Article by Sam Winebaum
On Cloudboom Max ($230 USD / 240 EUR)
Sam: The Cloudboom Max is On’s entry into the “super trainer” category. The Max is less focused on the lightest possible weight or super exotic materials (although it does have 2 different supercritical foams in its midsole and flexible plate). It is according to On, on the quest of the everyday runner hoping to finish their first marathon.
Pros:
Max but not over max stack trainer done right: deep, very reactive friendly cushioning, flexible propulsive plate, impeccable straight tracking stability: Sam
Any pace from easy to fast friendly and never awkward: smooth rocker upfront, easy transitions off the very stable broad heel: Sam
Outsole traction and expected durability: Sam
Cons:
- Weight but the choices were deliberate: extensive deep outsole coverage, rear stability, supportive upper, Of all of these, I think the upper is where weight could be most reduced without compromising the rest of the shoe’s strengths. Sam
- Upper is dense and quite warm, medial toe overlay caused some initial bunion pressure
Stats
Approx. Weight: men's 10.1 oz /286 g
Sample Weights:
men’s 9.9 oz / 282g US8.5/EU42
Stack Height: 40 mm heel / 32 mm forefoot
Platform Width: 100 mm heel / 72 mm midfoot / 110 mm forefoot
First Impressions and Upper.
Not sure what you think but not my favorite upper colorway. A bit brutalistic and dark making the shoe look yet more massive than it actually is. The other launch color, a more classic On Cloudboom color of white and green would be more my taste
The upper is a fairly conventional and dense engineered mesh.
The rear collars are decently but not overly plushly padded. Heel hold, a combination of the upper and rising midsole side walls, is superb.
The thinly padded tongue with a quite extensive inner gusset joins crinkle cut laces for, as with the heel, a very secure and comfortable hold and zero fuss at lacing. Each run snugged them up and forgot.
The toe box is moderately broad and decent volume but not huge and most importantly well rounded up front.
I did note some pressure at the "On" overlay located at my bunion (see above) when they were in new but this has settled in with some stretch.
They run a touch short at my true to size, a bit less than a thumb’s width but I had no issues
even with what is a quite stiff toe bumper but a vertical one.
Midsole and Platform
On keeps the stack height at 40mm heel / 32 mm forefoot reasonable, no super max 45mm plus heel here as some competitors such as Super, Mega and Sonic Blasts from ASICS have, or the Skyward X and Vomero Plus. Yet, we have plenty of forgiving and very dynamic cushion.
The gray stabilizing thin overlay is exposed (no foam side wall as on medial side pic above) on the lateral side for a bit more landing give
We see two different Helion HF reactive and stable supercritical foams (PEBA underfoot and TPEE below) with between the 2 foams a nylon/glass fiber plate with some snappy but not over springy flex.
The foam softness measurement is 47C, so on the firmer end of the spectrum, but as the foams is so reactive and springy with strong energy returns the feel is lively and energetic in a quickly reacting yet stable way with very strong vibration absorption..
The Max has both a front and rear rocker that I found helps it roll effectively off the heel at all paces, even slow recovery type paces, but it really comes alive off the long front rocker at faster paces.
This is not a rigid riding firm riding On as so many have been and still are, except interestingly, the Cloudboom Strike 3 race shoe which is among the friendliest of super shoes for me, but is a smooth rolling any pace or distance friendly new option.
I believe the Max it for sure will help the “everyday runner finish their first marathon” and also is a shoe they can both train and race with, a one shoe rotation and not just for the first time marathoner but especially for runners seeking some well integrated very inherent and not prescriptive stability. For the speedier among us, it offers a daily training to long run, even uptempo longer run shoe, if not daily trainer where it actually sits for me.
This versatility is because of its dynamic ride that even when tired or when I step on the gas keeps me tracking straight and with just enough stability.
And there is plenty underfoot from the comparatively broad 100mm heel platform that points narrower at the far back, the rising midsole sidewalls plus the wrapping the heel with a clip below the outer foam. All of these come together for subtle and effective straight tracking, not at all like Brooks Guide Rails that I find intrusive with the stability is not in the way if you don't need it. They are more about keeping the runner tracking straight through the gait cycle.
The stability features make the shoe look higher than its 40 mm heel as the foot sits down about 15mm into the midsole.
Heck, I even think it can make for a nice recovery run and easy days shoe as my second run was at easy paces and went just as smoothly as my faster tempo run.
Yet, the Max also doesn’t feel back weighted due to the far rear narrowing then broadening further towards midfoot. The heel is very easy to transition off of as the midfoot narrows way down to 72mm without losing any stability at midfoot as the broadest width at the rear is forward.
The toe offs feature a combination of a long smoother rocker and a long moderately snappy flex. The Max is not a completely rigid shoe and neither does its nylon/ glass fiber Speedboard have an overly aggressive “spring” requiring big impulse or high speed to work as such plates often do.
For the Max’s purposes, I do not miss a carbon plate at all. We are increasingly seeing non carbon plates in super trainers to allow easier rolls to toe off for training paces than carbon can provide at very high stack heights.
Outsole
On went with extensive deep rubber coverage here with an effective center decoupling groove which clearly helps the shoe transition easily at any pace while the rubber coverage keeps things stable at the ground.
Conclusions
I am 3 runs into my testing so far: a 5 mile progression at moderately fast tempo pace of around 8:10 per mile at the last mile, an easy 5 mile run ending at an average of 10:35 per mile, and a 5 mile run ending at 9:50 pace average pace on On's home soil, Switzerland. The Max handled all paces brilliantly and with no awkwardness from the plate.
As I picked up the pace during my progression run, they reacted quickly and smoothly and on my plod they were equally as smooth and never had me dragging or struggling to roll them along, not always the case with high stack shoes. The more moderate easier daily training paced run on jet lagged legs surprised me. The midsole was really easy on the legs and had really solid fun rebound, yet remained stable as well
While not light at just over 10 oz US men's 9, the sum of the parts in action never had me even noticing or caring about its weight. I do think a lighter upper mesh is in order to reduce weight, give a bit more toe box room and improve hot weather comfort
Yes they are $230 shoes (as are many others in their general category) but their sheer versatility, stability, straight tracking and smoothness of ride, lively reactive but not “crazy foam and expected durability have the Max sitting right now as one my favorite all around road trainers of 2025.. so far.
Sam's Score: 9.34 /10
Road: Ride (50%): 9.6 Smooth, steady and stable
Fit (30%): 9.2 Very solid hold and comfort but wish for lighter mesh and fewer toe box overlays
Value (15%): 9 Pricey but versatile and should be durable
Style (5%): 8.5 Dark and makes shoe look bigger and more clumsy than it actually is.
😊😊😊 😊 a workhorse, that makes me smile
3 Comparisons
Hoka Skyward X (RTR Review)
Considerably heavier at 10.7 oz / 303 g men's US9 and higher stack at 48 mm heel / 43 mm forefoot ( 5mm drop spec) the carbon plated Hoka is softer and more mellow riding and pacing than the more uptempo On. It gets more smiles but doesn’t have the serious versatility of the On. Its similarly thick and plush upper is more comfortable but like the Max’s overbuilt in my view and warm and will favor slightly wider feet a bit more than the On,
Brooks Hyperion Max 3 (RTR Review)
Only a few tenths of an ounce heavier than the Max at 10.16 oz / 288g US9 the Brooks has a as with the Hoka a higher 46 mm heel / 40 mm forefoot stack height than the Max. It is both more cushioned and considerably more rigid than the Max with a clear rigid rocker type ride to the On’s mix of long rocker and some flex on a lower stack height, something I prefer. The Brooks clearly saves weight with its thinner, more aerated more performance focused upper which gets the job done just fine if not with as much plush feel.
ASICS Sonicblast (RTR Review)
A brand new shoe that is tough competition for the Max. Considerably lighter at 9.05 oz / 257g men’s US9 and also higher stack at 46/38 the new ASICS has a mostly A-TPU foam midsole that is lighter and bouncier than the On’s. It includes a nylon fiberglass plate. It’s ride is not quite as stable or smooth across all paces as the Max’s but is more fun and more cushioned. It’s thin yet very supportive and comfortable double Jacquard mesh is a work of lightweight art in comparison to more supportive and overbulit Max’s upper. Both true to size. Despite its additional weight, denser ride, and overdone upper I actually prefer the Max’s more directed and stable ride and smoother transitions although with fewer smiles than for the more playful and fun ASICS.
The On Cloudboom Max will release August 21st. 2025
Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is in his 60’s with 2025 Sam’s 54th year of running roads and trails. He has a decades old 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:43 range if he gets very, very lucky. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah be it on the run, hiking or on nordic skis. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 160 lbs, if he is not enjoying too many fine New England IPA’s.
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