On Cloudboom Echo 3 Review *Unsponsored* On's best racing shoe yet?

Here’s everything you need to know about On’s Cloudboom Echo 3 road racing shoes and my honest review.

Disclaimer: I was not gifted these shoes, I bought them myself. There was limited stock available to buy at the Night of the 10k PBs in London. This review is totally unsponsored, however all my reviews reflect my own opinions, whether or not they are in collaborations with brands.

First look at the On Cloudboom Echo 3

The Cloudboom Echo 3 is a road running shoe designed for speed. It’s presented as a shoe you can wear for your races from 10k all the way to the marathon. You can also do your speed work in these shoes.

A lightweight shoe

On’s website indicates that the Cloudboom Echo 3 comes at a maximum weight of 215g for the men’s and 188g for women’s.

In my small size (UK 4), the shoe weighs in at 172g. Yes, I put it on my kitchen scale because I was really impressed with how light it felt when I tried it on.

Is it the lightest out there? Not exactly, for comparison my Alphafly weighs 162g, but for some reason the Cloudboom Echo 3 feels lighter when wearing it, it may be due to how the weight is distributed.

One that heel strikers will love

The Cloudboom Echo 3 has a 10mm heel to toe drop. A high drop (over 7mm) is considered to be better suited to heel strikers as it puts more load on the knees and hips.

New and improved

The Cloudboom Echo 3 has been significantly upgraded compared to the outgoing Cloudboom Echo. Not only does it look visually different but it has improved characteristics that make it better and faster, such as a new foam.

If you tried the previous Cloudboom Echo and were not convinced, don’t let this put you off giving the new version a try!

Where to buy the On Cloudboom Echo 3?

You can order them online on:

Sigma Sports: Men here / Women here
Pro Direct: Men here / Women here

How much does the Cloudboom Echo 3 cost?

The retail price is £260. It’s unlikely to be a shoe you’ll buy on a whim, so I hope this review will help you decide whether you want to make the investment. PS: there are currently on sale (10% off here)

What size should you get?

The Cloudboom Echo is true to size. For comparison, my On shoe size is the same as Nike (UK 4) and half a size smaller than ASICS (I wear UK 4.5 in ASICS shoes).

What makes the Cloudboom Echo 3 a truly special racing shoe?

This shoe has been long awaited, but it seems like On wanted to get their athletes’ feedback and perfectly nail every aspect of this shoe before releasing it.

A “Superfoam”

On’s brand new foam is made with PEBAX, which is an incredible material used in several supershoes shoes from the leading brands, from Nike to Hoka.

PEBAX foam is known for being incredibly light and offering great energy return, which is really what you want when you’re racing.

Carbon plate & CloudTec®

The Cloudboom Echo 3 features a stiff, full length carbon plate to enhance speed and performance.

The shoe also has a layer of On’s signature CloudTec® technology which you find across all of their shoes. This technology allows for smoother landing without making the take off any less explosive.

Other characteristics

The upper is made with lightweight microfibre material for enhanced breathability. It is also meant to reduce water absorption. As for the outsole, is it designed to provide good traction and stability in all conditions. This is something I’ll feedback on (this review will be updated) once I’ve done sessions on wet roads.

Finally, the Cloudboom Echo 3 has a rocker shape which is optimised for speed and energy return, but also provides comfort.

By helping you roll forward, it allows for a smooth transition from landing to toe off. The rocker shape can also help protect your achilles.

My honest review of the Cloudboom Echo 3

Check out my first run and first impressions in this Youtube video:

Here’s what I really enjoy about the Cloudboom Echo 3.

They are incredibly light and this is what made me want to buy them in the first place. I had no intention of getting a pair, but when I tried them on at the Night of the 10k PBs, I couldn’t believe how light they felt and really wanted to give them a go.

I already knew that they were light, I found out within a few minutes of running in them how responsive they are, props to the new PEBAX foam which definitely offers great propulsion and drives you forward.

I’m also super impressed with how comfortable they are. I thought the ASICS Metaspeed Sky were the comfiest speed shoes I tried, well, On truly raised the bar with the Cloudboom Echo 3.

The combination of the “superfoam”, the CloudTec® to soften things up, the optimised rocker shape and super breathable upper is what makes this shoe a dream to run fast with. Actually, the upper feels so light that I almost felt like I was not wearing shoes.

The Cloudboom Echo 3 has clearly been designed with comfort in mind and for longer distance races. If carbon-plated shoes hurt you towards the end of a marathon, you might want to consider these. I personally find them much more comfortable (especially underfoot) than the Alphafly.

I have not tried the previous Cloudboom Echo so I cannot compare, but it does seem to have been improved by quite a way, with On taking the time to design and perfect the new Echo 3 before releasing it.

In my opinion, it was well worth the wait! They were not cheap, but I’m glad I made the investment.

Follow-up review after 100+km

In the past few weeks I have worn these shoes for a variety of speed workouts both on tarmac and on track, long run workouts and I even raced in them. Check out my updated review here:

My main thoughts after over 100km:

These are the comfiest carbon plated shoes I have tried so far. I’ve had to stop myself from wearing them all the time to save them for races!
The upper is super breathable and accommodating, especially in the heat. My feet were often swelling a little during the recent heatwave we had in the UK, and unlike my Metaspeed Sky, these shoes didn’t give me any discomfort.
The outsole still looks brand new, so I have a feeling that they will be quite durable, which is great considering the price!

Can you race a 5k in the Cloudboom Echo 3?

They might be designed for 10k to marathon races, but they shouldn’t be ruled out for 5k races!

I knew after doing my first track workout in them (sub 5k pace) that they were responsive enough at my top end speed, so I decided to wear them for a 5k race.

Feb 2024 edit:

I ended up running my current 5k PB in the Cloudboom Echo 3, (18:56) and I’ve used them for several race distances, from the 5k to the half marathon, setting PBs along the way.

If you’ve come across my Instagram or Youtube videos, you will have seen them on my feet for a bunch of races and I’ve never regretted choosing them over my Nike Alphafly or ASICS Metaspeed Sky.

To sum it up, I’m genuinely very enthusiastic about these shoes, and although they are expensive, I do not regret the investment and I actually bought a second pair on sale, that’s how much I love them.

Buy the Cloudboom Echo 3

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