Miscellany: Mulliga Runs a Marathon, Part 5 - The Shoes

Swiss shoe company On is a relative newcomer in the world of running, but after famously receiving backing by tennis legend Roger Federer and getting endorsements from the likes of Zendaya, On has been able to take a sizable chunk of the U.S. market. I've been using On's Cloudrunner and Cloudrunner 2 training shoes for awhile now, so here are my thoughts after about 300 miles in each shoe.

The original Cloudrunner was a big departure from the motion control Brooks and ASICS running shoes I had used in the past. The holes in the side of the shoe are On's "Cloudtec" system, which compresses with each step to provide spring-like cushioning to your feet. These were easily the plushest shoes I had ever used, and they held up well through lots of 5ks and 10ks.

Based on that experience, I splurged for a pair of On Cloudrunner 2s. What do you get for your $150? Well, the outsole design no longer catches rocks underfoot, which is nice, but the shoe as a whole doesn't feel all that different. The Cloudrunner 2 is still a "middle of the road" ride - neither minimalist nor maximalist - and I have no complaints with how it has held up.

I wear shoes out quickly with the weekly mileage I am running for marathon training, so the next shoe will be a pair of On Cloudmonster 2s.  These shoes are specifically designed for long runs, with maximum foam cushioning and a nylon "Speedboard" plate for enhanced energy return from each stride. The downside is that it's heavier than the Cloudrunner line, so we'll see if all those doodads actually work.