On began in Zurich in January 2010, with three founders: Olivier Bernhard, a three-time duathlon world champion, and his friends Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann. The first prototype is the part everyone remembers. Bernhard glued pieces of garden hose to the sole of an old pair of trainers to see what a softer landing would feel like. Those hollow tubes became CloudTec, the pods on the bottom that squash when you land and firm up when you push off.

The Cloud arrived in 2014, lower and lighter than the race shoes, and it pulled in people who never planned to run in it. That is still where most women's On Cloud shopping starts, and the pod sole is so recognisable that it has become part of the brand's look.

The first grid is the everyday pair. The Cloud 6 in seedling and ice is the classic, light and easy. The Cloud 6 Versa adds a bit more structure, and the Cloud 6 Waterproof in mauve and the Cloud 6 WP in sandstone are the ones for rain. The Cloud X 5 in black or white is a gym shoe that also walks well, the Cloud X 4 AD in seedling is the light training version, and the Cloud X Tempo in ivory is a little faster.

If your search history says on cloud womens, start with the Cloud 6 and go up half a size if you wear thick socks.

Zendaya became an On creative partner in 2024, and the shoes she promoted, like the Cloudtilt Moon, made the brand look less like running gear and more like something you wear to a gallery. This grid is that side of On.

The Cloudtilt is the one I would buy for city walking. It has a soft sole and a stretchy knit upper, and the white knit version looks clean with trousers. The black and eclipse Cloudtilt is the travel pair. The Cloudnova 2 in all white is chunkier, and the Cloudnova X in glacier is the techier version. The Cloudsoma Moc in black is close to a slipper, the Cloudsoma Alt in ox and eclipse is a two-tone lace-up, and the Cloudsoma Hike in grey mesh has a grippier sole for park paths. The Cloudzone in pink and black is the brightest pair here.

A test for a city sneaker: walk down a flight of stairs in the shop. If your heel slips on the way down, the size or the shape is wrong.

What I would skip: the Moc for a full day of walking. It is lovely for errands, less so for ten thousand steps.

Roger Federer did not come to On as a sponsored athlete. He came because his wife, Mirka, had started wearing the shoes, and in 2019 he joined as an investor. A limited shoe with his name on it, The Roger, followed in 2020. It is a good reminder that this is still a running brand at heart.

For actual running, the Cloudmonster is the cushioned one, with big pods and a rolling feel, here in dew and blonde. The Cloudsurfer Next in iceberg is softer and simpler for easy runs. The Cloudrunner 3 in heather and mars is the stable one, good if your ankles roll in. The Cloudswift 4 in black and white is built for city pavement, and the Cloudflow 5 AD in maroon is lighter and faster. The Cloudpulse 2 in peony is a training shoe for gym classes, the Cloudhorizon 2 is a light hiking shoe, and the Cloudvista 3 Waterproof in sand handles wet paths.

Buy running shoes in the afternoon. Feet swell during the day, and a pair that fits at nine in the morning can pinch at mile three.

What I would skip: wearing the Cloudmonster as a fashion shoe with a slim trouser. The sole is big on purpose.

On's collaborations are where it gets interesting for anyone who cares more about how a shoe looks than about split times. The Loewe x On partnership started under Jonathan Anderson, and the 2025 Loewe Cloudtilt reportedly sold out within days, which tells you how far the brand has travelled from the hose prototype.

In this grid, the Zendaya Cloudzone Moon comes in lavender and in ivory, soft rounded shoes with a moon-boot attitude. The FKA twigs Cloudmonster 3 in beige mesh takes the running shoe and makes it moodier, and the FKA twigs Cloudmonster 3 Mule in cacao is the strangest and best shoe here, a running sole with the back cut away. Post Archive Faction brings a technical edge: the Cloudmonster Hyper in white, the Cloudsoma PAF in black and in haze linen, and the Cloudbloom Next in white shell and mesh.

Collab pairs often run in different lasts from the mainline, so check reviews for fit before you size up or down.

What I would skip: the mule for a commute with lots of stairs. Keep it for slow weekends.

On makes clothes too, and they are designed in the same clean, slightly Swiss way as the shoes. If you want women's On Cloud sneakers to look intentional, matching the clothes is the shortcut.

The Court pleated tennis skirt in white recycled jersey is the piece I would start with, because a tennis skirt with a Cloud 6 is a whole summer outfit. The Performance tennis dress in white is the one-piece version. The Studio 7/8 tights in sakura pink and the Performance tights in robin blue are fitted and squat-proof, good for a class or a long walk. The Performance sports bra in light blue and the Studio sports bra in magnolia are the tops to pair with them.

For layers, the Studio stretch jacket in grey and the Studio jacket in magnolia are light enough to tie around your waist, and they look neat over a dress too.

A styling rule: keep the colours in the same family. Pink tights with a magnolia bra and a white Cloud 6 look planned. Five bright colours look like a lost-and-found box.

What I would skip: cotton socks for a long walk in Cloudmonsters. Choose a thin technical sock.

If I were buying one pair, it would be the Cloud 6 in a soft neutral for everyday and travel. If I wanted something more fashion, it would be the white Cloudtilt. Runners should start with the Cloudmonster or the Cloudrunner, depending on whether they want cushioning or support.

After that, it is about personality. The collabs are for people who like their sneakers a little strange, and the clothes are for people who like a matched set. The pods underneath are the same garden hose idea from 2010, and they still work. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together On Cloud Shoes Guide and Heels, Sneakers.

For a retro take on the trainer, I wrote about the it sneaker right now, from New Balance to Vince and VEJA.