Sean Kiffe is a Runner’s Edge Ambassador for the 2018/19 season. He is very visible around town as he runs just about every Runner’s Edge race and Run Wild Missoula event each year. We asked him to review the ON Cloud X, and you can find his thoughts below. You can also follow Sean’s adventures on instagram@seankiffe.
The ON brand of shoes was one that I looked at hard this past winter and seriously considered buying. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I found out that I was going to get to review a pair.
Weight: 8oz
Drop: 6mm
Stack Height: 6mm
Once on my feet the ON Cloud X felt super light. The bulkless, minimal construction of the upper shoe hugs your foot like a glove. The super thin tongue conforms willingly to the shape of your foot. This shoe feels airy and fast from the second you put it on. Weighing in at 8 ounces the shoe is one of the lighter shoes on the market. Categorized by ON as a ¨running remixed¨shoe the Cloud X is intended for runners who have a diversity of training activities in their week. My first run out of the box was a 12 mile run around Missoula and included asphalt, light trail, paved pedestrian paths and gravel. From my front door the Cloud X felt nimble and responsive. The shoe runs like a racing flat but with just enough cushion to be forgiving. The 
shoe felt great on the short climbs, with no evidence of heel-slip. The ON website boasts that the heelbox is a bombproof fit and my experience was nothing short of that. I’ve now put a little over 70 miles on these shoes and the entire construction is holding together extremely well.
One of the ingenious features of this shoe that really caught my eye was the way it minimized weight and bulk with a couple unique features. First, the shoe uses injection molded padding at key spots at the ankle collar instead of the stuffed traditional style padding common in most other shoes. This makes for a lean fit with padding in just the right spots. It really helps to avoid the bulk that can act like a sponge in wet conditions. The second feature is a hard plastic footplate that runs throughout the shoe. While most shoes achieve the rigid footplate by laminating thin layers of foam and plastic together, ON uses a single lightweight high density plastic piece which eliminates the extra weight of the glue and multiple laminated layers in a traditional shoe. The entire upper is made of what ON calls ¨new-generation materials,¨ and these are truly very thin and lightweight. The mesh of the toe box is well constructed and ventilates nicely.
One downside of the Pod system used by ON is that rocks get stuck in the tread pretty easily. While I did not notice the feel of the rocks in my shoe, I could hear them once I got back on the pavement. To be fair though, ON is very clear about the fact that this is not a dedicated trail shoe. So with that in mind this might not be a problem when on packed gravel pedestrian trails. Other reviewers commented on the fact they experienced low traction on wet running surfaces. This was not my experience on the runs that I did on wet roads. The ON Cloud X felt just fine to me on the wet Missoula streets.
The cushioning of the Cloud X is just right. For a shoe that has a minimalist feel it is cushioned enough so when you hit that unfortunate rock, pothole or when your form falls apart for a few seconds (or miles) you are afforded some cushion to ease the blow. Make no mistake, these are not ¨plush¨ pillow-like shoes such as many Hoka One One 
models but the Pod technology does offer a decent amount of cushion.
As a general shoe that might be used in a gym setting, a spin class, zumba, crossfit 
or some other indoor aerobic pursuit the ON Cloud X gets high praise from this reviewer. I gave it a shot at the gym that I usually am absent from all summer and fall and really liked the feel that they had. The On Cloud X will be my gym shoe choice for the coming winter.
Overall this shoe is a great addition to my gear closet. The ON Cloud X is very light, responsive and cushioned just enough. The colors are simple and attractive and the design is appealing to the eye as well. I look forward to putting more miles on these shoes around Missoula, racing some fall 5Kś in them and using them at the gym when the unfortunate winter treadmill sessions are called for. I´d recommend these shoes to anyone who is looking for a super light, versatile all-around training shoe. At an MSRP of $140.00 they are a bit spendy, but in my opinion they are well worth it.
