“We knew we needed that revolution moment”: The On Cloudsurfer 3 debuts a new superfoam that will reshape the brand’s running shoes
I spoke to Product Manager Zoé Gerdil about all things Cloudsurfer 3
by Matt Kollat · T3
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On has spent the past few years growing from an idiosyncratic Swiss running brand into one of the biggest names in premium sportswear, but that expansion has also forced it to clarify what each of its running shoes is actually for.
The company has been consolidating its everyday lineup around three core franchises – Cloudrunner for support, Cloudmonster for responsiveness and versatility, and Cloudsurfer for soft, neutral cushioning – and the latest Cloudsurfer 3 is arguably the clearest expression yet of where On wants its running shoes to go next.
The biggest change is a new foam called SURREAL, developed at On Labs in Zurich and positioned between the brand’s existing Helion and Helion HF compounds.
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On says it is lighter, softer and more responsive than the Helion foam previously used in its everyday running shoes.
More interestingly, On has managed to add its distinctive 'foam holes' directly into the supercritical foam.
“It’s the first time that we’ve been able to engineer cavities in a superfoam,” Cloudsurfer 3 Product Manager Zoé Gerdil told me ahead of the launch, describing it as an engineering milestone for the brand.
The foam and the geometry are intended to work as a single system, Gerdil explained, with the cavities compressing sequentially from heel to forefoot in what she likened to a domino effect.
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The most obvious change is around the heel, where the cavities now sweep across the midsole in a different orientation, intended to create an even smoother transition through the stride.
On used Finite Element Analysis to model those changes, and its internal simulations suggest that incorporating CloudTec Phase into SURREAL produces 15.5% more compression than the foam alone, while reducing peak braking force by 9.9%.
On has been reorganising its running shoe lineup
The Cloudsurfer 3 also arrives as On simplifies the way its everyday running shoes fit together.
Gerdil told me the company has increasingly consolidated the range around three principal franchises.
Cloudrunner provides the support and stability option, Cloudmonster focuses more heavily on responsiveness, energy and versatility, while Cloudsurfer is the neutral cushioning family, centred around softness, comfort and a smooth heel-to-toe roll.
That makes Cloudsurfer an important platform for introducing something as significant as SURREAL.
Gerdil described it as On's “most commercial” and “most democratic” running shoe, arguing that it needs to work for everyone from somebody taking up running or coming back after an injury to a professional athlete looking for a comfortable recovery-day shoe.
“We knew we needed that revolution moment,” she said of the Cloudsurfer 3's development.
She also believes Cloudsurfer should “set the standard of what we want our running shoes to be”, which helps explain why On chose it to launch SURREAL.
The foam won't remain exclusive to this shoe either; On says it will play a growing role across its running footwear range.
The changes go well beyond the midsole
On has also put a surprising amount of work into the upper. Gerdil said the development team effectively dissected the Cloudsurfer 2 and looked at where small construction changes could improve the first step-in experience.
The heel counter has been revised to provide more security, the tongue is heavily padded, and the lacing system was deliberately simplified to avoid the irritation of a shoe that's difficult to tighten evenly.
The upper also has more stretch, which Gerdil says should let the shoe accommodate a wider variety of foot shapes. On's goal was to eliminate obvious pressure points while retaining enough structure to lock the foot down.
She described the desired sensation as being “in a slipper more than I'm in a running shoe”, with additional padding creating more of a wrapped or hugged feeling around the foot.
The engineered upper is also zoned for breathability and support, while its textured, two-tone construction is intended to visually reinforce the Cloudsurfer's softer positioning.
Gerdil says the overall stack now reaches around 45mm when you count the sockliner, midsole, and outsole together, with that added stack being the primary reason the shoe has gained weight.
The shoe also has 3mm of outsole rubber in key high-wear areas, a deliberate decision to improve durability for runners who may rely on a single pair for most of their weekly mileage.
Drop decreases from 9mm to 8mm, a figure Gerdil says On considers broadly accessible for everyday running and one it intends to use more consistently across the Cloudsurfer franchise.
The finished Cloudsurfer 3 weighs 285g in a men's US 8.5 and costs £150 / $160 / €170 / CHF 210.
It launches first through specialist running retailers on 1 October 2026, with the wider global release through On.com, On stores and other channels following in early 2027.