The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is a highly cushioned super shoe built for half-marathon racing and beyond. Its exceptionally plush midsole provides excellent impact protection, while its impressive bounce and low weight help keep the ride lively over long distances. However, it isn't especially snappy or rolling through the stride, and its very narrow heel makes it much less suitable for heel strikers. It can handle shorter races and intervals decently, but it performs best when chasing long-distance PBs.
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Our Verdict
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is great for half and full marathon racing. Its excellent cushioning, high energy return, low weight, and carbon plate help maintain faster paces while keeping your legs protected over long distances. However, its narrow heel and soft platform can feel unstable, so it works best for strong runners who land closer to the forefoot.
Impressively low weight keeps turnover quick.
Excellent cushioning provides lasting protection over longer distances.
Excellent energy return keeps the ride lively.
Forefoot feels quite responsive as it unbends.
The narrow, soft heel offers poor support at initial contact.
The rocker flattens under pressure, so transitions are less smooth.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is a decent choice for 5K and 10K racing. It's light and highly energetic, but its very soft forefoot and unremarkable rolling motion make toe-offs less immediate than in snappier short-distance racers. It can still sustain fast paces, though it’s better suited to longer races.
Impressively low weight keeps turnover quick.
Excellent energy return keeps the ride lively.
The soft forefoot makes toe-offs feel less snappy.
The rocker flattens under pressure, so transitions are less smooth.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is decent for long runs. Its plush cushioning and excellent energy return keep the ride protective and bouncy over distance, but the unstable platform requires more control as you get tired over time. It's better suited to marathon-paced sessions than relaxed long runs.
Impressively low weight keeps turnover quick.
Excellent cushioning provides lasting protection over longer distances.
Excellent energy return keeps the ride lively.
The narrow, soft heel offers poor support at initial contact.
The rocker flattens under pressure, so transitions are less smooth.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is inadequate for daily training, and it's designed primarily for racing. Its excellent cushioning and low weight are positive, but the unstable platform and stiff plate mean it feels too aggressive and not natural underfoot for easy everyday mileage. It makes more sense for race-specific workouts than relaxed runs.
Excellent cushioning provides lasting protection over longer distances.
Excellent energy return keeps the ride lively.
The narrow, soft heel offers poor support at initial contact.
The carbon plate and stiff construction aren't well suited for easy paces.
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We've bought and tested more than 250 running shoes. Every pair purchased with our own money, never supplied or sponsored by brands. Our data-driven tests are designed to go beyond marketing claims, and since every shoe goes through the exact same methodology, you can directly compare results to find the right pair for your needs.
Test Results
Energy Return
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 has excellent energy return that adds to the lively feel of the shoe. Both the heel and forefoot return energy efficiently as the midsole decompresses, so the shoe feels energetic through the stride, helping you hold faster paces at a lower effort.
Excellent energy return keeps the ride lively.
Stability
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 has poor lateral stability. Its narrow heel and arch sit beneath a tall, soft platform, making landings feel precarious, especially for heel strikers. That said, its broad forefoot feels much steadier, and runners who land farther forward won't experience a lot of instability.
The broad forefoot gives forefoot strikers a steadier landing.
The narrow, soft heel offers poor support at initial contact.
Ungusseted tongue makes it harder to get a secure lockdown.
The heel is soft and considerably plusher than the previous Cloudboom Strike. This makes landings more comfortable, but also a lot less stable, especially for heel strikers.
The forefoot is very soft under pressure. It creates a plush and forgiving landing, though toe-offs feel less direct than in firmer racing shoes.
The unusually thick drop-in insole acts like an upper midsole layer, placing plenty of foam directly beneath the forefoot and partly explaining the shoe's remarkable cushioning there. The carbon plate sits between this insert and the lower midsole. On markets, the two visible segmented cutouts, such as CloudTec Sphere, say they allow each section to compress and rebound more freely, though they're also a straightforward way to reduce weight. Regardless, it's a refreshing departure from the brand's older hollow-pod concept. The layout somewhat resembles the Brooks Glycerin Flex, though Brooks uses the gaps to make the shoe bend more naturally, while On uses them to create a softer, bouncier ride.
Cushioning
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 offers excellent cushioning, with exceptional protection under the forefoot and plenty under the heel. Its plush platform absorbs impact very effectively, making it especially comfortable late in longer races.
Excellent cushioning provides lasting protection over longer distances.
Forefoot delivers remarkable protection.
The heel provides excellent cushioning, absorbing impact effectively with its tall stack of foam. It offers plenty of protection for long-distance racing, especially if you prefer a plush feel.
This model offers remarkable forefoot cushioning. The thick insole layer and soft midsole absorb and spread out impact forces, providing exceptional protection for your legs.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 provides excellent protection in our simulated 50 km long run test. Its thick but cushioned construction remains comfortable late in long runs and races.
Bounciness
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is impressively bouncy. Its plush midsole compresses noticeably before rebounding efficiently, creating a dynamic, trampoline-like sensation that works particularly well over longer distances.
Excellent energy return keeps the ride lively.
Deep compression and efficient rebound create an impressively bouncy ride.
Snappiness
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 has decent snappiness. Its stiff plate stores and releases plenty of energy, but the very soft forefoot dulls the immediacy of toe-off. It feels responsive at sustained race paces rather than sharply explosive during short intervals.
Forefoot feels quite responsive as it unbends.
The soft forefoot makes toe-offs feel less snappy.
The forefoot returns a great amount of energy as it unbends, but it releases slightly less energy than the previous On Cloudboom Strike.
The forefoot resists bending a lot, creating a stiff lever during toe-off that helps the shoe feel decently snappy overall.
The forefoot has a very good rocker, with a pronounced curve that helps move the foot forward through toe-off. It’s also more aggressive than on the previous Cloudboom Strike, with a steeper angle and higher toe spring.
Roll
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 rolls adequately well. Its forefoot is quite stiff in bending, and the pronounced rocker helps move the foot forward, but it flattens under pressure, making transitions less smooth and guided than in firmer, more rockered shoes.
The pronounced rocker helps roll you forward through push-off.
The rocker flattens under pressure, so transitions are less smooth.
The rocker flattens considerably under pressure instead of holding its curved shape. This makes transitions less direct than in rigid, rocker-driven shoes like the PUMA Fast-R NITRO Elite 3.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 has good heel rocker geometry, with an early curve that helps move heel strikers forward after landing. Still, the shoe isn't really designed for pronounced heel striking, but the rocker can still help if your foot strike shifts farther back as your form breaks down late in a race.
True To Size
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 fits true to size. Its length closely matches the standard, while the forefoot width, toe-box height, and arch volume should accommodate most feet without feeling excessively tight or loose. However, the fit still leans race-oriented overall, with little extra room up front if your feet tend to swell during a marathon. Most runners can still choose their usual size.
Very accurate fit leaves enough room without compromising lockdown.
The length is true to size, but the toe-box volume can make the shoe feel longer and more spacious than it is. The fit remains race-oriented, so limited space ahead of the toes may become more noticeable as your feet swell during a marathon.
Note : The original Cloudboom Strike was tested in a men's size 8, and this version in a size 9, so the raw measurements of all fit test boxes aren't directly comparable, though the overall scores can be compared and reflect a similarly accurate fit.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 has a great weight for a super shoe and is lighter than its predecessor, the On Cloudboom Strike. It feels efficient over longer races, though it’s still shy of exceptionally nimble models like the ASICS METASPEED RAY.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 uses Helion HF, a PEBA-based foam, in both the main midsole and its unusually thick removable insole. This insole acts more like an upper midsole layer than a standard sockliner, adding a substantial amount of soft foam directly beneath the foot. While the layered construction could suggest that a second compound is used, our analysis found the same foam in both sections. If you're curious, here's an image of the insole foam.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the On Cloudboom Strike 2 in men's US size 9; you can see the label for our pair. The color shown here is White Lime, but the shoe is also available in more colorways. Wide versions aren't available for this model.
There's also a Cloudboom Strike LS 2, which replaces the standard laced upper with the brand's sprayed-on LightSpray construction for a lower weight. Although both versions appear to be identical underfoot, the different upper affects several design measurements and may also cause slight variations in performance. Our results, therefore, apply only to the standard version.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is a soft, highly cushioned carbon-plated racer built primarily for half marathons and marathons. It sits on the protective side of the super shoe market, with plenty of plushness and bounce but less direct toe-offs than snappier racers like the PUMA Fast-R NITRO Elite 3. The ASICS METASPEED RAY and HOKA Cielo X1 3.0 are two even plusher options if you want a super protective feel, but both are even more unstable than the On. The On Cloudboom Volt is a better option for heel strikers, thanks to its more accessible and stable ride.
If you're interested in other options from the Swiss brand, check out our recommendations for the best On running shoes. For more race-day options, have a look at our recommendations for the best marathon running shoes.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 and On Cloudboom Volt are two race-day shoes from the same brand, but they feel very different. Get the Strike 2 if you want the more cushioned, energetic, and performance-focused option. Get the Volt if you prefer a firmer, steadier ride, especially if you're a heel striker or a slower runner who doesn’t need maximum efficiency.
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is a substantial refinement over the original On Cloudboom Strike. Its softer tuning makes the ride more cushioned, energetic, and plush, though also less stable. Get the original if you find it at a substantial discount and don't need the fastest option or prefer the steadier ride. In most other cases, the upgrade is worth it.