Which modern shoe design is best for you? We compare Hoka vs On Cloud
Until recently, finding a well-cushioned shoe often came with a compromise. Your options were limited to heavy, clunky shoes that swallowed all your speed, and the alternatives were minimalist racing flats that did little more than separate your feet from the pavement.
Thankfully, this is no longer the case. We’ve entered a new era of maximalist shoes that can magically soak up loads of impact forces without squishing flat and never coming back. Hoka and On running, in particular, are prime examples of young brands that have spearheaded this shift with unconventional design standards.
Hoka and On, founded in 2009 and 2010 respectively, have both made taking the edge off your impact a primary goal for their shoes. Each of their philosophies suggests that a smoother ride is a faster ride, even if you’re sacrificing some energy return. The brands’ avant-garde midsole designs reflect this priority, be they Hoka’s marshmallowy foams or On’s hollow pods.
And plenty of runners are impressed – both brands have wowed our test team with their top-performing shoes, and they continue to improve as time goes on.
Hoka vs On running shoes
Daily trainers: Hoka Clifton 9 vs On Cloudsurfer
Budget shoes: Hoka Rincon 3 vs On Cloudrunner
Race day shoes: Hoka Rocket X 2 vs On Cloudboom Echo 3
Max-cushioned shoes: Hoka Bondi 8 vs On Cloudmonster
Trail shoes: Hoka Speedgoat 5 vs On Cloudvista
Key differences between Hoka and On shoes
Midsole cushion
For both Hoka and On, you can identify their midsoles from a mile away. In Hoka’s case, much of the brand’s lineup boasts marshmallowy, high-stack midsoles with loads of proprietary EVA and PEBA foam.
Despite looking bulky on the outside, Hoka’s shoes are consistently among the lightest we test, which helps the shoes feel sprightly despite all that pillowy padding under your feet. The high stack can feel precarious if you’re not used to it, but it's easily one of the comfiest rides you can experience fresh from the box.
On, meanwhile, uses a midsole that maintains a low weight by... largely not existing. Look at the gaping holes in all of the brand’s soles. These hollow pods, which the brand calls its 'Cloud-Tec' system, aim to split your stride into two distinct stages: a landing stage in which the pods compress and absorb loads of shock, and a lift-off stage in which the flattened pods lock in place, turning your sole into a rock-solid platform for a high-energy toe-off. This design also aims to be more stable than uniformly foamy soles, as the pods can only compress in one direction.
Geometry
Between On and Hoka, you’re more likely to find traditionally shaped outsoles with the former and more aggressive rocker soles with the latter. Rocker soles curve sharply up from the midfoot to the toe to encourage a smoother heel-to-toe transition, and we’re seeing plenty of modern shoe brands adopt this design to improve efficiency during races.
Rockers can feel strange if you’re not used to them – to some extent, they can make you feel like you’re constantly tipping forward, and brands like Hoka use this weight shift to take some load off your ankles and calves when you push off. That said, if you want a more grounded feel from your shoes, On’s flatter, lower-stack outsoles will feel more comfortable.
Our testers have been fans of pretty much every iteration of the Clifton, and the ninth edition of this cushy daily trainer made no compromises when it shaved some weight off its predecessor and added some extra squish. It’s a time-tested favourite, and even though it doesn’t provide as much energy return as some of Hoka’s more speed-oriented shoes, you won’t find yourself worrying about that as you cruise along at a comfortable pace.
The Clifton’s counterpart, On’s Cloudsurfer, is a bit more novel. Unlike the brand’s usual trends toward traditional sole shapes, this shoe is pretty intensely rockered in the heel and forefoot, and On even altered the shape of its Cloud-Tec pods to collapse in a domino-like sequence as you roll through your stride. If you’re a long-time On lover, this might feel like a departure you have to warm up to, but it’s certainly an example of the brand's willingness to adapt without losing its identity.
One criticism we tend to have for On’s shoes is that they’re seldom budget-friendly – a result of the brand's meticulous Swiss engineering practices. At the end of the day, like buying mid-shelf wine instead of petrol station plonk, you’re paying for some extra assurance that what you’re getting is a quality product.
That said, Hoka definitely has On beat when it comes to keeping the price low. The former has managed to turn a £110 price-point shoe into a viable speedwork trainer with the Rincon, which slides graciously under the 210g weight margin. It’s not the most supportive shoe out there, but it’s plenty snappy, and Hoka has also made it more durable than ever for its latest iteration.
On’s Cloudrunner, on the other hand, is more stability-oriented, it’s quite a bit burlier, and the brand’s defining sole pods are toned down to make this shoe feel more approachable. That said, it’s £30 more than the Rincon, so you might want to wait for it to be on sale if money is tight.
While neither Hoka nor On necessarily prioritise racing performance when designing shoes, both brands have carbon-plated options that attempt to depart from the super shoe design we see with Nike, Saucony and others. Both the Rocket and the Cloudboom have breezy mesh uppers and plenty of cushioned stack, but they both still have their brands’ genes all throughout their midsoles.
Hoka’s carbon-plated racer sits atop a chunky heel of the brand’s own PEBA foam compound, which provides some extra rebound as you load your weight into the shoe’s spoon-shaped plate. It’s certainly meant to keep you ticking for a long time, whereas On’s racing shoe tones down its hollow sole pods to give you a more immediate liftoff at the price of smoothness. The Cloudboom won’t feel great if you’re tapping out a slow-paced marathon, but you’re going to feel rewarded if you can push lots of power through it.
Off the race course, both Hoka and On have more of an incentive to play around with their tech. For the Bondi 8, Hoka created an enormous, pillowy heel that can soak up even the sloppiest recovery day strides – nobody’s too concerned about speed here. Similarly, On added a second staggered layer of Cloud-Tec pods to the Cloudmonster’s sole to give you plenty more of a crumple zone before you bottom out for your toe-offs.
In a surprise turn, the Cloudmonster actually wins in the weight competition against the Bondi – weighing in at 275g. Hoka was willing to make this sacrifice for smoothness, but there’s no denying that having a little less weight below your ankles is a relief when you just need to get your blood flowing. Just be prepared to once again shell out an extra £10 for the Swiss brand.
So far, we’ve only discussed road shoes from Hoka and On, but both brands also have a strong showing off the tarmac with solid variety in tread, weight, protection, and cushion when it comes to trail shoes.
Even though it might seem counterintuitive to have a high stack with loads of cushion on dubious terrain, Hoka’s Speedgoat provides a plush ride that can keep you chugging along for whatever distance you may want to tackle. You’re losing stability standing on top of all that cushion, so it’ll feel precarious on gnarlier tech trails, but this shoe still has sturdy 5mm lugs in case you have take the ugly route.
On’s Cloudvista is the functional antithesis to Hoka’s design. It’s super low to the ground for extra stability and ground feel, but it’s one hell of a stiff ride. This shoe will feel more at home on short trail runs and races where you want to feel some extra responsiveness. Just watch out for gravel, sticks, and mud, all of which are simply dying to find their way into the shoe’s Cloud-Tec pods.
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