On Cloudboom Echo 3: One minute review
The On Cloudboom Echo 3 is the Swiss running brand’s third attempt at making a running shoe to rival the ones that are typically seen on the feet of the fastest runners. The best running shoes for racing are typically the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 , Adidas Adizero Adio Pro 3, or the Asics Metaspeed Sky+, and On wants the Cloudboom Echo 3 on that list.
Whether you're looking to run a faster marathon on a specific course or you're hoping for a shoe for whenever speed is a priority, making some quite significant changes from its first two Cloudboom shoes.
The first generation Cloudboom was a miss from On, while the Cloudboom Echo felt like a step in the right direction for its pricey racing option. Now with a new midsole setup and a lighter design in play, the Cloudboom Echo 3 is the super shoe we’ve been waiting for from On.
On Cloudboom Echo 3: Specifications
On Cloudboom Echo 3: Price and availability
- $289.99 in the US
- £260 in the UK
- AU$390 in Australia
The On Cloudboom Echo 3 launched on 29th June 2023, priced at $289.99 / £260 / AU$390.
That’s a step up in price from the Cloudboom Echo and does make it more expensive than picking up shoes that the Echo 3 is going up against.
The Nike Vaporfly 3 costs $250 / £234.95 / AU$330.00 for example, while the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 is also cheaper at £220 / $250 / AU$359.99.
- Value score: 3.5/5
On Cloudboom Echo 3: Design
- Microfiber upper
- Helion Hyper Foam
- Carbon Speedboard
We’ll start by saying that when it comes to making beautiful-looking running shoes, few do that better than On. The Cloudboom Echo 3 in its white and mint colourway and low-profile look feels every bit a racing shoe.
It’s very light, with our UK size 8 weighing in at 221g, though one side weighed in closer to the claimed 215g weight. Either way, it’s shaved off some grams from the already pretty lightweight Cloudboom Echo, though it’s still not quite as light as Nike’s Vaporfly 3, which weighs in less than 200g.
On sticks to the same 9mm drop as the Echo, though stack heights have changed at the heel and the forefoot, jumping to 37mm at the heel (previously 35mm) and 28mm at the forefoot (up from 27mm).
It had a good upper on the Echo, but On’s decided to switch things up swapping recycled polyester mesh for microfiber, which is still almost papery thin in feel and does make this narrow shoe feel a bit more spacious up front in the toes, which is ideal when you need that extra room as you up the distance in them.
Below that is a midsole, which marks a new direction for On’s shoes. Its Cloudtec cushioning tech is still there, but it’s definitely been scaled back and less prominent than it was on the first two Cloudboom shoes. There’s now On’s Helion Hyper Foam, which is a Pebax-based foam and sees On join Nike, Saucony, New Balance and Hoka in embracing a Pebax-based super foam. It’s a light foam and one designed to deliver more energy back into your running time, particularly to benefit those longer distance runs in it.
That new foam is joined by a full length carbon plate or Speedboard as On calls it, along with a rockered design, which collectively aims to deliver a propulsive feeling that aims to get you through those running transitions in a quicker fashion.
The outsole doesn’t look hugely different from the one used on the Cloudboom Echo, with the larger of the grippier sections at the forefoot now reaching a bit further back to the middle of the shoe with key areas at the heel covered to make sure you get that traction from the key areas without adding extra weight.
- Design score: 5/5
On Cloudboom Echo 3: Performance
- Pretty stable racing shoe
- Smooth and propulsive ride
- Still a touch firmer than other racing shoes
We’ll start with the fit and the Echo 3 is a bit on the narrow side, which was fine for our skinny feet, but might be more of a squeeze for wider feet with no wide fit option available. Unlike some carbon racing shoes we’ve tested it does feel like you need to work a bit harder to get a secure lockdown here, with very long laces and a skinny tongue for those laces to sit on top requiring some toying around to make sure it’s not slipping around at the heel.
Once you do get things locked in place, the feel of running in the Echo 3 is more in line with those top-tier racing shoes. This isn’t one you can amble around in and you won’t find it comfortable to do slow, easy runs in, but that’s simply not what they’re built for. Everything here is designed to give you that faster feel and it does that well. As we said, On’s Cloudtec takes a bit of a backseat and that’s not a bad thing at all. The new midsole is not as super soft and bouncy as rival shoes, but it’s certainly not as firm feeling as previous Cloudbooms and the combination of the new foam, rockered design, and that carbon Speedboard creates a smooth, energetic, and punchy ride.
In our first run, a quicker 5k, on a pretty flat route, it felt like an enjoyable shoe to run in at around our typical 5k race speed. It handled an interval track session well and didn’t cause any issues during or post-run. In a 10k race test on a hilly LeeValley VeloPark course, the Echo 3 running at quicker than marathon pace with the combination of the hills made it tough going, but when we could and needed to coast at a more settled pace, it felt good to do so.
When we upped the distance and settled closer to our marathon pace, that good feeling remained and it feels like a shoe you can really roll in. That being said, it does still feel like a race shoe that’s primed for those running sub-3 hour times (we run at a 3-hour, 20-minute pace) who will benefit most from what On has to offer here. That’s no real surprise here, though we’d definitely say there are shoes that the Cloudboom Echo 3 is competing against that feels more accessible and more comfortable outside running those sort of elite times.
From an outsole point of view, it was good on the Cloudboom Echo and it’s more of the same on the Echo 3. We didn’t get to use them in rainy conditions, but on flat roads, pavements and hillier climbs it gripped well and handled cornering with no issues either. We’ve put 50 km of running into it and we are starting to see some wear at the heel of the shoe, which tells us that the durability is likely to fall in line with other carbon racers and it’s one you will want to reserve for your fastest runs and races.
- Performance score: 4.5/5
On Cloudboom Echo 3: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
On Cloudboom Echo 3: Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
First reviewed: July 2023
(Credit: Thanks to RunThrough for the race entry used to test the On Cloudboom Echo 3)
