On Cloudventure Waterproof shoe review

The On Cloudventure Waterproof shoes have a modern, stylish design and won't look out of place around town but are more than up to tackling a rough, muddy trail. They're available for both men and women, and feature a sole with deep treads that offers plenty of traction, and that's stiffer than the average trail running shoe. 

The On Cloudventure Waterproof shoes are suitable for hiking and running. For alternative options, plus buying advice, check out our guides to the best walking shoes for men, the best women's walking shoes, and the best trail running shoes.

The synthetic upper consists of mesh, insulation and a waterproof membrane, combined with a layer of insulation that adds cushioning and support. The On waterproof membrane is impressively impervious to splashing through puddles and streams, though it’s not the most breathable on test. Combined with the foam padding, the shoe feels noticeably hot in warm weather conditions though that warm does come into its own in cool and cold weather. 

• Need something more rugged? These are the best hiking boots for men
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Another small niggle is the length of the laces. Noticeably shorter than others on the market, it’s long enough to tie a bow and it’s good for neat minimalist bows, but the length does make it a bit fiddly to get a good purchase on the laces and get enough grip to pull them tight enough. 

However, there's a lot to love about these shoes, starting with the design of the sole. The chunky tread has a variety of orientations and a second, finer tread on the lugs, which gives these shoes excellent traction in a range of mucky and slick conditions, including apparently snow though unfortunately we weren't able to test that out ourselves. These aren’t the grippiest walking shoes out there, but they are up there in the top five. 

The lugs themselves combine cushioning and shock-absorbing squidge, particularly in the sole area, which we admit has the more technical sounding ‘Zero Gravity Cloud’ elements as their official name. These are effective at protecting the foot from hard hits when running or moving over rough terrain. 

Cloudventure Waterproof also has what On calls its ‘Speedboard’, a reinforced core that supports the foot giving a noticeably stiffer sole over other more run-focused shoes, which aids in warding off fatigue over longer distance hikes and helps support the foot on rough terrain. Finally, it’s worth noting that these shoes size up a little small, so we went up a half size and found the fit in that bigger size spot on.