Fresh out the factory the new Cloudace couldn’t have landed on my desk at a better time. With my old trainers slowing falling apart with every step, not to mention the distinct swampy smell after a recent mud run, it is time for an upgrade. 95% of my runs are road runs so I naturally look for a trainer with cushioning to help reduce the risk of impact related injuries and for a more comfortable, springy run. The new Cloudace from On Running comes with a serious amount of cushioning, with the clear objective of creating the ultimate cushioning sensation without compromising your speed. They have created the most advanced application of CloudTec to date, the rear Zero-Gravity Clouds provide a bouncy push-off with help from the rubber landing zone in the forefoot, ideal for conquering the urban jungle. I’ll start with a quick overview of the specs, the Cloudace has a heel-toe offset of 7mm, weight 267g (US W 7), and fall in the category of cushion and support. They come in two colours Ivy/Sage and Shadow/Rust in men’s and Ruby/Lava and Shadow/Rock in the women’s range (as always, On Running get bonus points from me for avoiding the gender stereotype when it comes to choosing colours for women), half sizes are also available.
The Cloudace uses an injected TPU heel counter and moulded 3D heel pads, they help keep your feet securely in place but are stiff straight out of the box, I found it rubbed on my right ankle bone, to the point I had to remove the laces from the top too eyelets and tied lower down, even with this it dug in if I leant over to the right, taking a tight corner for example. The liquid-injected Speedboard has an extra-wide design that directs your foot through each phase of the rolling motion and finishes off by returning the energy with a propelling push-off and there is also plenty of ventilation with large amount of breathable mesh. After a 2.5k warm up run I took these out on a 10k to see how they fared, as a heel strike runner I appreciated those big cushiony clouds absorbing the impact from each step, the spring of the push off felt natural and not over the top. The laces remained secure the entirety of the run and there was no pressure on the tops of my feet, at the end of the run my socks were sweat patch free which was enough evidence for me that the ventilation works well. There is plenty of room around the toes even as my feet became warmer and fatter, I did receive a blister on the back of my right heal but I think I was spoilt with some extra soft cushioning in my old trainers that allowed me to run in my trainer socks, if I was wearing full length ankle socks I don’t think this would have been a issue. All things considered, the Cloudace is an excellent choice if you are looking for a super cushioned shoe for road running, fingers crossed that stiff ankle will soften up over time, other than that it is supportive, supple, provides a good energy return and has great ventilation - oh and they look awesome. RRP £169.99
4.5 out of 5
Pros
CloudTec sole
Zero-Gravity Clouds
Simple lace system
Cool design
Support
Ventilation mesh
Perfect for road running
Super cushioned
Cons
Stiff ankle rubbed on my right ankle bone
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