For years, marathon racing shoes have been designed with one type of runner in mind: the elites.
Feather-light builds, aggressive carbon plates, and sky-high price tags dominate the category, while the majority of marathoners, those finishing around four hours, are often left in a grey zone between “performance trainer” and “super shoe.”
On’s new Cloudboom Max aims to change that. The shoe is positioned as a race-day option for the “everyday marathoner,” those clocking 4:00–4:30 finish times who still want cutting-edge tech but in a more forgiving, supportive package.
With a 40mm heel and 32mm toe stack, the Cloudboom Max delivers plush underfoot comfort to keep legs fresher for the back half of a marathon.
It pairs that with Helion HF foam, On’s highest-energy return midsole compound (also featured in the criminally underrated On Cloudboom Echo 3), tuned to provide bounce without the instability some super shoes suffer from.
Instead of a stiff carbon plate, On has opted for a glass-fibre infused Speedboard, designed to work better with heel strikers, a group that makes up a large share of mid-pack marathoners.
At 296g for a men’s US 8.5, it’s heavier than carbon rockets like the Nike Alphafly 3 or Adidas Adios Pro 4, but On argues that stability and cushioning trump grams saved when you’re out on the road for 4+ hours.
Comfort over carbon
Other brands have already dabbled in softening the super-shoe formula for non-elites. Nike’s Invincible 3 offers heavy cushioning but is more training-focused than race-day, while Saucony’s Endorphin Speed 4 uses a nylon plate for a more forgiving ride often favoured by sub-elite marathoners.
Hoka’s Mach X sits in the middle ground with a softer super-foam midsole and plate, making it ideal for steadier long races, and New Balance’s SC Trainer v2 provides a max-stack alternative to the SC Elite, prioritising comfort over outright speed.
The Cloudboom Max enters a competitive but growing category, available from today at On US, On UK and On AU for a recommended price of $230/ £220/ AU$330.
The shoe’s release coincides with On’s Fall/Winter 2025 Pace collection, a bold apparel line designed to complement the Max and reinforce On’s push to serve all levels of the running community.
