On Cloudflow (Rust | Eclipse) review
Developed with elite athletes, the third-gen Cloudflow can do it all and is faster than ever. The explosive Speedboard® loads every stride with spring-like energy. It's engineered for high speeds and maximum comfort whether you're crushing a 5K or a marathon.
It sounds impressive doesn't it, but then again this kind of technology speak is common in higher-end running shoe marketing. When you are spending £130 on a pair of running shoes you may look out for the technology within to justify a purchase, but the reality is that comfort, style and longevity will be more important to most people.
In terms of style they are impressive, in my opinion, because the use of orange and white with a hint of blue come together to make a versatile look that will work with jeans, shorts in the summer and in almost any situation. They are maybe too vibrant for more formal occasions, but if you are looking for a decent pair of trainers that look good these are a decent choice.
That would, however, be a bit silly because they are designed for running and in my experience this is where they excel. I have been wearing the previous generation for 2 years now and there was no doubt that they needed replacing. Fortunately my wife and daughter know me well and I received the latest generation for Christmas.
It was immediately apparent just how soft and supportive they are in comparison to my worn out On trainers, and this also highlights that you will not be buying these to keep for years. This type of technology is designed for distances, not time, and there will come a point where you need to replace them. It could be 6 months for some runners, a year for most and longer if you are not really running in them. I suspect that I am a year at most given my running patterns.
You might think that this is expensive for running shoes that are swapped out so often, but trust me when I say that you will save that money easily and especially so if you are over 40 years old.
Once you have been tested and know what type of running shoes you should be wearing you can buy the right pair for you and get the support you need to save you from injury. There is of course no guarantee that you will not get injuries when running, but anything you can do to minimise damage will only be a positive move. The cost of medications, treatments from specialists and the fact that injuries slow your progress make the investment in decent running shoes more than sensible.
I am not sure that On is necessarily better than other brands at similar price points and I am not sure that some of the running shoes available for around £50 on Amazon are markedly worse, but I am sure that this particular pair feel great when running, they look good when walking and they have many subtle features built in that make me actually want to wear them.