I'm now on my fourth pair of On racing shoesTwo clouds, a cloudclipse, and more recently, the new Cloudsurfer 2. Three pairs have grilled, and one that (finally) does not. And after all this, I have a question: how one of the most publicized racing brands in the world makes sneakers that are This Embarrassing to enter?
They are great … until they start screaming, which is not long
It is not only a soft chirping. It is a full -boom acute grinding that starts after your first appropriate race once there is a little warmth, a little humidity and a little F, rot. Suddenly, you walk in the street that looks like a bath toy for toddians. It's noisy, it's rhythmic, and it doesn't stop. These are not shoes that you wear on the date of walking, unless you are looking to get ghosts before you even hit the beach. And really, what good is a basketball If you can't even sneak on someone?
The most frustrating part? They start very well. Freshly out of the box, they feel each little performance of the promise of promises: light, reactive and ridiculously beautiful. Cloudsurfer and Cloudclipse look like the ideal balance of fashion and function until they betray you at each stage.
Thinking that I had just chosen a failure, I tried a second pair. Then a third. Same result. So I turned to the only place where modern products complaints will be validated: Tiktok. And of course, I found company. The comments sections, the point videos, the Reddit wires reveal that creaky shoes are one thing. A known thing. A common thing.
I even sprayed olive oil in the holes to stop the noise. It is how bad it is.
Is Cloudtec Phase ™ to blame?
Theories range from the friction of the insole to the intermediate soles trapping humidity. A certain blame on its own technology. And this is where it becomes interesting. Because it's not a generic foam sneaker.
Cloudsurfer features Cloudtec Phase ™An intermediate sole system built using computer optimized geometry for smoother transitions and better impact absorption. It is twinned with Superfoam Helion ™Designed for padded driving and returned to energy. On paper, these are higher level stuff. In reality? He creaks like a clown shoe.
A new version, such as an iPhone upgrade
And yet, despite all that, I hadn't finished. Curiosity or maybe just stubbornness or stupidity were right for me, and I bought the new Cloudsurfer 2. And here is the twist of the plot: they corrected it. No creaking.
Even after a few solid sessions, including the working test at the dreaded gymmage, something has changed, whether it is a change in the rubber compounds, the geometry of the updated outsole or simply better quality control. It is a huge relief.
Hopefully this filter always passes the rest of the range, because on do So much good things. They have Roger Federer, strong sustainability references, a killer aesthetic and cult follow -up for a reason. But shoes that cringe like wet thongs on polished boards? It is not a high performance. It is a high alert.
So thank you for finally tackling the noise. But if I spend more than $ 250 for runners, they would better not announce my arrival like a pet in a yoga studio.
