I liked the Cloudsurfer 2. When it launched back in February 2025, plenty of reviewers weren’t shy about hating on it. But I put 194 miles into ours (thank you, Strava, for the receipts) through long runs and track days, and we never understood the hate. It was never going to win a race for you, but it wasn’t trying to. What it did, every single time, was feel comfortable and responsive, with solid materials and stable footing underneath.

Our one real knock was longevity. At 194 miles, ours were flat, tread worn, and we demoted them to our lawnmowing shoes. If you want the full breakdown, go back and read our original Cloudsurfer 2 coverage.

So when On announced the Cloudsurfer 3, built around a brand-new foam they’re calling their biggest cushioning breakthrough yet, we had real expectations, and slight disappointment because we liked the Cloudsurfer 2 so much. But when a company says “this is the next big thing,” we get curious.

So I laced them up and haven’t stopped wearing them since.

First Impressions

On isn’t shy about calling this a bigger deal than a normal numbered update, and pulling it out of the box, it’s obvious why.

The new Surreal superfoam and re-engineered CloudTec Phase geometry are the biggest changes, but the upper has been remade too, now with a warp knit construction. I’d say when first putting these on, they’re roomy through the toe box even for narrower feet, with plush padding through the collar and tongue. Like almost every On shoe I’ve run in, it’s a shoe built to hug the foot rather than lock it down. On calls it, “cushioning that feels effortless from landing to takeoff, not just soft.”

When it comes to softness, I’ll get to that in a bit but I did find there to be a break-in period.

The stack is anything but familiar. It’s 45mm in the heel and 37mm in the forefoot, a massive jump from the 32mm and 23mm on the Cloudsurfer 2.

This thang is thicc.

The drop goes to 8mm from 9mm, and then there’s the biggest trade-off. This shoe is heavier, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the new tech. On paper, and our kitchen scale, it goes from 260g which was the Cloudsurfer 2 to around 282g to 300g-ish, depending on the size of the shoe. These clouds ain’t light!

Standing in them, the first thing you notice is the heel. There’s a LOT of shoe under there, and it gives more than the Cloudsurfer 2 ever did. Which, spoiler, is the whole point.

🔥 Here’s What Works

The Softness (Without the Squish). Let’s just get to it and let us explain. This is the softest Cloudsurfer yet, and it isn’t close. If you ever wished the Cloudsurfer 2 gave a little more underfoot, On heard you and then some. But it’s not marshmallow soft like a lot of shoes. There are plenty of max-cushion shoes that swallow you whole the second you try to pick up the pace. Which is hugely irritating. I’ve found that the Cloudsurfer 3 doesn’t, instead, landings are plush, then the foam tech pushes back with solid energy return. On calls it “soft meets bounce,” and I normally hate marketing speak but it’s probably the easiest way to say it.

The Roll. I asked and the reworked CloudTec Phase is the energy created when the clouds compress in sequence, and then push you back forward. So every stride rolls from landing to takeoff. Instead of thudding down and the shoe waiting for you to figure out the push-off part, it helps with that on its own. In our experience with the shoe over 60 miles, like I said, they feel a little more soft than the Cloudsurfer 2 ever was but I do stop thinking about my feet entirely, they just kind of have us springing back into action. It’s also stable. The midsole sits wide and the sidewalls keep our foot centered. It feels even more stable than the Cloudcurfer 2 which I had no complaints about but at the end of the day, as a next-version, it just feels improved upon.

The Upper. The new warp knit is a nice and plush and breathable, with a heavily padded collar and tongue that make stepping in feel way more luxurious. I don’ have much more to say there, it just feels like an upgrade, and the shoe like other On trainers runs true to size with that generous midfoot and forefoot, so wide-footed runners will be happy and unless you’re an actual troll, your toes shouldn’t be fighting against themselves on a long run.

Easy & Long. This is a shoe for casuals – recovery days and longer, even efforts. I’ve mostly run in them for 10+ mile runs and they’ve been really great, especially later in the day or the next morning. Our legs haven’t felt beat to hell or anything. Which is shoe-land is al you can ask for. I’ve also hit uptempo paces on Wednesday’s without these feeling like they don’t belong on the track, but they’re not made for that. It is a shoe that knows its lane, and you should run in them as intended.

Durability? I got nearly 200 miles with the Cloudsurfer 2 and honestly, that’s not a lot of miles for what shoes cost these days, so I’m interested to see how these hold up. On built all-new tech (have I said that enough times) into these so theoretically I hope they last longer, but we’ll see. Remember our big knock on the Cloudsurfer 2 was the outsole but on the Cloudsurfer 3, it still looks fresh with 60 miles in. I’ll update this review as time goes on and I put a real dent in the tread, because longevity matters, people. And our lawnmowing shoe pipeline is slobbering to get its next victim.

😷 Here’s What Stinks

The Long Game. I’ve enjoyed them but again, can’t tell you yet how the midsole feels after a season of miles, or whether the tread outlasts the Cloudsurfer 2’s. In the above photo, you can see just how destroyed the tread got on the previous version. Early signs are good, but let’s see if they last longer than the Cloudsurfer 2.

The Weight. At roughly 285g and maybe more depending on your size and which kitchen scale you trust, this is a heavier shoe than the one it replaces. And I’m not a huge weigh nerd but you feel it on the first few steps but once I settled into an easy pace, its whatever. But this is a review and weight wienies will care so if you count grams like some people count macros, you’ll notice. On usually makes some of the lightest uppers in the game, isn’t that the whole point of Cloudtec, so watching this one tip the scales is a bit of a head scratcher.

It’s Not Exciting. So this is a little click-baity, because I mean this in a loving way but the Cloudsurfer 3 is really good at one job, and that job is easy and smooth miles. It is great at being reactionary and responds but it isn’t lively. They’re not something I’d reach for on a tempo day or in a race. I was one of the few that took the Cloudsurfer 2 to track days and it never felt off and neither do these. But given I’ve collected more shoes, there are just better ones for those speedier moments. Gun to head though. If you were to only own one pair of running shoes that you needed to do everything, would I say buy these? Sure.

Roomy Cuts Both Ways. The same generous fit wide-footed runners will love can feel a little too forgiving if you have a narrow foot or like a locked-in feel. I definitely recommend trying them on before buying if you can.

You Can’t Just Buy Them. Yet. This one is weird but I also understand On is probably working with retail speciality to drive sales. The Cloudsurfer 3 pre-launched October 1 exclusively through specialty running stores, with the full global rollout across On.com and On retail stores coming in early 2027. So yes, you can purchase, but there is some friction.

Cloudsurfer 3 vs. Cloudsurfer 2

The only way to think of this is to say to yourself – same name, very different shoe. The Cloudsurfer 2 was firmer, more structured and happy to cover mixed paces. The Cloudsurfer 3 is taller, softer, more padded and heavier, and it’s fully committed to the cruiser life. The foam goes from Helion to Surreal, CloudTec Phase gets reworked, the upper moves to a new engineered warp knit, the stack jumps to 45mm and 37mm from 32mm and 23mm, and the drop slips to 8mm from 9mm. And the the price holds steady at $160.

If you loved the Cloudsurfer 2 because it was a firm, do-it-all workhorse, this will feel like a like a glow up, in a completely different direction. If you always wished it had more cushion, this is the direction you wanted.

What to Know

• Price. $160 USD
• Weight. 285g per On (men’s US 8.5)
• Stack Height. 45mm heel / 37mm forefoot
• Drop. 8mm
• Midsole. Surreal superfoam with re-engineered CloudTec Phase
• Upper. Evolved Warp Knit engineered mesh
• Fit. True to size, and roomy
• Best for. Easy runs, recovery days, long steady miles and walking
• Not for. Race day, track workouts or technical terrain
• Availability. Specialty running retailers since October 1, 2026; full global launch in early 2027
• How I Tested. 60 miles of easy runs, long runs and everyday wear

Real Life with the Cloudsurfer 3

This best thing about this shoe is that it is forgettable, and that’s the highest praise a daily trainer can get. During our entire testing phase, outside of the weight, its an enjoyable ride. Whether it was easy runs or longer steadier efforts, the cushion kept our legs fresher than I expected from a shoe this hefty.

A surprise was how much this thing wants to roll with you. It’s a different feeling from the Cloudsurfer 2, which felt planted and responsive. The Cloudsurfer 3 feels like it wants to carry you along, which highlights what exactly the new foam and CloudTec phase is. There to help you move forward. I kept these mostly on pavement and smooth trail, and they reacted and responded as you’d expect. But whoa boy, these get dirty, fast, so don’t intend to keep them clean.

Is it the shoe I thought I’d get? Not exactly. Walking into the review, I expected a better Cloudsurfer 2 but what what I got is a softer, bigger, more focused shoe on leg durability, and after the miles, I’m totally fine with that.

On set out to build their softest daily trainer yet, and they did it without turning it into a wet sponge. Surreal and the reworked CloudTec Phase deliver a plush, stable, smooth ride, the new upper is a joy, and $160 is fair for what you get. At this point, all trainers are mostly $160. But these do give up some weight and I’m still unsure about the durability. It’s heavier than the shoe it replaces, and it isn’t the one you grab when things get fast.

Should You Buy?

If you want a comfortable, soft daily trainer for easy miles, recovery days, long steady runs and walking around, and you like room for your feet to expand and breath, this are a solid choice and should be one of the more interesting daily trainers to land this fall. On clearly thought through what they wanted the 3’s to be. Different.

If you want one shoe for every pace, are chasing speed, or have a narrow foot that likes a locked-in feel, look elsewhere or plan on a second shoe for the harder days.

Our call is these are a yes for the right runner with some question marks. I’ll be back with a longevity update, how the new foam and CloudTech hold up and if these get even softer with each mile.