On Running's New Cloudmonster Shoes: What Changed and Why It Matters

Swiss running brand On Running has released the third generation of its Cloudmonster collection. The lineup includes three models: the standard Cloudmonster 3, the Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, and the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper. If you've been running in older Cloudmonsters, this release marks the next step in a product line that has become central to On Running's business.

How These Shoes Are Actually Made

The LightSpray version is the most unusual of the three. Instead of sewing and gluing fabric together the way most shoes are built, On Running sprays liquid polymer directly onto a mold to form the upper part of the shoe — the part that covers your foot. Think of it like a 3D printer that applies material layer by layer, except the "ink" is a chemical compound that hardens as it dries.

This process creates a single, seamless structure rather than multiple pieces stitched together. Fewer stitches means fewer places where the shoe can tear under stress. It also means less waste during manufacturing, since material is applied only where it's needed.

The spray method does come with a catch. Factories need entirely new equipment and much tighter control over temperature and drying time. It's not something that can be plugged into a standard shoe factory. That limits flexibility — On Running can't easily shift production to different factories the way traditional shoemakers can.

The Cushioning Technology

All three new Cloudmonster models use On Running's CloudTec midsole design. Imagine a midsole made of rubber or foam with hollow pods carved into it. When your foot lands, those pods compress and absorb the impact. When you push off, they spring back and help propel you forward.

The new generation tweaks the chemical mix of that foam and the way it's structured inside the shoe. A softer foam feels more comfortable at first but wears out faster. A firmer foam lasts longer but feels less cushioned. The third-generation formula tries to find a better balance between comfort and durability.

The Hyper models adjust the geometry and density of the midsole. Specifically, they likely use different foam densities in different zones — a firmer heel section that transitions to softer foam under the ball of your foot. This is meant to improve how efficiently the shoe returns energy as you run, though On Running keeps the exact details proprietary.

What the Market Looks Like

On Running is competing in what the industry calls the "maximal cushioning" category — shoes with thicker midsoles that prioritize comfort and impact protection. Brands like Hoka and Nike have similar shoes in this space. Over the past five years, this segment has grown quite a bit because recreational runners have started asking for more cushioning.

We have seen this pattern cycle through the running shoe industry before. A smaller brand introduces an innovation, the big manufacturers copy it, and eventually suppliers start selling standardized versions of the technology to everyone. The industry went through similar waves when foam compounds were upgraded in the early 2000s, and again when carbon plates became common in the mid-2010s.

The real question now is whether the LightSpray manufacturing process will become the industry standard or remain a niche advantage for On Running. That will depend on whether the cost and complexity of adopting it makes sense for other brands, and whether consumers notice and care about the difference in their running experience.

The Honest Assessment

Here's where I should flag something important: shoe cushioning is genuinely popular with runners, but the science is more complicated than marketing suggests. Extra cushioning does reduce the impact force on your body when your foot hits the ground. That much is measured and clear. Whether that actually prevents injuries, though, remains an open question in sports medicine research.

It also turns out that different runners respond differently to the same shoe. Some people run more efficiently in a highly cushioned shoe. Others actually run better in something firmer because the extra padding changes how their body naturally moves. There's no universal answer.

The success of these new Cloudmonsters will probably depend less on whether the spray-on upper is genuinely better, and more on whether On Running can manufacture them consistently, make them durable, and convince runners that they're worth the price. The athletic footwear market has shown repeatedly that the most innovative technology doesn't always win — good execution and smart marketing matter at least as much.

On Running has made a bet that precision manufacturing will become a way to stand out. That's a reasonable strategy. Whether it translates to shoes that runners actually prefer is something we'll only know after thousands of miles of real-world use.