Speedboard embedded in the shoe, and so this does provide an option for those that are sensitive to plates.
Andrea: The On Cloudsurfer Next is a firm riding, neutral, lighter weight daily trainer. It will be best for those who prefer a firm midsole and do not have issues with the narrow platform. The toe box is on the snug side, so I would not recommend it for those who have a wider or higher volume forefoot. At $150, it is one of the more reasonably priced On shoes and I would expect higher than average durability, so for the right person, it will be a good value.
GRADES
David
Fit: B+ (Good lockdown throughout, but I would like a little more forefoot width and a more streamlined heel collar)
Performance: A- (A very balance shoe that can do a little bit of everything. I think I would still like a slightly more lively midsole though.)
Stability: B (Good upper lockdown, outsole traction, gentle sidewalls, though somewhat narrow platform without much sole flaring or other stability measures)
Value: A (The right person will be able to get quite a bit of work in these shoes)
Personal: B+/A- (The Cloudsurfer Next works pretty well for my mechanics, though I do think I'd like a foam with a little more life to it)
Overall Design: B+/A-
Andrea
Fit: B+ (toe box fits a little low volume initially, which caused pain on the dorsum of my toes. This broke in after about 15 miles, but kept me hesitant to test it on longer runs. Otherwise, good lockdown and comfortable fit.)
Performance: A- (I like shoes with a firmer midsole and neutral ride, and this one is no exception. The shoe's weight would keep me from using it for intervals, but it can handle pickups and strides without issue.)
Stability: [neutral] B (A very neutral shoe with a narrow platform, firm ride, and minimal guidance besides moderate rocker geometry.)
Value: A ($150 is a very reasonable price for this shoe, which will likely have high durability and eat up a lot of training miles.)
Personal: B+ (I overall enjoyed the ride of the shoe, but wish the toe box fit a little more comfortably.)
Overall Design: B+/A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DOROn Cloudsurfer NextPrice: $149.95 at Running Warehouse
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
Hoka's update to their super racer.
Hoka's daily driver gets a midsole update.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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