On Cloud Eclipse Review: A Max Cushion Trainer With a Firmer Edge

Introduction

On has been on a strong run of trainer releases lately, and the Cloud Eclipse is its latest entry into the max cushion daily trainer category. Unveiled at a running industry event in Austin, it was positioned as a new heavily cushioned option sitting alongside the rest of On’s growing lineup. After roughly 75 miles of testing, mostly easy-paced running, it has become a shoe that keeps getting laced up again and again, which is usually the clearest sign of a good trainer.

The headline numbers: 37mm of stack under the heel, 31mm under the forefoot, and a 6mm drop. The midsole pairs a double layer of CloudTec Phase with Helion super foam, On’s softest foam compound, used here in greater volume than in any previous shoe.

Upper and Fit

The engineered mesh upper is dope-dyed, a process On says uses 90% less water than traditional dyeing. The tongue integrates into the upper along the sides and over the toe box, stitched in a way that reduces puckering over the toes and gives the shoe a clean, distinctive look.

Fit is true to size and accommodating for a range of foot shapes. Wide-footed testers found the roomy upper comfortable out of the box, while narrower feet needed a firm cinch of the laces to get a locked-in feel. That looseness was the one fit drawback worth flagging. The structured heel counter held the rearfoot securely with no heel lift, and it sat comfortably against the Achilles with no break-in issues. Step-in feel was good from day one, with no hot spots on the first run.

Midsole and Ride

The midsole combines a double-height layer of CloudTec Phase with a generous dose of Helion super foam. CloudTec Phase collapses and expands on landing, which produces a soft, cushioned touchdown through the stride. There is also a Speedboard element in the sole, but unlike the stiff plastic plates of older On shoes, it now sits lower and functions more like a midfoot shank, adding structure without the harsh underfoot feel of the old design.

One nuance worth knowing: how soft this shoe feels may depend on the temperature. A tester who ran it in cold conditions around the 30s (Fahrenheit) found it firmer than expected, while testing in milder weather delivered the soft, cushioned landing the CloudTec Phase promises. If you live somewhere cold, expect a slightly firmer ride on chilly mornings.

Compared with other max cushion trainers, this one sits a bit firmer than shoes like the Fresh Foam 1080 v13, the More v4, and the Nimbus 25, and lands closer to the Ghost Max in character. That firmness cuts both ways. It means you still feel the height of the stack, almost like standing on a platform, and it is not the sink-in plush ride some recovery shoes offer. But it also makes the shoe more versatile: picking up the pace is easier than in a shoe that swallows every stride. For easy runs from 5 to 15 miles it felt excellent, and there is enough cushion underfoot to comfortably extend to the 20-mile long run range.

Weight and On-Foot Feel

This is where the numbers get interesting. A women’s size 7.5 weighed 8.1 oz (230g), which is on the heavier side for a daily trainer. A men’s size 10.5 came in at 10.5 oz (300g), which is genuinely heavy by traditional running shoe standards. Yet on foot, it does not feel its weight. The rocker shape helps the shoe roll through the stride, and the weight distribution avoids feeling bottom-heavy despite the thick Helion foam block. It is one of those shoes that is easy to forget you are wearing, which matters more than the scale reading for most easy-day running.

Outsole and Durability

The outsole uses thin rubber pads, slightly thicker in the heel, with exposed foam between them. Even after substantial mileage, the outsole showed minimal visible wear and continued to deliver strong traction. Durability so far looks very good for a shoe with this much exposed midsole foam.

How It Compares

Next to the On Cloudsurfer, the Eclipse is essentially a beefed-up version: a larger, double-layer CloudTec Phase midsole, more Helion foam, and added structure from the repositioned Speedboard. Visually they are close enough that the two could be mistaken for each other at a glance, and On’s color palette across recent models is similar enough that a bit more design separation between the shoes would be welcome.

Against the Adidas Boston 12, a comparison some testers reached for, the character is different. The Boston 12 reads more as a firm super trainer, while the Cloud Eclipse sits more clearly in the max cushion trainer category: softer, better suited to easy days and longer runs, but not a shoe built for faster workouts.

Buying Advice

If you want a plush, sink-in recovery-day shoe, there are softer options on the market. But if you want one trainer that treats your body well on easy days while still letting you run everything from 5-mile refreshers to 20-mile long runs, the Cloud Eclipse fits that brief well. Its firmer-than-typical max cushion feel is precisely what makes it versatile. The main caveats: narrow-footed runners may struggle with the loose upper, and the weight is high even if it does not feel that way on the run.

Conclusion

The Cloud Eclipse continues On’s recent streak of solid trainers, following well-received releases like the Cloudmonster and Cloudsurfer. It is not the softest shoe in the max cushion category, but its comfortable ride, excellent durability so far, and surprising on-foot lightness make it an easy recommendation for runners logging steady easy mileage. For testers who keep gravitating toward a shoe run after run, that says more than any spec sheet, and this one earned that kind of loyalty quickly.