On has been methodically developing a serious hiking lineup over the last few years. As of publish time, its current hiking roster includes roughly 8 different models, many of which are in their second generation, spanning everything from light trail runners to burly approach shoes.
Yet despite their different use cases and design approaches, one detail has traveled with all but one hiking shoe in the catalog, not to mention nearly every other kind of shoe the brand’s ever created.
That detail, of course, is the visible gaps in the shoe’s outsole, which are central to how On shoes look and feel on foot and often generally referred to as clouds or pods.
That technology comes in two main flavors. The original CloudTec design uses hollow pods that compress on impact and lock together on toe-off — it’s the look that put On on the map, and you’ll find it on workhorses like the Cloudmonster 2 and the Cloudrunner 2.
The newer CloudTec Phase iteration replaces those pods with angled, sequentially collapsing cloud elements that deliver a smoother, more rolling transition underfoot — it features prominently on shoes like the Cloudsurfer 2 and the Cloudeclipse.
The On’s newly revealed Cloudsoma Hike arrives as the second chapter in On’s evolving Cloudsoma family — one that the brand appears to be positioning as its more trail- and outdoor-focused identity.
The original Cloudsoma drew attention for its sleek, low-profile silhouette, and reviewers noted its unusually refined look for a performance shoe. The Hike version extends that direction further, and makes one quiet but meaningful departure that many outdoor fans of the brand have patiently waited for.
