Weight: 285g (M), 240g (W)
Stack height: 37mm (heel)/31mm (forefoot)
Heel-to-toe drop: 6mm
What everyone's reading
Type: Neutral/road
The shoe
Move over Cloudmonster, there’s a new max-cushioned running shoe on the block. The Cloudeclipse is On’s thickest midsole yet, packing in plenty of its Helion superfoam (37mm in the heel, 31mm in the forefoot) and designed to ‘take comfort levels to new heights’. This is an interesting claim, as personally I’ve found that – aside from the Cloudsurfer – On’s ‘cushioned’ running shoes actually retain an element of firmness compared with the plush offerings of some of its competitors.
In the Cloudeclipse, there’s a double layer of On’s signature CloudTec technology. If you're not familiar with this by now, it essentially comprises hollow pods which collapse and compress as you land, creating a smooth rolling sensation alongside softer landings.
The shoe has a flexible speedboard ‘shank’ in the midfoot too, though this shouldn't be confused with the speedboard used in the Cloudmonster or Cloudstratus 3, which ultimately produce totally different rides.
What’s it like to run in the On Cloudeclipse?
I'll give it to On – the Cloudeclipse does have that immediate pull-on level of comfort, most noticeably in the toe box where it feels like there's a pillow hugging the top of your foot.
But if you're searching for that plushy level of cushioning underfoot, you're still not going to find it here. Don't get me wrong, it is a comfortable shoe and the double layer of Cloudtech does help to create a very soft landing. But it doesn’t have quite the ‘sink your feet into it’ feeling that a shoe like the Asics Gel-Nimbus has.
In fact, the Cloudeclipse feels very much like a jazzed-up Cloudsurfer, with the addition of the speedboard. This is a different kind of speedboard to that used in the Cloudmonster. It adds stability to the shoe (necessary when you've got a thick wedge of cushioning) and injects an element of stiffness which helps to provide a poppy toe-off, but it's far less 'snappy' and responsive overall than the Cloudmonster. If this sounds like a criticism, it's not – the Cloudeclipse, while still on the firmer side of the cushioning spectrum, is actually a lot more forgiving than the Cloudmonster and lends itself better to those easy recovery days.
In terms of the outsole, rubber pads offer impressive grip in wet conditions (especially during British winter) – you’ll notice them when you’re lacing up in the house beforehand though as the shoes do make a sticky, squelchy sound on the floor.
Up top, there’s an engineered mesh upper (made from 100% recycled polyester) that's been ‘dope dyed’, meaning it uses less water than a traditional dying process. I have normal to wide-ish feet and found there was still ample room in the toe box – so those with narrower feet may need to play around with the lacing. The upper is lovely and breathable though – not as thick as a shoe like the new Brooks Ghost Max but certainly not as thin as a racing shoe, making this a good option for all-season running and longer efforts. It fits true to size too, with no hotspots or blistering. A structured heel counter aids lockdown.
The Cloudeclipse isn’t the lightest shoe on the market, weighing in at 240g (W), but it's not the heaviest either. For context, the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v13 weighs 206g, the Hoka Bondi 8 weighs 252g and the Nike Invincible 3 weighs 258g. But this isn't a shoe that really demands weight savings, given it is best suited to easy runs. The ride isn't flat by any means, but it is a max-cushioned shoe, and the energy return isn't enough that you'd choose it for tempo runs or harder efforts.
RW verdict
I know a shoe is good when I keep reaching for it time and time again – and the Cloudeclipse is one of those. It's almost like a lovechild of the Cloudsurfer and Cloudmonster; where the former is quite 'mushy' and the latter is quite firm, the Cloudeclipse finds a middle ground of delivering a soft yet fun and balanced ride. I've found myself lacing them up time and time again for easy miles and long runs, and can see them remaining in my rotation for some time.
