Holly HY / 10 June 2025 / Categories: Product and Brands, Branded Products, Shoes, Sports & Leisure

On Running Cloudmonster 1 in Cobalt Blue didn’t disappoint me

Cloudmonster 1 say Cloudtec on the side

Cloudmonster 2 say on running on the side. It took me a while to figure out an easy distinction.

Fair to say it took me a long time to decide on which pair of On trainers sneakers I was going to buy. I did a lot of research before picking the original Cloudmonster designed for longer steady paced runs, the kind of runs I used to do when I was a runner. These days I am more yogi than runner but did run for about 10 years distances up to 10KM.

I am going to answer all the questions I had before taking the plunge and hope to address all the issues in one fell snoop. I had to read a whole bunch of reviews, some more marketing and sales than nitty gritty to get the answers I needed.

First of all, what’s the difference between Cloudmonster 1 and Cloudmonster 2. For me it was an aesthetic, and this is the one thing I am not 100% on. They are not the prettiest of shoes on and I have relatively small feet at UK size 4.5/5 I’d say neat feet, not wide not narrow either. Cloudmonster 2 are a wider fit and look more boat like, why I went for Cloudmonster 1 in the end.

How do Cloudmonster 1 fit in terms of size? I’d say they run small. I bought a 38, I can usually wear a 37 or 37.5 in sneakers, the 38 fit me with no socks, are snug with socks but not uncomfortable. If your feet are chunky or wide I’d suggest sizing up half a size for sure or maybe opting for Cloudmonster 2.

Safe to say they are the most comfortable sneakers I have ever worn. Haven’t taken them off pretty much since they arrived. It is literally like walking on air and although I no longer go for a road run I can imagine these shoes inspiring someone to take it up. They are incredibly bouncy, you definitely get the tigger effect and I can see why runners would love the feeling.

Now the price, prepare yourself, they retail for £180 which is a fortune I appreciate, although the Cloudmonster 1 are on sale at the moment for £135 on the on running website and I found them even cheaper on Daniel’s shoes.

You can also pick them up on secondhand sites, there are quite a few pairs available on both Vinted and EBay new in the box, although buyer beware, like everything popular they have been copied up a storm in China so if you care about the ergonomics and the science and development dollars invested in the shoes, why they are actually good, this may be a risk too far.

I read someone else’s snoop about these runners who said someone had told her they were unstable and flimsy across the top of the foot. I didn’t find this to be true for me, the shoes are a snug fit and don’t feel unstable at all especially with socks on.

All in all I am very impressed with the On running Cloudmonster 1 original sneakers. So much so I might be investing in a second pair in a different colour combo or perhaps the plain white ones for a bit of variety.

I’ve read a few reviews comparing and contrasting to Hoka another popular running shoe at the moment but I like the aesthetic of these shoes even less than on running so I’d say for anyone who is more interested in style over performance the Cloudmonster original is the best looking shoe on the foot in the on running collection and there are quite a few different options to pick from.