ON – race and train, the latest innovations in running shoes
With major new designs to both upper and midsole technology, ON has created its next generation of running shoes.
Designed to deliver race-day speed for marathons and half-marathons while keeping feet comfortable and supported, the LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 is equally visually striking and, it must be said, expensive.
But when race-day shoes are regularly priced around £250 and above, can the shoe deliver the performance?
Innovation in running footwear rarely comes in the form of a completely new manufacturing process, but that's exactly what ON has achieved with this model. While the shoe is designed as an elite marathon racer, it also showcases a technology that is beginning to shape the future of performance footwear.
At first glance, the most striking feature isn't the carbon plate or the highly responsive midsole; it's the upper. Rather than using traditional stitched or bonded construction, ON's LightSpray technology robotically sprays a continuous filament directly onto the last, producing a seamless, ultra-lightweight one-piece design in minutes. The result is a shoe weighing just 158g, making it one of the lightest racing shoes currently available.
Once you wiggle into the shoes, the fit offers a sock-like experience; in fact, the shoe comes supplied with a sock designed to optimise the fit: the Elite Run Sock High Hyper.
ON has introduced its new CloudTec Sphere geometry in this model, replacing the more traditional CloudTec pods seen on previous generations. The redesigned channels within the midsole allow greater compression and rebound, helping the shoe absorb impact before returning energy efficiently through toe-off. Combined with the latest Helion HF supercritical racing foam and an updated curved carbon Speedboard, the ride feels significantly smoother and more fluid than earlier ON racing models.
Earlier-generation racing shoes from the brand have been described as firm; this model has addressed that firmness with a soft, springy and smoother experience.
The upper is unlike anything currently available from the major running brands. There are no traditional stitched panels, no overlays, no separate tongue and no conventional laces. Instead, the sprayed construction wraps the foot almost like a second skin, reducing weight while eliminating many of the seams that can create pressure points during longer races.
Beyond the performance benefits, the manufacturing process is also designed to reduce waste and significantly lower carbon emissions compared with conventional upper production. Of course, such a minimalist construction won't suit every runner. Those who enjoy the reassurance of a more structured upper or require greater adjustment around the midfoot may still prefer a traditional engineered mesh design. If that is the case ON also has a regular version of the shoe available.
Despite the ridiculous lack of material around the foot, I was surprised by how stable the shoe felt once the pace increased. ON has managed to keep that reassuring feeling underfoot without taking away the aggressive, forward-driving character you want from a marathon racer.
Experienced marathon runners chasing personal bests will undoubtedly appreciate the exceptionally low weight and highly efficient ride. However, the technology is perhaps just as fascinating as the performance itself. The LightSpray process represents a genuine departure from conventional footwear manufacturing and offers an intriguing glimpse into where high-performance running shoes may be heading over the coming years.
The ON LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 is much more than another carbon-plated racing shoe. It represents one of the most innovative developments in running footwear for many years, combining an entirely new manufacturing process with a thoroughly modern marathon racing platform.
The futuristic LightSpray upper may attract attention, but it is supported by an equally impressive midsole, refined geometry and responsive ride that should make the shoe a genuine contender among today's elite marathon racers.
Whether the LightSpray manufacturing process becomes commonplace remains to be seen, but ON has demonstrated that meaningful innovation can still exist in an increasingly crowded supershoe market. For runners seeking cutting-edge race-day performance—and prepared to invest accordingly—the LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 is one of the most intriguing launches of the year.
The new Cloudsurfer 3 is the brand’s third generation of its cushioned everyday running shoe, now designed to deliver its softest ride yet. With a redesign in the structural engineering of the midsole, the shoe combines the brand’s newly created Surreal™ superfoam with a re-engineered CloudTec Phase™ system to deliver softness without sacrificing the responsiveness of the shoe.
In simulations powered by On’s in-house Advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA), combining the new foam with CloudTec Phase achieves superior performance than superfoam alone by delivering more compression for shock absorption and a smoother ride by reducing breaking force.
Developed and tested in tandem with the new foam, the CloudTec Phase system’s computer-optimised geometry was redesigned to allow its Cloud elements to compress in sequence as the foot moves creating a smooth, creating an smoother roll through every stride.
“The breakthrough was not simply that we created a new superfoam - it is that we can engineer structure into it to unlock even more from the material,” says Scott Maguire, President and COO at On. “Bringing our foam development, structural engineering and biomechanical capabilities together at On Labs allowed us to do exactly that. The Cloudsurfer 3 is the first expression of this breakthrough, and we’re excited to keep exploring Surreal’s potential across our running footwear portfolio.”
“Our ambition with the Cloudsurfer 3 was to rethink what softness should feel like in a daily running shoe,” says Zoé Gerdil, Product Manager at On. “Runners want generous cushioning, but they also need a shoe that feels effortless and easy to move through. By pairing Surreal™ superfoam with the re-engineered CloudTec Phase system, we created a ride that feels soft underfoot, yet smooth and alive from landing to take-off.”
The Cloudsurfer 3 is the first product to feature Surreal, with its debut marking a major evolution in On’s foam innovation, and Surreal set to play a growing role across the brand’s running footwear range.
