On Cloudmonster Hyper Review: Not Worth The Hype

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If the On Cloudmonster Hyper was $140 instead of $220, I’d still tell you to buy something else. Yes, this is a comfortable shoe you can roll through a lot of miles in—that’s true for many shoes—but the best running shoes offer more in versatility and how enjoyable they feel underfoot. Most are much cheaper, too.

Even when set against other On running shoes I’m not convinced the Cloudmonster Hyper is your best bet for daily training, The On Cloudeclipse is similarly well cushioned and delivers a smoother, rockered ride. It’s good to see On’s Peba-based Helion HF foam brought to a training shoe, but the overall design of the Cloudmonster Hyper didn’t work well for me.

On Cloudmonster Hyper: Price And Availability

The Cloudmonster Hyper launched in March 2024 and costs $219.99 in the US and £210 in the UK. That’s a high price for a daily trainer like this and more than you pay for the best super-trainers, such as the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 and Asics Superblast, or other On options like the Cloudeclipse or Cloudmonster 2.

In the US the Cloudmonster Hyper is initially available from On Running and Marathon Sports.

In the UK the Cloudmonster Hyper is initially available from On Running and Sports Shoes.

How I Tested This Running Shoe

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

I ran 32 miles in the Cloudmonster Hyper, using it for arange of runs during the high-mileage weeks of marathon training that the shoe seems perfect for. I’ve tested most of On’s other shoes, and a range of super-trainers from other brands.

Design And Fit

The Cloudmonster Hyper takes the design of the Cloudmonster 2 and upgrades it through the addition of Helion HF foam to the midsole. This is the Peba-based foam used in the On Cloudboom Echo 3 racing shoe, and it’s bouncier and lighter than On’s other materials.

There is a slab of the Helion HF foam under the forefoot of the Cloudmonster Hyper, with the brand’s signature CloudTec pods used at the heel and underneath the Helion HF. The CloudTec layer is firmer and adds stability, but is also heavier and less springy than the Helion HF foam.

The Cloudmonster Hyper, which weighs 9.5oz/270g in my UK size 9, isn’t a heavy shoe, but it’s not as light as many super-trainers. The Asics Superblast is 8.8oz/251g in my size and has a higher stack height: The Cloudmonster Hyper is 37.5mm at the heel and 31.5mm at the forefoot for a drop of 6mm, where the Superblast is 45mm high at the heel.

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

On has opted against adding a Speedboard to the midsole of the Cloudmonster Hyper, which is unexpected given that it’s designed to handle faster runs. The lack of a Speedboard makes it less stiff and more comfortable for daily training, though. The shoe has a lightweight woven mesh upper with padding around the collar and a thin tongue. The fit was good in my usual running shoe size, with enough room in the toe box to make it comfortable for long runs.

There is rubber covering the pods on the outsole at the forefoot and heel to provide grip and durability in the main impact areas, though I found it slipped a bit on wet paved surfaces at times. There’s a groove at the back that is shallower than on previous On shoes, though it still looks likely to pick up the odd stone if you’re running on gravel tracks.

Running Performance

Price aside, I was initially excited about running in the Cloudmonster Hyper. The Cloudboom Echo 3 is a good carbon plate running shoe and its use of Peba-based Helion HF foam was a step up on other On midsole materials. Unfortunately, while the chunk of Helion HF under the Cloudmonster Hyper’s forefoot delivers bounce, it’s muted and overwhelmed by the firmer CloudTec material in the midsole. The CloudTec layer is also heavier, and I found the Cloudmonster Hyper felt heavier than it actually is while running.

As a result, I never felt comfortable running at faster paces. It doesn’t have the propulsive feel of a plated shoe like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, nor the nimble, enjoyable ride of the best non-plated daily trainers like the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 or Hoka Mach 6, which are lighter and have more responsive midsole foams.

(Image credit: Nick Harris-Fry / Future)

I liked the Cloudmonster Hyper more when cruising along at an easy pace and, having used it for runs during high-mileage weeks, it does protect the legs. The stability it has by virtue of the firmer-than-average midsole is also supportive of tired legs, though it isn’t a shoe that screams “expensive super-trainer” to me.

Instead, it feels like a typical cushioned shoe, and it’s not as rockered as the On shoes that have the brand’s CloudTecPhase midsole design, like the Cloudsurfer and Cloudeclipse, which have smoother rides as a result.

Is The On Cloudmonster Hyper Worth It?

On has put a target on the Cloudmonster Hyper’s back with the high price. Any daily trainer is going to struggle to be worth $220/£210, though if it delivered an amazing ride then you could perhaps start to justify the outlay; many have done this with the Asics Superblast, which is expensive but impressive.

Unfortunately, the Cloudmonster Hyper isn’t impressive. It will handle a lot of miles, but it’s not particularly versatile or fun to run in, and it’s easy to find shoes that offer more for less money, including the Superblast.

I consider the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 the best daily trainer because of its versatility, but if you don’t want to train in a plated shoe then the Hoka Mach 6 and New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 are more enjoyable options than the Cloudmonster Hyper, and significantly cheaper.

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