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The Cloud X 4 left serious trainers cold despite its stylish versatility. On’s latest update takes direct aim at the durability, cushioning and traction complaints that dogged its predecessor.
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Cross-training shoes occupy an awkward middle ground — too cushioned for the lifters who want ground feel, too stiff for the runners who want turnover, too generic for anyone who takes either discipline seriously.
On built its reputation on running, but it has spent the last several years trying to convince gym-goers that its CloudTec sole translates to the weight room. The Cloud X 4 was the most credible attempt yet. But it left many serious trainers cold, and the reasons weren’t subtle.
Durability complaints surfaced early. Run Repeat’s testers noted the outsole wore down faster than expected, especially given the $160 price point. Cushioning was also dinged as feeling inconsistent underfoot, particularly during lateral movements.
Traction on gym floors also drew criticism. For a shoe asking cross-trainers to treat it as an everyday workhorse, those were compounding failures, not minor quibbles.
The new On Cloud X 5, which has quietly been on sale in On stories for weeks now but only recently became available for online purchase, is On’s answer to that criticism.
A chance at redemption
On reworked the outsole rubber compound and extended coverage across high-wear zones to address the X 4’s outsole breakdown under lateral load.
The Fit Friend’s reviewers flagged the X 4’s cushioning as uneven during fitness transitions, like shifting from lifts to box jumps or taking a conditioning run, and the X 5 takes direct aim at that gap.
So, On reformulated the CloudTec pods to deliver more consistent cushioning across a broader range of movements
The upper’s structure was reworked, too, in the form of a more reinforced midfoot wrap that addresses lateral stability complaints without adding meaningful weight.
That’s not nothing for a shoe that has to credibly serve both a deadlift session and a 5K shakeout.
Availability and pricing
At $160, the Cloud X 5 sits above the Nike Metcon 10 ($150) and most of the Reebok Nano X5 family ($150) — both established cross-trainers with loyal followings.
On’s differentiator has always been aesthetic versatility: the Cloud X line is the only shoe in this tier that transitions convincingly from a training session to a casual outfit.
If you’re already a fan of On’s footwear styling, the X 5 fits cleanly. If you’re used to other respected gym shoe silhouettes and prioritizing pure durability above everything else, the calculus is closer.
In that way, the Cloud X 5 feels less like a reinvention and more like a correction.
On identified the specific ways the X 4 failed serious trainers and has tried to address them with deliberate, targeted updates rather than a ground-up redesign.
At $160, it asks for the same money as its predecessor while promising meaningfully better durability and traction. For the cross-trainer who wants one shoe that handles the gym and the street without compromise, the X 5 may finally make that case convincingly.
On Cloud X 5
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