On is back in on the marathon racing conversation, and this time, the Swiss brand isn’t playing catch-up but instead dropping two new shoes built for 26.2 miles.

Today, the brand officially unveiled the Cloudboom Strike 2 and the LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2, the second generation of the marathon shoe that finally put On in the super shoe fight back in 2024.

What’s New: CloudTec® Sphere

The headliner tech for the Strike 2 is a completely new cushioning system called CloudTec® Sphere which On says is the most significant update to its proprietary foam engineering platform to date.

The geometry features precisely engineered cushioning channels designed to maximize impact absorption and energy return, with the stated goal of delivering a “fresh-leg advantage” in the closing miles of a marathon, when races are won and lost.

Underneath it, On has updated the Helion™ HF midsole foam to be 15% lighter than what was in the original Strike.

The foam is still Pebax-based, so the ride character; that distinctly soft-but-bouncy feel I love should carry over, just with less weight penalty underfoot.

In the middle of the foam sandwich is a new curved Carbon Speedboard®, which On says is both lighter and stiffer than the previous version, designed to drive forward momentum with every stride.

A LightSpray Version Is Here Too

The LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2 is where things get elite-level interesting.

On’s LightSpray upper creates a seamless, laceless, glueless one-piece upper with a second-skin fit or as we like to say, it feels like you’re running in a compression sock.

The process condenses what traditionally requires around 200 manufacturing steps into a single automated process, and On claims it reduces the carbon footprint of the upper by up to 65% compared to conventional manufacturing.

But beyond sustainability, On athletes competing in the LightSpray Strike 2 have posted some eye-popping results in 2026. Hellen Obiri dropped 1 minute 48 seconds off her marathon PR in London, Yeman Crippa took 48-seconds off in Paris, and Joe Klecker absolutely destroyed his previous best by 4 minutes and 41 seconds in Boston. Wut?

On is also citing independent validation where a University of Cape Town study found the LightSpray Strike 2 delivers a 1.6% improvement in running economy compared to leading industry benchmarks.

Race Legal?

The one catch for any new release: World Athletics requires shoes to be available at retail for at least four months before they’re eligible for certified competition results. For us normies its no big deal, but with a July 30 launch, that puts the earliest compliant competition window around late November 2026. Elites and pros using them before that window, particularly in sanctioned World Athletics events would technically need individual approval.

Specs & Tech

Cloudboom Strike 2

• Weight: 191g
• Drop: 5mm
• Sizes: 36–49
• Price: $250 USD

LightSpray Cloudboom Strike 2

• Weight: 158g
• Drop: 5mm
• Sizes: 36–49
• Price: $310 USD
• Includes: Elite Run Sock High Hyper with every pair

Our Thoughts

The original Cloudboom Strike arrived in July 2024 and finally gave On credibility in the super shoe space and for the most part, we liked it because it was soft and bouncy.

The Strike 2 addresses the areas where the original left room for improvement, a lighter midsole, refined plate geometry, and a cushioning system engineered specifically for late-race performance.

For runners who felt the original Strike was close but not quite there, the Strike 2 is worth watching closely and we hope to test them.

And then when it comes to the LightSpray version, you don’t need to look too far to see some of the best runners, and Ironman triathletes are already racing (and winning) in these.

Eye test: passed. Now lets get these on our feet to see just how serious these marathon shoes are.

Both the laces and LightSpray version drop July 30 at on.com and at select premium retail partners.