On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper Review | Not Your Recovery Shoe, But Your Long Run Legs Will Thank You
The Cloudmonster Hyper 3 lands with an increased helping of their top-flight Helion HF foam and a smaller surrounding layer of their standard Helion OF.
The On Cloudmonster Hyper was a surprise hit for the Swiss brand in 2024. They took their well-regarded Cloudmonster and its Cloudtec midsole, ripped out the speedboard, added in some PEBA foam, and a hit was born.
The first version put way more of the PEBA foam under the forefoot with more EVA foam in the heel, similar to the layout in the last few Adidas Boston shoes.
Dubbed as a tempo and long run specialist by On, there are some hits and misses here. Let’s dive in and see what hit and what missed.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why you missed the Cloudmonster Hyper 2, don’t sweat it, On skipped a number so the Cloudmonster Hyper numbering will align with their standard Cloudmonster.
- Wide feet: Very accommodating for wider feet. The wide platform and roomy forefoot give your wider feet more room to breathe.
- Heavier runners: Heavier runners should find the Cloudmonster Hyper 3 to have more than enough cushion and stability underfoot.
- Long runs: Long runs are a breeze with the big slab of PEBA foam under each foot.
- Front of the pack: This could be a max stack daily/long run shoe for those runners out in front, but isn’t suited for faster workouts.
The On Cloudmonster Hyper 3 is a great long run shoe for runners who want cushion that makes the legs feel great, but remains a bit firmer so they aren’t sinking in or losing energy to the foam.
On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper Overview
The underfoot feel is very firm at first, but don’t let the first impression scare you away. I, despite my preference for firmer midsoles, was very bothered by how firm the midsole was over the first dozen or so miles.
I was ready to nickname this shoe the Concretemonster Hyper 3, it was so firm underfoot. Even the sharper late-stage rocker wasn’t much help. But much like the Adidas Boston, it required a little bit of a break-in period, although not quite as long.
Luckily for me the shoe came to life in the middle of a 10-miler, right at the point where I was fighting the urge to make a left turn and head home early.
Once I got into the better part of the midsole I put the shoe through all of my paces.
Despite the bouncy ride and smooth transitions I would not recommend this shoe for fast intervals. There is too much shoe for it to be nimble enough for that extra fast turnover, despite the responsive midsole.
That extra snap off the forefoot was not there for me. The dual-foam midsole, in tandem with the rocker geometry, did make easy and marathon paces effortlessly roll by. I even found a short recovery run the day after a 10-miler quite enjoyable as I shuffled along on a humid morning.
The bouncier Helion HF is more concentrated in the mid and forefoot, giving the ride extra bounce when you’re landing in those spots. Despite more Helion OF in the heel, I found landing on my heel had a softer feel to it.
The addition of a beveled heel, something lacking in the original Cloudmonster Hyper, made heel striking feel really nice.
The midsole has very slight sidewalls to help guide your foot through its stride, and even though I think the PEBA layer is firm enough to be stable on its own, the EVA based Helion OF layer is there to add stability and some durability.
The torsional rigidity of the shoe lends to the stability, and I found the forefoot to be more flexible than I was expecting.
Outsole traction was very good. Thick rubber pods protect the heel while two longer strips line the forefoot. The midfoot is left to fend for itself, but it looks plenty durable so far. The groove running down the center of the outsole and small windows to the PEBA layer can be what I like to call a souvenir collector, so keep an eye on that.
Coach Amanda: I have to admit the original model wasn’t a hit for me. Now that we’ve had a couple years of big soft max cushioned shoes through testing, the Hyper still feels a little adrift, but much more enjoyable. Now it feels like the replacement to the sunsetted On Cloudeclipse.
It’s does feel like a max cushion shoe because it’s not overly soft. I don’t feel overly fast in it. Due to the price, I think more folks will gravitate to the Cloudboom Max for a combo of cushion and speed.
On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper Specs
- Weight: 7.5 ounces Women’s/ 8.9 ounces Men’s
- Stack height: 45mm in the heel
- Heel to toe drop: 6mm drop
- Available in 3 colorways
- Available at on.com for $220
Quick Take
Pros
- Extremely protective for the legs over longer efforts
- Smooth and stable on the run, with a decent bounce
- Roomy but secure fit and breathable upper
Cons
- Not great at tempo/threshold efforts
- High price tag for its slightly limited uses
- Lacks pop off the forefoot
On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper Fit & Feel
My only other experience in an On running shoe came last year with the Cloudsurfer Max. With the exception of the material around the heel I found the upper to be quite comfortable and just stretchy enough for a secure fit (awful lacing system aside).
The upper of the Cloudmonster Hyper is even better. Comfort is top notch, and while it is a bit roomy in the forefoot I never felt like I was sliding around during faster efforts or running up and down hills.
The lockdown was great, partially thanks to the gusseted tongue that holds the middle of your foot securely in place. The tongue has just enough padding where it counts so as to keep it breathable and not allow the laces to bite the top of your foot.
I found the laces to be almost Adidas-level bad, but the upper is so good they still helped create a secure fit.
The heel counter is quite firm, but the layout of the padding protects the achilles from rubbing. I felt no heel slippage, but if you’re susceptible to it the laces are long enough for a runner’s knot.
The On Cloudmonster Hyper 3 is an interesting shoe. While it is a pricey option for something I would consider to be limited to daily miles and long runs, sometimes with marathon pace miles mixed in, I see the value in how great my legs felt the day after a long run.
It’s not something I would lace up for a long tempo or anything with significant intervals. It is something I could definitely see myself adding into my rotation, especially now since I’m planning on a gradual build back up to longer distances over the next few months (and I can’t seem to find the Superblast 3 locally in my size).
Similar Shoes to the On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper
Let’s see how this firmer max stack compares to other shoes that may be in your rotation:
- Asics Superblast 3: Similar in price but with a softer foam and more ability to go fast.
- Nike Pegasus Premium: Similar high stack with a firmer feel, higher heel toe drop
- Brooks Adrenaline 25 : Similar max cushioned trainer that retains a firmer feel
Where Does the Cloudmonster Hyper 3 Fall in the Line Up?
Coach Amanda here and I think this is a helpful exercise to understand what to expect from the Hyper 3. Because we all see big stack and assume either really soft or throw in a plate make it bouncy and fast.
On Running has a big line up of shoes now, so a quick break down from our reviews:
- On Cloudmonster 3 – The slightly firmer daily trainer for lots of miles
- On Cloudmonster Hyper 3 – A little more cushioned, good for long miles, not sponge soft, but plenty cushioned
- On Cloudsurfer 2 – Softest of their running shoes, we think good up to 10 miles, really comfortable all day wear
- On Cloudsurfer Max – Max cushioned shoe that didn’t quite translate the softness of the Surfer
- On Cloudsurfer Next – A plated version, that remains a bit firm but allows for picking up the pace
- On Cloudboom Max – Super trainer or race shoe for the middle of the pack, light and fast, not super soft
Our Verdict
This won’t be a shoe that every runner loves because it’s both high stack and slightly firm, but it feels like a big leap forward from the original version. It’s a max stack shoe that doesn’t lose form, allowing your legs to feel good, while also reducing energy loss to foam.
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