On Cloudsurfer Max Preview | A Total Eclipse

Last Updated on August 6, 2025 by Amanda Brooks

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On like many of the brands is taking on particular shoe name and then doing a spin off of other shoes. We’re seeing that with the Pegasus, Pegasus Plus and Pegasus Premium…similar things in Hoka. Here we now have the On Cloudsurfer Max, so what the heck does this mean and when is it landing?! Let’s talk.Last year I doted on the On Cloudeclipse because it was the first really max cushion (soft) shoe that On Running released. They apparently liked it too, but liked the idea of one line of shoes better. Which is great because now we’re all going to be confused about what’s what.

In fact, here’s what we’ve already reviewed from this line:

On Cloudsurfer – we’d consider this a shorter run or casual shoe
On Clousurfer Next – similar to the Cloudmonster (beloved), but maybe with a little more pop
On Cloudsurefer Trail – comfy road to trail shoe, but not rugged trails
On Cloudsurfer Max – this is going to be their long run shoe from the line up

Our official On Cloudsurfer Max review is live! Sadly we’re not sure it lived up to the hype.

Here’s what we know so far thanks to chatting with the On team and holding the new model at The Running Event (TRE) in Austin. On Cloudsurfer Max Preview

Specifications

As soon as we receive them for testing, you’ll get a complete review with any updates to weight or colorways!

Heel Drop: 6 mm
Stack: 37 mm
Weight: 8.4 oz women’s, 10 oz men’s
Available in Wide
$180
Available July 17, 2025

If you don’t want to wait until July, then we highly recommend checking out our On Cloudeclipse review now and we fully anticipate that means it will go on sale which On so rarely does! Here she is, a pretty, max cushioned shoe, which shares the same stack height.

What’s New and Different in the On Cloudsurfer Max

All right, so we’ve already said it’s a replacement/update to the Cloudeclipse. Here’s what that means:

While the shoe is remaining at the same stack height there will be some differences. They’ve removed the speedboard, which for some folks adds a little bit of that ability to pick up the pace in the shoe. Basically it’s the same idea as a carbon plate sandwiched between foams, stiffness plus cushion.

That means this model is going to feel softer and more like a plush ride.

It’s less of a race trainer and more of a long run, gimmie all the cushion kind of option.

They also stacked their signature pods on the lateral side a bit more to again increase that softness, they are leaning ALL THE WAY in to a max cushion shoe. Particularly noticeable as more cushion in the forefoot of this model. On Cloudsurfer Max 2025 The tongue looks pretty much the same as the thin on the the Cloudeclipse and not as padded as what the Surfer offers.

So it really is kind of mixing the two and we can’t wait to spend 2025 trying to explain that the same shoe name is being used in a variety of ways by all the brands.

Who is This For?

Get ready for those long runs, this is likely going to be a big choice because the stack isn’t quite as high as other max options, but it’s still a really nice cushioned feel.

Wide Feet: Yes, their wide option is truly designed to accommodate a different foot shape.
Heavier Runners: While it’s going to feel really great underfoot, we’re not sure about lifespan just yet
Long Runs: We loved the Cloudeclipse and think this will do equally well
Front of the Pack: A recovery run shoe

All right, that’s your On Cloudsurefer Max preview coming in 2025, a kickstart to changing their line up naming, but a continuation of their cushion progress!

What do you think?

Are you excited? Do you understand the naming??