The On Cloudultra 2 boasts excellent tread and trail conformance. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
As an avid hiker and runner, I spend a lot of time on my feet. My husband and I split our time between Oahu and Santa Cruz, California, and there are countless trails in both regions. Because a lot of the trails I hike and run are technical, I am constantly on the search for a comfortable pair of trail shoes with reliable traction. I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about On’s line of shoes that are “engineered for high performance” and complete comfort, so I decided to give them a try. After browsing their options, I settled on the On Cloudultra 2 ($180).
To test the Cloudultra 2, I hit the trails near my home in Santa Cruz. Some days, I wore them while hiking with my dog through the redwoods, as well as walking around town and to the beach. Other days, I ventured out solo for long runs on some of my favorite trails. Because the On Cloudultra 2 is lightweight and breathable, they’re a great pick for both running and hiking, and the good looks make this a perfect all-around shoe for travel or one-and-done purchasing.
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| Pros | Cons |
| Lightweight and breathable | Knitted sock upper can rub |
| Generous cushion/support | Heel pull tab can also rub |
| Work well for trail running and hiking |
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Testing the Cloudultra 2 in the Redwood Forest
Weight: 1 lb. 2.7 oz.
Hell-to-Toe Drop: 5 mm
Upper: Recycled polyester double-layer mesh
Lining: Recycled polyester engineered knit
Midsole: Helion superfoam
Outsole: Missiongrip rubber
I’m a big fan of both hiking and running, so I love shoes that work well for both. Although designated hiking shoes are great, I tend to hike in my trail running shoes the majority of the time. I personally find them more comfortable, and I love that they serve two purposes, thus cutting down on the amount of gear in my closet. Plus, you never know when the desire to run will strike.
In terms of sizing, it all comes down to personal preference, but for the On Cloudultra 2, I would recommend trying before buying. I typically wear a women’s size 8, but I tend to wear a 9 in my running shoes as my feet swell while I run. I tried on another pair of trail runners from On in a size 8, and they felt too small from the jump. I opted for a women’s size 9 in the Cloudultras and found them to be the perfect fit, regardless of whether I was running or hiking.
Editor’s Note: Some testers have reported funky sizing with On shoes—some of the brand’s road runners fit long and overly voluminous in the toe, so we highly recommend trying these on before buying.
Testing the Cloudultra 2 in the Santa Cruz redwood forest. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
During my time testing the On Cloudultra 2, I was in Santa Cruz, so I wore them walking around town and on hikes and runs in the redwood forest. I live less than a mile from the beach, so I broke in my new Cloudultras on beach walks with my pup. Although the Cloudultras are much grippier than a pavement walk necessitates, I found that they still worked nicely, making them great trail-to-town crossovers. Plus, these shoes are an ideal pick for traveling, when you may only have space for one pair of shoes, as the Cloudultra 2 is comfortable for walking, hiking, and running. But when I was running through the rain in the Redwoods, the grip was essential, especially when navigating steep single tracks.
Features We Love
Sustainable Components
One thing I love about the construction of the On Cloudultra 2 is that the design incorporates recycled materials. The quarter, collar lining, and vamp lining are all made from 100% recycled polyester. In total, 93% of the polyester used in the shoe is recycled, and 25% of the entire shoe is recycled. Although it’s not necessary for performance, I’m always a fan of supporting brands and gear that focus on recycling in manufacturing.
Lightweight and breathable, the Cloudultra 2 is great for hiking and trail running. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Lightweight and Breathable
This was one of the first shoes I’d ever tried from On, but I had read plenty of positive reviews about how comfortable their shoes are. Although the On Cloudultra 2 might not feel the lightest when you hold them (they have pretty substantial cushioning after all), they feel extremely lightweight once they’re on. Worn weight is usually a sign of good balance in the construction, and that contributed to an extremely nice feel on trail.
The upper is made from a double-layer mesh that is nice and breathable, and I found it allowed water to pass through easily on stream crossings. Finally, the superfoam midsoles felt good underfoot, providing just the right amount of squish and comfort without being too spongy like some max cushion trail running shoes feel. The sole voids are what put On on the map, so to speak, and the technology really does seem to create a comfortable, compliant foot strike.
The generous cushion of the On Cloudultra 2 helps keep your feet protected and supported. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Generous Cushioning
As someone who has had their fair share of running injuries, I like a shoe with a good amount of support and cushion to try and minimize impact from repeated pounding. The On Cloudultra 2 has the maximum cushioning found in any of On’s shoes, but I’d say it’s not overkill when compared to other trail running shoes. The shoes feature a nylon Speedboard between the outsole and midsole that works to protect your feet from rocks as well as give a bit of extra pep in your step. Additionally, the shoes feature CloudTec cushion that works nicely to reduce impact and keep your feet supported with each step. It’s comfortable without feeling soft or plodding.
Solid traction underfoot is essential for technical trails. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Trustworthy Traction
One of the most important features of a trail running or hiking shoe is the traction. If your shoe doesn’t have a good outsole, then you’ll be slipping and sliding all over the place, and your entire focus will be on remaining upright as opposed to enjoying the views.
For starters, the Cloudultra 2 has a knitted sock-like upper that provides a secure fit to ensure your feet won’t be sliding around in your shoes. The outsoles feature Missiongrip rubber — I don’t actually know what Missiongrip is, but I can tell you that it’s grippy and reliable without being overly sticky. The voids in the outsole seem to help conform to the trail.
I didn’t test the first model of the Cloudultra, but the Cloudultra 2 is said to provide 50% more ground contact than before for surer footing. I felt that the shoes were responsive and worked well on hard-packed trails as well as trails with loose dirt and lots of mud.
Whether you’re hiking or running, these trail running shoes have you covered. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Room For Improvement
Knitted Sock-like Upper: Pros and Cons
As I mentioned before, the knitted sock-like upper helps deliver that ultra-secure fit to ensure your feet don’t slide around within your shoes. It also helps keep pebbles and debris out, which is especially useful when you’re running or hiking quickly on trail. The downside? It rubs. I found that, if I’m wearing ankle socks, the front portion (where the tongue would normally be) rubs and will cause blisters if I’m on a long hike or run. It’s easy to fix to wear higher socks, but I do prefer ankle socks, so it’s a minor complaint, but worth noting if you regularly wear low-cut socks.
Prepping for a trail run. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Heel Pull Tab
The heel pull tab is certainly nice for pulling your shoes on and off. However, it sticks up a bit high and can rub against your Achilles tendon, especially on longer runs or hikes. Once again, higher cut socks will help negate this issue, but for shoes designed to be breathable, I’d prefer to wear minimalist socks when running in hot weather.
The FlipRelease is a cool idea in theory, but not something I found myself using. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
FlipRelease: Fancy But Not Essential
The On Cloudultra 2 has a unique feature on the laces called the FlipRelease. The idea behind the FlipRelease is that it allows you to make quick adjustments to the tightness of your laces without needing to untie them. The thought is that you can make small tweaks mid-hike or run, without having to fully undo your laces.
The FlipRelease sounds cool in concept, but in practice, I never found myself using it. Maybe other folks love it, but I didn’t find that it did much, and I prefer lacing my shoes to my liking at the beginning of a run and then leaving them be. The one instance where I could see this helping is on an ultramarathon (which the shoes are in part designed for), as the ability to quickly adjust after many miles might be nice late in the race.
Lightweight, breathable, and supportive, the Cloudultra 2 is an excellent trail shoe. Photo: Rebecca Parsons//The Inertia
Final Thoughts
Lightweight and breathable, the On Cloudultra 2 trail running shoes are a great option for folks hiking out in warmer weather or anyone who enjoys some solid airflow for their feet. At $180, the price is a bit steep for a trail runner or hiking shoe, but the Cloudultras do deliver generous cushioning and traction reliable enough for every type of trail. Plus, other testers’ long-term wear of On trail shoes has yielded durable results, a good sign for the Cloudultra 2. While some features seemed a bit gimmicky at first, the performance and comfort of the shoe were not to be ignored. This is one of our favorite multi-use or travel-oriented trail runners of the year, and it makes a great option for active vacations. Plus, the On Cloudultra 2 looks pretty great for a hiking shoe.
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