The On Cloudmonster Hyper has arrived and it seems like a shoe to get enthusiastic about, with a dual-density midsole that accommodates a thick wedge of On’s Peba-based Helion HF foam in addition to the model’s signature CloudTec pods.
On has billed it as the last word each day coach, combining a excessive degree of consolation and safety on your legs throughout excessive mileage weeks, whereas additionally having sufficient pop for sooner runs due to the bouncy Helion HF within the midsole.
I wasn’t all that enamored of the On Cloudmonster 2, however the Cloudmonster Hyper has already impressed me extra after only one run, and its versatility will make it one of many finest On trainers for these looking for cushioning and a little bit of velocity.
The worth may be very excessive although, with the Cloudmonster Hyper costing $219.99 within the US and £210 within the UK. That’s very costly for a each day coach, and a excessive worth even for a super-trainer that makes use of the froth from On’s carbon plate operating shoe, the On Cloudboom Echo 3.
For my first run within the On Cloudmonster Hyper I took it out for a simple hour the day after a half marathon race, so I used to be on drained legs. The shoe did really feel snug and I used to be stunned on the tempo I used to be operating at for a simple effort degree and low coronary heart price, and the midsole definitely has extra bounce than On’s different cushioned sneakers, just like the Cloudeclipse and Cloudmonster 2.
I’m unsure the layer of Cloudtec pods on the underside add a lot although. They’re heavier than the Helion HF foam and firmer, and the way in which the pods and the rubber on the underside of them hit the bottom creates a ‘slappy’ really feel at instances.
This firmer layer will assist make the shoe extra secure, which is required with Peba-based foams, particularly because the Cloudmonster Hyper doesn’t have the carbon plate of the Cloudboom Echo 3 to stabilize it. Eradicating this stiff plate makes it extra snug and appropriate for each day coaching, though you lose the propulsive enhance of a plate.
I picked up the tempo for brief intervals on my run within the shoe and also you do get extra bounce from the midsole while you achieve this, however I’m not satisfied it will likely be an amazing possibility for sooner coaching periods, partly as a result of it’s fairly heavy at 9.5oz/270g. I’ll do some quick runs in it for our full evaluation to examine on that although.
My first impressions of the shoe are that it ought to be an amazing each day coach for top mileage runners, who even have a sooner shoe of their operating shoe rotation for periods. The worth is prohibitively excessive, nonetheless, particularly when there are glorious choices accessible for much less, just like the Saucony Endorphin Velocity 4 in case you are glad to coach in a nylon-plated shoe, or the Hoka Mach 6 and New Stability Insurgent v4 for those who’d reasonably go plateless.
Even the Asics Superblast is cheaper, and it is lighter and that has to date set the gold normal for high-stack super-trainers and not using a plate. The On Cloudmonster Hyper should actually impress over additional testing to persuade me it’s definitely worth the cash.