On Cloudboom Strike 2 Light Spray Review: Comfort-First Super Shoe That Finally Works for Speed

Introduction

The On Cloudboom Strike 2 Light Spray Edition is the Light Spray version of On’s second-generation carbon race shoe. The translucent, sparkling upper gives the shoe a lighter weight build and feel than the conventional version, and it is the third Light Spray shoe from On to go through long-term testing here, after the original Cloudboom Strike Light Spray and the Cloudmonster Hyper 3 Light Spray.

The context matters, because every Light Spray shoe tested so far has felt different from its conventional counterpart, even when the midsoles were supposedly the same. The Cloudmonster Hyper pair both worked well, with the standard version a touch heavier and firmer at the rear and the Light Spray version feeling softer with more PEBA underfoot. The original Cloudboom Strike Light Spray, however, was a disappointment next to the standard OG, which was bouncier, livelier, and more fun off the forefoot.

That history shaped expectations for this pair. The standard Cloudboom Strike 2 was a genuinely comfortable, pleasant shoe for relaxed aerobic miles, but it never delivered when the pace picked up. It was not a bad ride, but it was a bad race shoe, with a forefoot that felt mushy and working against you at speed.

How the Standard Cloudboom Strike 2 Fell Short

The first-generation Cloudboom Strike earned real affection thanks to a thick, removable drop-in insole topped with a soft, bouncy layer of PEBA. That combination made it one of the most fun carbon shoes of recent years, delivering bouncy comfort before shoes like the Adizero Adios Pro 4 Elite popularized the approach.

The standard Strike 2 kept the comfort but lost the top end. The forefoot, built around what On calls CloudTec Sphere, gave back very little when trying to run fast. The result was a shoe that felt smooth and pleasant for everyday easy miles but offered little assistance when hammering.

So the Light Spray version arrived with a simple hope: that it would feel different, because Light Spray editions historically have, and give the platform some of the speed the standard version lacked.

First Run Impressions

The test run was 8 miles at an aerobic pace, with the last mile run hard down to marathon effort. Conditions were nearly perfect, around 60 degrees on a cool early morning after months of difficult summer training, and it turned out to be one of the best runs of the entire training block. That context is worth noting, since weather and how you feel inevitably color how a shoe feels, but the impression held up.

For the first 7 miles cruising between roughly 6:00 and 6:50 per mile, the shoe felt excellent. The comfort underfoot is very similar to the conventional version, and despite the carbon plate, it does not feel like a plated shoe at daily paces. It rides more like a super trainer, closer to something like the Nike Vomero Plus or a very bouncy lightweight daily trainer, with plenty of cushion and an energetic feel in an unusually light package.

Construction: Why the Plate Feels So Muted

One likely reason for the standard version’s soft, unsnappy ride is plate positioning. Many modern race shoes use spoon plates that sit low to the ground in the forefoot, with only about 10 mm of foam between the plate and the ground. Here, the plate sits high in the stack, with roughly 25 mm of foam above the plate in the forefoot and another 20 to 25 mm between the plate and the ground.

That much foam on both sides means there is essentially no plate feel, and when the plate compresses, there is no snap. Shoes with real snap use thinner pockets of foam above and below. In the conventional Strike 2 that muted plate was a problem at speed. In the Light Spray version, it is arguably the point: the result is a smooth, protective, highly comfortable ride that works beautifully at steady aerobic effort.

How It Performs for Faster Running

The final mile of the test run came in at 5:27 on a downhill stretch, which likely converts to roughly the tester’s 5:40 marathon pace. The key finding: the shoe was not working against the runner. Unlike the conventional Strike 2, there was no sense of fighting soft forefoot foam or being actively slowed down.

The foam itself is still not the most impressive from a pure explosive energy-return standpoint. There is no explosion off the forefoot like the original Strike delivered. The compound is tuned for smooth comfort and a pleasant, gentle bounce rather than aggression.

What saves it at speed is weight and geometry. In a size 10.5 it feels clearly under 200 grams, and once a shoe dips below roughly 200 grams, turnover becomes noticeably easy and effortless. Combined with the sleek Light Spray upper and the way the stack is laid out, the shoe feels genuinely capable of running fast even if the foam is not spectacular.

Fit, Sizing, and the Light Spray Upper

Sizing is true to size. In a usual size 10.5, the shoe slipped on and was never thought about again for the rest of the run. On includes an extra pair of socks with the shoe. The Light Spray technology’s core benefit is lighter weight, and after three Light Spray shoes there have been no fit issues here, though it is worth noting that other testers have reported the Light Spray material digging into their feet. If you typically have no problems with uppers, you should be fine.

Buying Advice

This is a shoe built for comfort, balance, and big aerobic mileage, not outright aggression. It feels purpose-built for 6:00 to 6:50 per mile work and is capable of getting down to marathon pace. It would be a strong pick for midweek longer runs and any long run with hard aerobic miles.

There is a realistic nuance for marathoners: for runners targeting longer marathon times, the increased underfoot protection and the absence of aggressive plate bite should get better the longer you go. For someone chasing sub-2:30 or sub-2:20, there are faster shoes on the market, and this one would not make a top five for pure speed.

Conclusion

The Cloudboom Strike 2 Light Spray is a much more convincing shoe than the conventional Strike 2. It does not have the most explosive feel underfoot, and it will not sit alongside the very fastest race shoes. But if you want a lightweight, highly comfortable ride that eats mileage at moderate paces and still handles marathon-pace work without fighting you, it is an easy shoe to enjoy.