Ah, a cool Tuesday morning, perfect for a run I thought to myself - and, it's a public holiday to boot. Thank you sultan of Selangor.
I only had a total three hours of interrupted, non-continuous sleep - feeling slightly feverish - and with both of my hips still in relative pain, it's a real double whammy kind of bonus to inform that the toilet bowl at my house is the squatting down one. The thought of having to take a dump had never been this disconcerting. Nevertheless, I'm feeling fresh.
Well, apart from my legs.
But I have a much more important task at hand here: doing my final review run in my Cloudsurfer. This time I need to really focus on the important stuff, like build quality, fit and feel, comfort, weight, airiness - the overall critical look at the shoe.
Oh look - the first and the only inclination for this morning's track
The route that I'm using this morning is roughly about 4.5km one way, from my house towards the UNIKEB building near UKM, and is largely flat-lying throughout, except for one inclination 300 meter after the start. It's a major thoroughfare, these roads, so traffic are quite heavy normally. But because today is the sultan's birthday, it was most of the time deserted.
Perfect.
Since it was awfully quite, among the first thing that my ears caught was a distinct rubbery squeak. It's like when you're wearing a wet rubber flip flop and as you walk, your feet and the slipper rubs each other, you get that squeak? It's the same kind of sound - except with the Cloudsurfer, it's not too noisy. In fact, the squeak is only apparent when you are completely by yourself.
In my previous initial initial review, I remarked about how 'bouncy' the shoe was - well, that 'bounciness' can be attributed to the rubber pods.
It was said that the shoe "returns back the energy to the runner" so that as you lift off, you will feel a certain 'push' that makes you go forward and aids with your running. I'm not sure if what I wrote just now made sense but I do feel it. You know - the push. The bounce. The... the uh... yeah, those things.
In my own word, I can say the shoe feels 'lively' - it wants you to keep on going. (Eh, get it? Keep ON going? Yes?) Unlike other running shoes which has lots and lots of cushioning so it absorbs all the shocks but feels 'dead' upon lifting off your feet.
And I'm saying that, keep in mind, as a terribly huge fan of the Saucony Progrid Triumph 9. Lots and lots of cushion, but no push for the lift off - something that I believe would be of huge advantage as you reach towards the last few kilometers of your run.
That makes for a very interesting case for the Cloudsurfer - and all the other three models from On Running.
Aww... don't worry. You're still my number one.
As for the run, I decided against doing a timed run, all for a very good *technical reason. Besides, that would give me ample chances to properly review the shoe.
Empty road some more... what is this? Has everyone else turned into zombie, 28 Days Later-style?
There is still a long way to go before I reach the UNIKEB building, and despite the narrow road, I had enough chance to look at other aspects of the shoe. After establishing the 'bounciness' of the shoe...
Uh... hello? Anyone?
...of the shoe. Yeah, um...
The Cloudsurfer sports a heel drop of 7mm, which is 1mm less than the Triumph 9, but frankly I can't really note the difference. But the Saucony Kinvara 3 however, with a heel drop of only 4mm, now that shoe is something else. The importance of the difference in heel drop has been... extensively covered... by numerous... a number of chiropractors... professional advocates... hang on a minute...
Is the sultan having a huge birthday bash, and I'm the only one not invited?
EVERYONE HAS BEEN ABDUCTED BY THE ALIEN! EXCEPT YOU! FOREVER ALONE!
No, this is too quiet.
Me, after doing 4km
There - now it's better. So, going back to the matter of heel drop - as I was saying, the Cloudsurfer has a 7mm drop, which is not that much of a difference from my number one shoe.
"Oh you, stop it." -Blushes-
But as with the intended build of the Cloudsurfer, the cushioning is kept at minimum level, only just enough that your feet won't hurt even after doing the 26 mile. But with the absence of cushioning comes lightweightness. And with lightweightness comes agility and responsiveness.
Huh, sounds like I'm writing a promotional material for the Lotus Elise.
But the shoe is very light, you hardly notice that the Cloudsurfer is there along with you as you eat up the kilometers. I like that a lot. It doesn't bog you down like an overly-attached girlfriend.
YOU CALLED?
So, final verdict: the On Cloudsurfer is a very good running shoe, both for training and for race day. Alas, for me, the Cloudsurfer is my long-distance training shoe. But that is a matter of personal preferences. Apart from that, I have very high praises towards the On Running team, and especially to Olivier Bernhard, for bestowing the world with a one-of-a-kind, specially-engineered running shoe with a runner in mind.
If you're in the market looking for a new pair of trainers or race day shoe, give the On Running shoes a try. For seasoned or pro runners looking for a lightweight shoe, the Cloudracer is for you. If you want to experience the wonders of the On shoe but without sacrificing the comfort of impact cushioning, the Cloudrunner is for you. Beginner? Get the Cloudster.
Well, enough of promotional material. This then concludes my review of the On Cloudsurfer.
Oh, and I should also add that the shoe has been very kind on my knees as well. Which is a bonus. Also a bonus, along the track during the run, I saw this:
Just look at those red, plump, and juicy rambutans... aaa...
Lots of these along the way...
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