
I initially found the fit to be a little narrow, especially for a shoe designed for ultra runs, and one that specifically targets the swelling which is associated with time on feet. The more I have worn these, the more they are creeping up the rankings of my favoured, go-to shoe, especially for the longer and more technical courses I like to do.” The shoe was comfortable, felt responsive and extremely secure. Despite my reservations, I was an instant fan. The shoe is specifically designed in every way with no corners cut, from the sock-like, two-layer sandwich mesh upper to the dual-layered Cloud pods that are smaller and said to provide more cushioning and long-run comfort than in their other lines. “The Cloudultra feel very different from any other trail shoe I’ve worn. I generally favour a well-cushioned shoe, especially when running long distances so wasn’t sure how this would suit my style. Having little exposure to On shoes, I was limited in my impression of the CloudTec technology but concerned about the claimed firmness of the new Helion midsole. The other colour option for women is traditional Black/White while for men you have the choice between the Black/White or Limelight/Eclipse (black and yellow). I trialed the Moss/Eclipse colour scheme which is a duck egg blue with grey trim. Anyone already familiar with the brand knows that they are very attractive, yet understated shoes, normally adopting a muted approach to their colour schemes as opposed to some other brands for whom the brighter the better.


With generous cushioning, they’re comfortable yet not cumbersome or unresponsive, somehow maintaining a precise feeling. Straight out of the box, the On CloudUltra are good to go for long runs without any niggles or breaking in period.
