When I first read On’s announcement about the next generation of the Cloudmonster line, our brain didn’t go to stack heights or foam compounds; it went straight to The Three Little Bears, the beloved children’s book.

Because that’s what On just built here: it’s a family. Three Monsters, each designed to meet runners at a different point in their journey.

Up first, you’ve got the littlest monster — the Cloudmonster 3, built for everyday runners who want a fun, max-cushion daily trainer that doesn’t feel dead.

Second is the middle monster — the Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, a long-run, high-mileage machine tuned for dedicated runners pushing pace and volume.

Lastly is the mightiest (and lightiest) monster — the LightSpray™ Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, On’s most tech-forward monster yet and the first time everyday runners can purchase the LightSpray shoes.

On’s bigger story here is how they’re thinking about runners across the full spectrum of their journey. Some people just want a daily trainer that feels good. Others are in the middle of a marathon build and need something that can stack long miles without destroying the legs. And finally some runners want the most performance-driven version possible.

The Cloudmonster franchise started in 2022 as a bold, max-cushioned shoe built around On’s CloudTec® geometry. At the time is was a crazy looking shoe with a distinct style that felt different from what most brands were doing. The second version leaned harder into cushioning; and now, with the third generation, On is splitting the Monster into three distinct options.

Cloudmonster 3: The Littlest Monster

Think a daily trainer for daily miles. This is the one most people will end up in. The Cloudmonster 3 is On’s everyday trainer, designed to feel fun and accessible, not intimidating. On says it’s pulling the best elements of the original Cloudmonster and the Cloudmonster 2 into this shoe: “bringing back the rocker and responsiveness of the first, while keeping the higher cushion that evolved in the second.”

Underfoot, it’s built around a triple layer of CloudTec® cushioning and a dual-density Helion™ midsole. The bottom unit has been re-engineered with an aggressively curved rocker that’s meant to keep you moving forward, and a nylon-blend Speedboard® designed to store and release energy for a little extra pop.

It’s thick enough to feel protective without drifting into “marshmallow” territory: 35mm in the heel, 29mm in the forefoot, with a 6mm drop.

On lists it at 295g is pricing these at $190 and they launch globally March 5.

Cloudmonster 3 Hyper: The Middle Monster

Think longer runs in a higher gear. The Cloudmonster 3 Hyper is positioned as a shoe meant for dedicated runners pushing mileage and pace. It’s a model On says is informed by extensive athlete testing, including feedback from On Athletics Club.

The big story here is the foam. The Hyper uses Helion™ HF hyper foam and features 20% more foam than before, with an improved compound aimed at more cushioning, resilience, and energy return.

And before you ask, it is notably plateless. We asked and the idea here is keeping the legs fresher over high-mileage training rather than chasing that stiff, race day carbon feel and energy return.

On also calls out improved heel construction for comfort and support.

This one gets taller too at 39.5mm heel / 33.5mm forefoot, and has a 6mm drop. Weight drops slightly from the daily trainer at 274g and is priced at $220, launching globally March 19.

LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper: The Mightiest (and Lightiest) Monster

Think speed, tech, and look at me. This is the shoe On wants you talking about and other brands to be on alert about.

The LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper takes the most responsive, most cushioned version of the Monster and wraps it in On’s LightSpray revolutionary upper technology, an ultralight construction process that reduces materials, like the tongue and laces, and simplifies the shoe down to the essentials of what you need.

On says it’s built from just eight pieces total: one upper, two midsole components, and five small rubber elements. We wore these for a 5 mile run in December and can concur, the materials are minimal but felt like putting on a sock, yet running like an On shoes you’d expect. It was damn fun.

That minimal construction is how On gets it down to 205g (men’s US 8.5), making it the lightest Cloudmonster ever made.

It also carries the tallest stack of the three at 45mm in the heel and 39mm in the forefoot (6mm drop), which brings the downside to these shoes. They’re NOT race legal. They’re a very fun, super trainer built to go fast with friends.

On is pushing to get these to market as fast as they can and hope to scale even sooner. With two factories in Korea running (pun!) more than 30 robots, they’re hoping to expand production to Europe and the Americas soon.

Pricing is $280 and launch-wise, it gets a limited North America release beginning March 5, with a full global launch on April 16.

On is Making Cloudmonster Decisions Easier

Whether its a vacuum cleaner or a pair of running trainers, there are just so many options and often times its downright confusing finding exactly what you want.

And that’s why we like this strategy On is taking. It feels deliberate.

Each monster has a purpose and all we ever ask for is consistency.

With the evolving CloudTec® at the everyday level to pushing athletes further with Hyper and LightSpray, we want to hear from you: Are these exciting or are these the same Monsters with new colors?