I was given the opportunity to try out the On Running Cloud runners.
There is a lot of emphasis on energy return or propulsion shoes, and the Cloud Runners sure look like they would fall in to that category.
They don’t.
On Running makes “activation” shoes. What does that mean?
Using patented CloudTec technology, a Swiss engineer who was struggling to continue to run because his knees had taken severe damage from years of using conventional running shoes, set out to change the physics of running.
The clouds on the sole of the shoe are designed to activate kinetic muscles, as if you’re standing on the physioball.
The first run I took really felt different in comparison to the Mizuno’s I’m used to. It’s hard to describe the feeling, but think of how your foot, ankle and knees adjust when you’re standing on a physioball, now imagine running with that sensation. That’s how the Cloud Runners feel.
It takes a few runs before the feel “normal”. I took my first run very slow, but the more miles I put in the more my body had the chance to adjust. They’re not designed for running in the winter, the Cloud sole of the shoes have a very smooth surface.
The Cloud Runner is designed for high impact runs, long train sessions and endurance runs. The enforced CloudTec system offers excellent stress absorption, efficient energy transfer and fast recovery.
It’s definitely an interesting shoe and well worth a try. The shoes aren’t available locally and have to be ordered on line.
Phil Castello 