These were my first pair of On shoes as I decided to take a chance on a new brand and I wanted to see what the hype was about around these shoes. For reference, I’m coming from Nike Pegasus runners and I was looking for a shoe to do some lite running/cardio at the gym while being able to some lifting activities in. I’ve had the shoes for a few weeks and overall I am very pleased with the performance of the shoes, however they do have some aspects that detract from their experience.

Out of the box they are a bit stiff but loosen up after a few trips to the gym. They feel noticeably roomier compared to my Nike Pegasus 39s and a bit more connected to the ground, which makes sense as these are meant for cross-training as opposed to pure running. My heel slips a little on my right foot but feels secure on the left so you may want to try these on in person to determine your appropriate size. That being said, the lacing system on the Cloud X 3 seems rather dumb and not very helpful for tightening up the shoe when needed. It also makes it difficult to adjust the length of the laces and I find it annoying to fix any imbalances that come up.

With that said, the overall performance of the shoe in cardio and traditional/functional weightlifting activities has been pleasantly surprising and I find I’m able to keep them on for more exercises than anticipated. They perform well on the treadmill or track for shorter runs (less than 3-4 miles I’d say) and can hold their own while squatting or doing other platform work up to moderate loads. The sole retains a solid amount of stability despite its cross-training roots and I find I don’t have to switch to more dedicated lifting shoes until I get to the upper limits of my weight training.

If you’ve been curious about the On brand and are in the market for a versatile training shoe that can do it all and looks good to boot, then the Cloud X 3 is worth your consideration.

I like shoes with minimal cushioning and a semi rigid Achilles area that does not ball up. These fit the bill and I enjoy running with them. However I run mostly on packed dirt and gravel and the gaps in the sole tend to suck up and trap small rocks. If they added some soft silicone or other material in the gap area it would resolve this problem.

In general, I am disappointed by the shoe makers and stores. My running shoe was the New Balance 1400V6. No one seems to sell shoes like this anymore. Most shoes have huge marshmallow soft soles that feel like bunny slippers. This shoe seems to be be relatively close to the 1400 and I will take it.

As an avid runner, I have purchased several On Cloud shoes over the years. Because these shoes are expensive, I take very good care of them and do not wear them when the weather is poor. However, one of the soles on the shoe squeaks when I run and walk. I thought that this might cease as I wear them in, but after three months, they still squeak. I finally contacted customer service, and they suggested that I not wear them when the soles are wet and also suggested to sprinkle baby powder on the tongue as the squeak might come from the tongue rubbing against the shoe. They also suggested to put newspaper or a dryer sheet in the insole to absorb any moisture. I followed up with a second claim and explained that I take great care of $150 shoes and reiterated that the sole is the source of the squeak. I was denied a replacement as squeaking does not fall under the reasons for replacement. While this shoe is extremely comfortable, I will never again purchase from On as, at this price point, a default in the product should be replaced. I am very disappointed in customer service.

I am a big fan of On shoes, and I really love the look of the black and white X3. The design is slick and the X-crossed laces are very unique. Sadly, these shoes hurt my foot. Not feet--foot. I've never had this happen with a pair of shoes before, so I'm not sure what's happening exactly. The left shoe is just painful for me to wear after a short period of time; it feels like the arch support is too aggressive in the shoe.

And here's the thing, I would probably return these shoes even though they're worn and a bit used. I really don't want to abuse return policies, but these just aren't working for me and they're pretty expensive to not work. But! I had an unfortunate situation on a road trip with a 6 year old and car sickness. Suffice it to say I learned the hard way that the very white shoes are not very stain-resistant.

So, now I'm stuck with stained white shoes, one of which is wildly uncomfortable to wear.

One last comment: I bought black elastic laces for mine like most other On shoes have. I don't know why they don't just offer elastic laces on all their shoes. I bought 27" elastic laces for them.