Article by Peter Stuart and Courtney Kelly
On Cloudflow 5 ($180)
Introduction
Peter: The Cloudflow 5 is, you guessed it, the 5th iteration of the Cloudflow series. A few years ago On evolved from being really good looking running shoes that weren’t that great to run in to being really great looking running shoes that are really great to run in. For me the CloudMonster was the first really enjoyable On and then came the excellent Cloudeclipse.
The Cloudflow 5 is the latest excellent offering from On. It’s a more uptempo daily trainer that incorporates some of the tech from On racing shoes.
The Cloudflow 5 has a top layer of Helion HF supercritical foam (also used in their race shoes), a glass fiber-nylon blend Speedboard plate as well as an “extreme” rocker. It’s not the lightest shoe, but gets pretty darn propulsive when you step on the gas.
Pros:
Excellent design and upper: Peter
Great energy return, especially at speed: Peter,
Excellent uptempo trainer: Courtney
Breathable: Peter, Courtney
Great traction at toe off: Peter
Cons:
A bit heavy for a ‘speed’ shoe: Peter, Courtney
Rides a little firm at slower paces: Peter, Courtney
Hurts at a slower pace! Courtney
Tester profiles are at the end of the article but in brief:
Peter has been a sub 3 hour marathoner as well as a 1:21 half marathoner in recent years.
Courtney recently ran her first marathon in 3:04:27. In addition, she holds a half marathon PR of 1:25, a 5 mile PR 30:17, and a 5k PR of 18:20.
Stats
Approx. Weight: men’s 9.8 oz/ 278 g US9 (prior version 8.6 oz/ 245 g US9)
Sample Weights:
men’s 10.59 oz / 299.8 grams US 11
women’s 8.75 oz / 248 g US 9
Stack Height: 36 mm heel / 28 mm forefoot, 8mm drop
Prior Version men’s 31mm heel / 23mm forefoot, 8 mm drop
Platform Width
80mm heel / 70mm midfoot / 110mm forefoot US W9
80mm heel/ 75mm midfoot / 110mm forefoot US M11
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
Courtney: The Cloudflow 5 immediately catches your eye with its contrasting citrus green, black and white colorway. Style is definitely one of On’s strengths and Cloudflow is no exception. The “On Running” logo overlay covers the medial side of the shoe.
The dual layer mesh upper is light and airy, skipping the extra padding in favor of weight reduction. The gusseted tongue is actually part of this construction and does well to keep the thin tongue in place.
The thin laces interlock through the tongue for further lockdown (See photo).
The laces are directly on the foot here. On my first run, I had to adjust the tightness mid run as I felt some slipping around especially at the heel. As soon as I made the adjustment I became quite aware of the tightness on my foot and worried that there might be some lace bite but thankfully I was spared.
One could also retie the laces outside of the tongue if there is sensitivity there. On actually encourages the customizing of the lacing with a second row of lace eyelets as shown above. The second eyelets offer more support through the arch and ankle which I quite prefer. Lace length is perfect for the extra lockdown.
Fit at midfoot is snug as an uptempo shoe should fit. The toe box is somewhat narrow, but with enough stretch and space to splay the toes comfortably. The heel counter is firm with minimal padding at the collar, further confirming focus of the shoe and fit for shorter to medium distances.
Peter: The Cloudflow 5 is, unsurprisingly, another great looking shoe from ON. The shoe runs true-to-size and has a very comfortable and very breathable upper. Lacing is easy and the overall fit and finish are terrific. The Cloudflow is not a light shoe–coming in at 10.6 oz for a US men’s 11, increasing in weight 30g over the Cloudflow 4 but now with 5mm more stack height. The tongue is a good thickness and stays in place thanks to the thru-lacing. It’s not a super tall shoe, but it feels on the narrower side. It’s stable enough, but my first impression is that it’s pretty firm.
Midsole & Platform
Courtney: Helion EVA blend foam and Cloudtec technology make up the bottom part of the midsole. Version 5 has 7 pods where we saw 8 pods in V4. The stack is now 5mm higher sporting super shoe status supercritical Helion HF directly underfoot.
But not so fast…Although it appears the HF foam is about 16mm thick, it is more like 7mm as the outside of the foam wraps up around the upper as side walls, and in fact, is not under your foot for what looks like more stack.
This is a little misleading and explains the very firm feel underfoot despite being able to claim they use the same foam as used in their top tier Cloudboom Strike LS. Sure, it provides soft yet stable guide rails, but this shoe could use some softening on top of the firm lower regular Helion foam and plate.
Speaking of plates, the spoon-shaped fiber glass infused Speedboard sits in the middle between the two foams, offering a slightly more compliant feel than carbon fiber (as well as being more cost effective). There is certainly a danger in making a shoe that is too compliant, but I think a softer foam could be beneficial here.
The aggressive toe spring here could lead to some unwanted pressure as it keeps your toes in a flexed position. That spring also becomes something you have to get up and over as you go through the gait cycle. You feel this especially at slower paces as it just seems to drag.The shoe is also just too firm for slow paces.
Peter: Courtney has you covered above on the technical stuff.. What appears to be a nice big slab of Helion HF supercritical foam is actually an optical illusion. There is actually a pretty thin layer of Helion HF separating the bottom of your foot from the top of the outsole pods and its Helion foam and rubber. It looks like there is more Helion HF (the white foam as pictured above) because it comes up over the sidewalls of the shoe. Underfoot, there is a much thinner layer of Helion HF sitting right over the Speedboard glass fiber plate.
This all combines to make the Cloudflow 5 pretty firm. The overall firmness of the foams and the plate work together to create a propulsive and fun ride—at higher speeds. Things get markedly less fun at slower speeds as you really feel the rigidity and have to push through the plate a bit. There is much more of the yellow Helion foam with the cutaway clouds than there is Helion HF foam. It seems like in the next iteration they could put some more Helion HF underfoot and things would get a bit softer.
Outsole
Also please comment how or if outsole affects ride
Courtney: The outsole on the Cloudflow is made of patches of CloudTec rubber at the heel with more coverage on the lateral side. The segmented pods provide some flex both laterally and lengthwise but the foam and Speedboard keep the shoe quite firm overall. The CloudTec is grippy and provides plenty of traction.
Peter: There’s black grippy rubber in all the right places, including pretty far up on the toe.
Grip is excellent and you can feel the extra grip on toe-off. Durability is good so far and traction is great. Cornering at high speed is also no problem.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
The context should be a combination of your preferences and overall shoe design and performance. Some shoes are not the best for you but may be great for others and both aspects have to be considered in
Your Score out of 10 with points off and comments for what could use improvements. The scoring context should be a combination of your preferences and overall shoe design and performance.
If you choose to use the weighted by category scoring rubrics they are here:
Road: Ride (50%): Fit (30%): Value (15%): Style (5%):
Trail: Ride (30%): Fit (30%): Value (10%): Style (5%) Traction (15%): Rock Protection (10%):
New Smiles Fun Score! Out of 5 This score is about how pleasing/fun the experience is on the run, or in the case of race type shoes how effective it is to race.
😊😊😊😊😊(copy paste as many smiles as you need)
Courtney: I initially brought the Cloudflow 5 out for a total of 9 miles consisting of 1ks and 6 x 800s at my 3K-5K pace. Looking over my splits I was disappointed and slightly surprised to see I missed my 3K speed by about 15-20 secs per mile coming in at 6:05 minute/mile pace. It certainly felt like a 3K effort.
I then thought the shoe might be better suited for uptempo work based on the amount of superfoam in the shoe. Sure enough, I took them out for my Sunday run (normally a speedier short distance run with strides at the end). This is where I found the shoe coming into its own. Those 7:15 pace miles felt right, but it's also not necessarily a shoe I would want to take longer than 10 miles due its heavier weight and stiffness.
As long as you are accustomed to a firmer riding shoe, I think the Cloudflow can suit those faster paced runs. It may even suit for intervals for those (who might be heavier than me at 110 lbs) who can compress the CloudTec pods enough to get beneficial rebound from them.
Overall Score: 8.02/10
Ride (50%): 8 one-dimensional in its purpose. A bit too firm, lacks responsiveness
Fit (30%): 8.5 very accommodating to many different foot types.
Value (15%): 8 I suppose the going price for a super trainer, but lacks “super”
Style (5%): 9 beautiful aesthetics as usual from On.
😊😊😊
Peter: The Cloudflow 5 is a little bit of a paradox. It’s a shoe that feels much better at faster tempos, but is a bit too heavy to want to wear for faster tempo workouts.
The CloudFlow 5 shines when I’m at MGP or HMGP. It’s a bit clunky at slower paces and a little harder to turn over for 5k pace work.
Overall it’s a decent ride, but due to rigidity and firmness it can be a bit punishing. I’ve done longer runs, track workouts and progressive runs in the Cloudlflow 5. Ultimately it feels best at tempo in the midst of a progressive run. There are certain speeds at which you can feel them pop off of the road. The upper is delightful and the ride at slower speeds is good but not great.
Overall Score: 8.00/10
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6 Comparisons
Brooks Hyperion Max 2: (RTR Review)
Courtney: 36mm/30mm (6mm drop) Hyperion Max 3 vs 36mm/28mm (8mm drop) for the Cloudflow 5
I immediately thought of this shoe when I tried on the Cloudflow. The newest Hyperion Max 3 doesn’t really compare as it truly becomes a long distance max cushioned trainer.
The Max 2 is lighter than the Flow 5, but with a similar firm ride that encourages those faster toe offs. The foam is bouncier in the Max and overall more cushioned in the forefoot as the stack is 2mm higher and the foam is slightly more compliant. The toe spring is a bit more aggressive in the Flow 5 creating a roll forward. The Speedvault nylon plate works similarly to the Brooks Speedboard providing rigidity but with more flexibility than a carbon plate.
Both shoes do best at an uptempo pace but have trouble supporting a super fast interval pace. The Max has less support through the arch as I tend to collapse inward, but it was a shoe I would bring out for my uptempo long runs (although I was a bit sore afterwards).
Brooks Hyperion Max 3 (RTR Review)
Peter: The Hyperion is a bit heavier and, while on the firmer side of super-shoes, is still softer than the Cloudflow 5. The Cloudflow is a better bet for tempo work, but the Hyperion Max is built for the long haul. One can go out and just eat miles in the Hyperion Max.
adidas Adizero Boston 13: (RTR Review)
Courtney The dual layered Lightstrike Pro/Lightstrike 2.0 foam on the Boston is a much softer and responsive combination aiding in those quick and effortless transitions. Adidas designed the Boston 13 with deeper supercritcal Pro foam upfront for the most energetic toe off. Conversely, the forefoot of the Cloudflow 5 is less cushioned and responsive. The Boston is also a more versatile trainer providing a comfortable ride at slower paces which the Cloudflow struggles to do.
Nike Zoom Fly 6 (RTR Review)
Peter: Similarly stiff, but the Zoom is lighter. I actually might prefer the CloudFlow 5 as it really jumps for me at speed.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 (RTR Review)
The Endorphin Speed 5 comes in at 226oz for Womens Size 9. This is a lighter weight shoe despite its visual size being larger than the Cloudflow 5. With more cushion from heel to forefoot, the Speed 5 has a bouncier and more comfortable feel underfoot. Both shoes are on the firmer side to allow for an energetic toe off, but the Cloudflow is definitely the firmer of the two. The Speed’s responsive PWRRUN PB foam and nylon plate work together to roll you forward while also providing extra support on the medial side with a wider platform and winged plate.
There is minimal outsole on the Speed 5 with lots of exposed foam and it seems less durable than Flow. On’s CloudTec rubber outsole has more traction overall and seems to promise more miles.
Hoka Mach X (RTR Review)
Peter: The Mach X is similarly firm, but is more fun at tempo for me. It’s lighter and ultimately more versatile.
Tester Profiles
Peter lives in California and has been a sub 3 hour marathoner as well as a 1:21 half marathoner in recent years.
Courtney, age 37 is a college lacrosse player turned avid runner. She lives in Manchester, MA with her husband and two daughters ages 4 and 8. Courtney signed up for her first 1/2 marathon the morning of the race in 2022, winning second place in a time of 1:26. She decided to take running a bit more seriously, joining Wicked Running Club and trying some training plans. She ran her first marathon this fall in 3:04:27. In addition, she holds a half marathon PR of 1:25, a 5 mile PR 30:17, and a 5k PR of 18:20. She looks forward to getting some more strength and speed under her belt this next season, before taking a crack at the marathon again. She is 5’4”, 110 lbs.Off the roads, Courtney is a painter and loving mother to her girls.
Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. No compensation was provided by brands for writing this article. RoadTrail Run does have affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
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