The Stealthy Sneakers Hiding a Whole Lot of High-Tech Comfort Under the Hood
SHOP $149.99, on-running.com
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About 10,000 years ago, in November of 2019, I wrote about a pair of sneakers from the Swiss running experts at On. The choice of terms here is crucial. Because, as I learned a little more recently than I'd like to admit, these were not "running shoes," the preferred nomenclature for the footwear you lace up or strap on to pound the pavement with purpose. These were "sneakers," which you put on to just...do stuff. I was then, and remain to this day, excited the folks at On decided sneakers were part of their repertoire.
That's because I am now, as I was then, more of a "sneaker person," than a "running shoe person." Did quarantine present an unprecedented opportunity to change that, and become the kind of guy who casually logs his daily 5K before going about the rest of his business? Sure did! And did I, given this opportunity, elect to do anything of value with it? Sure didn't! Lucky for me, a couple months into our current state of affairs, On decided to launch the CloudNova, a sneaker that's made for casual daily wear but packs a bunch of On's running-inspired tech into to the package. Also, it looks cool as hell. And lucky for all of us, after initially selling out, you can currently get your hands on a pair again. I recommend you do.
They deliver on comfort.
On's CloudTec cushioning system lives up to the hype. It's responsive, but supportive. Cushy, but bouncy. And, yeah, really comfortable. It's also helped along mightily by the built-in Speedboard, which is a fancy way of saying "panel of material designed to create more energy return"—which itself is a fancy way of saying, "there's a piece in this sneaker that'll make everything from walking to running a little easier and more satisfying." (Not that you have to run, of course.) There's also a redesigned tongue system and a socklike construction, all of which is designed to make these sneakers easy to slip into, and even easier to spend all day wearing.
SHOP $149.99, on-running.com
And coolness.
Making the leap from sports-centric gear to more lifestyle-driven offerings is no mean feat. There's a litany of brands that have tried and failed to make it happen, and with good reason: Providing performance is a very different thing than tapping into whatever dark recesses of the brain make us look at something and want it just because we think it's cool. With the Cloudnova, On managed to bridge that troublesome gap, creating a piece of footwear that got a cosign from retailers ranging from Dover Street Market to Machus (and, of course, publications like Esquire). The initial drop sold out all over the place, too. That you can get your hands on a pair now is thanks to the brand's decision to restock, not the indifference of the market. In other words, now might be a good time to thank the style gods for replenishment strategies.
Everyone you know doesn't already have a pair.
Despite the fact that the Cloudnova's initial drop was a hit, we're not talking the kind of stratospheric production numbers that equate to everyone you know (and their moms) getting a pair of these shoes. On has logged some impressive growth over the last couple of years, but a sportswear megabrand it is not (at least not yet). That means you can snag a pair of these shoes and stand a good chance of being the only one in your friend group, quarantine pod, or, I dunno...Zoom-enabled improv class (?) that has 'em. I'm not trying to say exclusivity is the only thing worth valuing when it comes to sneakers, but, hell, it's still nice to feel special.
SHOP $149.99, on-running.com
Photography and prop styling by Allie Holloway
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