On Cloudsurfer 3 lands at 302g, reviewers say easy miles
On's first supercritical foam gets a warm welcome and a heavy scale reading, while Doctors of Running calls the $280 TYR Valkyrie Elite 2 unstable.
Four reviewers dropped On Cloudsurfer 3 verdicts the same day, and they agree on the shape of the shoe if not the price. The headline is Surreal, On's first supercritical foam (foam blown with gas under pressure, meant to be lighter and bouncier) inside the brand's Cloudtec Phase geometry. Believe in the Run says every factory On talked to called it impossible to make.
The catch is the scale. kofuzi has it at 10.6 oz, 302 g, in a US men's 9, "substantially heavier than the Cloudsurfer 2", and calls it a recovery run and daily training shoe rather than a speed shoe. Believe in the Run lists 10.6 oz in a US M10, 45mm heel and 37mm forefoot, 8mm drop, and grades it Design A, Value B, Performance C. The Run Testers weighed 305g in a UK 9 and said it sits in the bottom two thirds of your pace range, not the top third.
Prices and dates do not line up. kofuzi says $160 from September 24 at run specialty, Believe in the Run says $160 for fall 2026, Running Warehouse says $159.95 and February 2027, and The Run Testers quote £150 or £160. Stack numbers conflict too, with kofuzi and Running Warehouse citing an official 38mm spec against Believe in the Run's 45mm heel.
What it actually means
Three independent reviewers landing on comfortable, heavy, easy miles only is a real signal for a shoe On is selling on new foam. Meaghan at Believe in the Run notes her W7.5 came in just under 9 oz, nearly 2 oz more than comparable daily trainers.
TYR's 150-gram racer gets a stability warning
Doctors of Running measured the TYR Valkyrie Elite 2 at 5.3 oz, 150 g, in a men's 9, with a 40mm heel, 34mm forefoot and 6mm drop, on a supercritical ATPU midsole. David calls the price of $280 fair next to the rest of the market and likes the aggressive geometry and the catapult off the plate. He also found it a little unstable when he gets tired, enough that it could be a dealbreaker for him on race day, and suggests 5K and 10K unless your mechanics hold up.
One racer did get a super shoe workout. The Run Testers' Nick finished second in the individual championship at the Pleshey Half in the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, averaging around 5:25 per mile.
splits the difference between versions one and versions two. It's not too soft and it's not too firm
a dealbreaker for me for race day
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