On Cloudboom Strike 2
On Cloudboom Strike 2: Weak tier, Consider, high confidence — synthesized from 40 reviews across 13 creators, freshest review Oct 5, 2026.
TL;DR
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is a comfortable, stable marathon racer with a standout wide toe box and full-length rubber outsole. It's a genuine improvement over prior On super shoes for many runners, but it splits opinion sharply: some reviewers (Emily Heller, Humble Running, Foot Doctor Zach, It's Matt B) love it, while others (Yowana, Believe in the Run) find it too soft and unresponsive for race-day efforts. If you value comfort, stability, and a less aggressive ride and are a midfoot or forefoot striker, this is a strong option. But if you need a snappy, bouncy, high-energy-return racer, you'll want to look elsewhere — it's not a universal recommendation.
Photo: OnVerdict
Score
76/100
Weak tier
Verdict
Consider
High confidence
freshest review · Oct 5, 2026
Lowest price
$249.95
at Holabird Sports · 6 retailers
as of Oct 9, 2026
Buy at Holabird Sports · $249.95Yeah may earn a commission when you buy through these links. Learn more
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Best for
The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is On's most approachable marathon super shoe — softer and more comfortable than its predecessor, with a spacious forefoot and built-in arch support that sets it apart from most carbon racers. Reviewers consistently describe it as a "balanced" racer that shines at marathon-to-half-marathon paces, offering a smooth, controlled ride rather than explosive snap. It's best for runners who want a stable, forgiving, and less aggressive super shoe for race day, long runs, and uptempo workouts. Use it for your next marathon or half-marathon if you prefer comfort and control over all-out pop at 5K/10K paces. As RadDadBodTV notes: "This is one of the best everyman type super shoes."
Facts & figures
How we read the reviews
The verdict engine computes the grade. This section explains it — it never recomputes it.
01 · The score
76 out of 100
Built from 55 attributed opinions, weighted by creator consensus, reviewer authority, and agreement between reviewers. Recency, reach, and buzz are not score inputs. What you see here is the engine’s output, unpacked — not a second calculator. This page does not infer a score from views, recency, or the editorial stages.
- Creator consensus (evidence-weighted)86.7% weightContribution: 0.664
- Reviewer authority6.7% weightContribution: 0.033
- Agreement between reviewers6.7% weightContribution: 0.059
Excluded from score. Freshness and attention are deliberately excluded from the score so the tier means quality, not recency or buzz. They are surfaced separately as the trending signal.
76
the engine returns 76 / 100 — these inputs explain the shape, they don’t produce it.
02 · The tier
Lands in the Weak band
The matching engine trace assigns the score to Weak at the ladder floor.
DCBAS
floor≥ 76.0≥ 81.0≥ 86.3≥ 89.3
76 · here — inside the D band (Weak).
03 · The recommendation
Why “Consider”
The trace evaluates raw consensus and confidence, not the score. The real BUY_NOW condition and returned values are shown here. Price is a value note, never a gate— a strong shoe keeps its recommendation even when it isn’t on sale.
BUY_NOW: consensus_numeric >= 0.8 AND confidence == HIGHraw 0.750 · HIGH— not met
Returned confidence is HighHIGH— met
The verdict reads the RAW consensus (share of creators recommending), not the score. A shoe can therefore be tier A yet CONSIDER rather than BUY_NOW when confidence is below HIGH.
Engine recommendationConsider
Price & availability
Where to buy it
The cheapest of 6 live retailer prices. (No price-history chart — we don’t track that series yet, so we won’t draw one.)
Yeah may earn a commission when you buy through these links. Learn more
- Holabird Sportslowest$249.95Shop
- Road Runner Sportslowest$249.95Shop
- DICK'S Sporting Goods$249.99Shop
Live prices from 6 retailers · last checked
What reviewers said
- The shoe is widely praised for its comfortable, stable ride.
- Emily Heller describes it as "a fantastic running experience" with soft, bouncy Helion HP foam and good response off the toe (mention_id=dccf2c9e-1aa7-4f0a-a067-4524e660646f).
- The Run Testers note it feels controlled and stable with a bit more spring than prior On shoes (mention_id=a7455628-c4a2-4443-8d96-3ed3c72dea84).
- The most commonly cited flaw is a lack of snap, bounce, and energy return at faster paces.
- Yowana reports the forefoot feels mushy with "no bounce" and that it was "effortful to turn over" at sub-5:30 pace (mention_id=9764fc71-6aa5-4363-857d-a89028e25065, mention_id=b7da0cc0-0c82-4949-b596-c904e64cfbbe).
The reviews behind this verdict
The cited creator reviews, watchable — press play to jump to the moment each one informed the verdict.
RadDadBodTV
“what we're using today is the OnCloud Boom Strike 2. This is their newly updated super shoe and we're going with the standard upper version.”
cited at 0:00
Yowana
“I said that it felt potentially mushy at the faster paces, but I was really highlighting the comfort. ... it has no bounce. It really has no bounce. ... They've made this bottom foam so much softer. ... my finger is not snapping right back. ... not a lot of energy returned to this foam. ... it's very effortsome to turn this over. ... I hit the ground. It's very comfortable. It sinks down”
cited at 41:21
The Run Testers
“like the OnCloud Boom Strike 2, which I do think is a really good uh carbon racing shoe to use more in that kind of trainer racer mold”
cited at 5:18
The Run Testers
“I think I really like the On the Cloudboom Strike 2 recently that has maybe a bit more bounce to it and maybe a bit more comfort”
cited at 11:07
RadDadBodTV
“that's where shoes like the, you know, the Cloudboom Strike 2, the um where did it go? The uh SC Elite 6, right? Those kind of are those tweeners where you can race up or down. They have that versatility.”
cited at 6:07
Runnertia
“Never in my life have I been excited about an On shoe until the On Cloud Boom Strike 2. Why? They got rid of their Cloudtec.”
cited at 0:04
Emily Heller
“the On Cloudboom Strike 2... it was a fantastic running experience... the Helion HP foam, very soft, bouncy, and it gives you a nice response off the toe... CloudTec sphere technology which are these holes in the mid-sole of the shoe... carbon speedboard technology... The upper is minimal but structured... there is a nice amount of cushioning in the ankle collar. It felt great at those more up-tempo miles and it felt decent honestly going slower as well.”
cited at 3:25
Meta Endurance
“the last one is your race day shoe, the super lightweight LS Cloudboom Strike 2. Light spray upper sprayed by robots. It has a fantastic, fantastic foam with that Cloudtec sphere technology here up front in the forefoot. It's lightweight, dynamic, and made to break your PBs.”
cited at 0:00
Yowana
“On Cloud Boom Strike 2 is a great example. With that guy, the forefoot was very soft with the Cloud Tech Sphere and I was just sinking into it”
cited at 0:00
Emily Heller
“Then recently, I reviewed the Cloudboom Strike 2 and really loved that shoe.”
cited at 0:00
It's Matt B
“you might also be considering something like the On Cloudboom Strike 2”
cited at 9:18
Doctors of Running
“So this one, unfortunately, only lasted the short amount of time because it wasn't working for me, but it's the On Cloudboom Strike 2.”
cited at 6:51
Pro:Direct Running
“The combination of Helion HF foam and the carbon speedboard delivers a ride that's both stable and aggressive, naturally rolling you into your next stride”
cited at 0:00
Humble Running
“I did an indoor treadmill run earlier with the On Cloudboom Strike 2. I was planning to film a little bit of that workout if it was outdoors, but I don't want to do that kind of review thing inside on the treadmill too loud, too bouncy, too crazy with all the treadmill noise.”
cited at 0:00
Foot Doctor Zach
“Here's the on, right? Here's the Cloud Boom Strike 2 I just reviewed. It's all covered with rubber. This is no less speedy than this shoe, right?”
cited at 6:08
Yowana
“negative things about on the Cloud Boom Strike 2”
cited at 1:59:59
It's Matt B
“this morning, I am running in the On Cloudboom Strike 2, and that's a very fast shoe.”
cited at 0:45
Believe in the Run
“It just didn't have that punch that I'm looking for, that feeling that when I'm going through my stride, it's like, "Okay, pick it up. Go one more. Go a little faster."”
cited at 0:00
kofuzi
“I think it's a shoe that could work for a lot of people as a marathon racing option, especially if you're one wanting to get into this Light Speed material, and two, need to have a little bit more stability, especially in the heel”
cited at 14:06
TF XC Running Shoe Reviews (TF XC)
“So, On just announced their newest marathon racing shoe, the On Cloudboom Strike 2.”
cited at 0:00
The Run Testers
“Hello and welcome to run testers. My name is Nick and this is our first run review of the OnCloud Boom Strike 2.”
cited at 0:02
The Run Testers
“definitely my favorite on ratio I've ever tried cuz I've never really got one with it in the past. This feels a lot more accessible. It feels a lot more performance-based and I think this foam is just just really really solid for for what it's doing”
cited at 6:59
Humble Running
“I've got both of these shoes in a US 10 EU 44. Actually why don't I take a look at the toe boxes while I'm here. One thing that's great specifically about the Cloudboom Strike 2, because it is a road shoe. Typically those tend to be a little bit tighter. ... I find this quite wide.”
cited at 0:07
The Run Testers
“it's not quite the flat out fastest shoe out there”
cited at 11:03
Foot Doctor Zach
“Video title: On Cloudboom Strike 2 Teardown Description: On Cloudboom Strike 2 Teardown”
cited at 0:00
RadDadBodTV
“I enjoy this one more than the one, but it got a lot less aggressive”
cited at 6:16
Emily Heller
“The Cloud Boom Strike 2 was given to me by an for the purpose of review. However, they're not going to see this video before you. They can't tell me what to say and all of my opinions are always my own.”
cited at 0:00
The Run Testers
“I certainly think the Cloud Boom Strike 2 is a more effective fast running and racing shoe.”
cited at 10:57
Emily Heller
“recently, if you saw that, I reviewed the Cloud Boom Strike 2 from On and really, really loved that shoe”
cited at 0:00
Foot Doctor Zach
“All right, but getting into the fit and performance of the Cloud Boom Strike 2. That's a mouthful. Um, once again, some things that you're just not seeing in other super shoes, other racers.”
cited at 6:18
Meta Endurance
“On LS Cloudboom Strike 2 vs On Cloudboom Strike 2”
cited at 0:00
The Run Testers
“the On Cloudboom uh Strike 2. This is a recent one that's that's I've been testing and it just works really well for me. I've been really been enjoying this. ... it has this full length uh rubber on on the outsole, which means that I don't destroy it like I do every other shoe uh going.”
cited at 0:00
It's Matt B
“I will be running in the regular Cloud Boom Strike Twos tomorrow for the race”
cited at 2:57
It's Matt B
“Another shoe that I have been comparing to the Endorphin Elite 3 is the On Cloudboom Strike 2. The Cloudboom Strike 2 has 40 in the heel, 35 in the forefoot for a 5 mm drop. And it costs $250, so that's $40 less expensive than the Endorphin Elite 3.”
cited at 9:22
RadDadBodTV
“I feel very similar about these as I do like the Cloudboom Strike 2, right? Where it's like it's a capable shoe, you could run a 5K in it, you could run a marathon in it, right?”
cited at 7:27
It's Matt B
“Next up, we have the On Cloudboom Strike 2, and I've been very impressed with this shoe. But with the first Cloudboom Strike, I thought it was just a bit raw. It was really fast, but it was a little unstable for me, and On has made some big changes that I have really enjoyed in the Cloudboom Strike 2, and I think it just It just suits my running. It feels fast. It's super breathable. It's a really solid option.”
cited at 2:50
It's Matt B
“I will be running the Sydney Marathon in this, the On the Cloudboom Strike 2.”
cited at 2:00
Yowana
“the on Cloud Boom Strike 2. So, Cloud Boom Strike One, which came out in 2024, was one of my favorite race shoes of that year. I put it in my top five list. I almost raced the Chicago Marathon.”
cited at 6:54
Yowana
“It's a completely different midsole design on the sculpting and the heel”
cited at 1:33:00
Believe in the Run
“The first time I tried this on at the running event when they had a little exposed cement though, and I came down on this forefoot and felt that little puck, I did feel like I was getting some energy return.”
cited at 6:49
Yowana
“So, here it is in all its glory on Cloud Boom Strike 2. And I've got to say, designwise, colorway, not my favorite.”
cited at 18:57
Emily Heller
“The On Cloudboom Strike 2 might just be what you're looking for”
cited at 0:00
It's Matt B
“This is the On Cloud Boom Strike 2, and it is made for your fastest races. We have an open weave mesh to keep your feet cool, and a new formulation of Helion Hyperfoam. Sandwiched inside the Helion Hyperfoam is a curved carbon fiber speedboard for epic propulsion. And this right here is On's new CloudTec Sphere. And these precisely engineered channels help maximize impact absorption and rebound. Cuz the On Cloud Boom Strike 2 is the racer you've been waiting for.”
cited at 0:00
Yowana
“That's what the Cloud Boom Strike 2 for me lacked. I was trying to drive power through the forefoot and I just could not get anything going.”
cited at 44:33
It's Matt B
“Guys, it's the On Cloudboom Strike 2.”
cited at 0:00
Meta Endurance
“The on I've had amazing runs with this shoe, especially again with the Lray version. I think it's a very efficient shoe.”
cited at 6:28
RadDadBodTV
“today we used the Cloudboom Strike 2. Um so, I I'm going to wrap up testing miles on these shoes hopefully somewhat soon and get you guys a full review on these. Um I liked them a lot more today than I did on the first workout. ... for a marathon option, I think could work really, really well for people. Um maybe I originally I thought maybe you had kind of some flexibility with this shoe to go down to mile and 5K. I I think you could. Like you This is a shoe that it's stable enough. It feels like low enough to the ground that you can, even though there's a lot of stack, but you can take it on the track. ... I think phenomenal workout shoe, great racing option, I think, for a lot of people, frankly, but just for me, it's not my preference.”
cited at 2:00
Pro:Direct Running
“The On Cloudboom Strike 2 is here to make raceday even faster.”
cited at 0:00
Attention consensusa separate axis
How much the creator economy weighed this — distinct from the verdict, never folded into it.
732Ktotal review views
1Mcombined reachadditive across channels · may overlap
48creator reviews
attention vs the catalogtop 27% in class
Heavily watched, with a mixed verdict — attention isn't a clear win here.
attention over the product’s life
How the score was calculated
Calculated by Yeah’s verdict engine from weighted review evidence.
55 mentionsHIGH confidence
How creator opinions explain it
A theme-by-theme synthesis of creator opinions has not been published for this shoe yet.
Under the hoodengine v1
Score
75.65shown as 76
score = 100 × weighted mean of the signals below (weights renormalized). Freshness & attention are excluded on purpose.
- Creator consensus (evidence-weighted)0.867×0.766=0.664
- Reviewer authority0.067×0.500=0.033
- Agreement between reviewers0.067×0.885=0.059
Consensus shrinkage raw consensus 0.750 is pulled toward the catalog prior 0.83 (strength 10) over 40 reviews → 0.766. That shrinkage is why a thinly-unanimous shoe doesn’t outrank a deeply-loved one.
Excluded Freshness and attention are deliberately excluded from the score so the tier means quality, not recency or buzz. They are surfaced separately as the trending signal.
Tier
D_F
The highest rung whose cutoff the score clears.
- S≥ 89.3
- A≥ 86.3
- B≥ 81.0
- C≥ 76.0
- Dfloor
0.35 points from the next rung up.
Verdict
CONSIDER
Evaluated in order on the raw consensus (0.750) and the HIGH confidence band; first match wins.
- SKIPconsensus_numeric < 0.6
- BUY NOWconsensus_numeric >= 0.8 AND confidence == HIGH
- CONSIDERotherwise
The verdict reads the RAW consensus (share of creators recommending), not the score. A shoe can therefore be tier A yet CONSIDER rather than BUY_NOW when confidence is below HIGH.
Confidence
HIGH0.775
A weighted mix of how the evidence stacks up:
- How many independent creators0.450×1.000=0.450
- Depth of each mention0.250×0.977=0.244
- Evidence recency0.200×0.155=0.031
- Reviewer authority0.100×0.500=0.050
- HIGH≥ 0.75
- MED≥ 0.45
- LOWfloor
Publishable?
Published
A grade publishes only with enough independent creators AND at least one volume bar met.
- Independent creators13 / 3 needed
- Reviews where this shoe is the primary subject40 / 10 needed
- Total mentions55 / 30 needed
Behind it: 55 mentions (40 primary-subject) from 13 creators, 11 dedicated reviews.
Stages A/B/C (extract, synthesize, write) produce the editorial narrative only. No stage A/B/C value is an input to score, tier, verdict or confidence — those come solely from the consensus engine over stored mentions. Per-stage counts live on the `reasoning` block.
Verdicts synthesize public creator reviews — not personalized. The reasoning explains the grade; it never computes it.