Road Shoe Review

I had been a loyal Brooks shoe fan for seven-ish years, give or take. When they decided to retire my beloved Ravennas I figured it was time to see what else the running shoe world had to offer. Yes, I could have tried the Launch GTS, which was the recommended replacement for the Ravennas, but instead, I got out and explored.

And then explored some more.

And ended up with six new pairs of shoes to test out! Justin decided I needed to try more brands and went deal hunting. So now I have more running shoes than I need but I guess that means I need to run more!

Up first? The On CloudFlyer. After the devastating news about my Ravennas, I did some major research and even headed to a running store to try shoes on. I tried on several pairs and ultimately went with the CloudFlyer.

Now, the CloudFlyer has a newer version but I didn’t see any major differences in the shoe except color options. The CloudFlyer is made for road running, training, middle to long distance. On the website it recommends using the CloudFlyer for intervals, tempo runs, and recovery runs for distances up to marathons.

Now, the CloudFlyer drop is 9mm. Most running shoes have a 10mm drop (drop is the change of height from heel to toe). You wouldn’t think a 1mm drop is a lot but my first run in the CloudFlyers was 3.25 followed by a 10-miler. I definitely could feel the difference on the 10-miler! Take your time to adjust if needed.

The CloudFlyer are max cushion but you still can “feel” the ground, which is something I prefer. It is made for stability with a midfoot tube. The shoe is also very light, weighing in at 7.41 ounces (women). Men’s are 9.88 ounces. I love me a lightweight shoe! Anything under 10 ounces is perfect!

Per On, “The CloudFlyer is for the resilient. The strugglers. The overcomers. Those who stare adversity in the face and grin back.” which feels very much like me. Now, what do I actually think about these shoes?

I have a love/dislike relationship with them.

I absolutely love how lightweight the shoes are. They are super comfortable and I really do enjoy my runs in them. I use these shoes for runs under six-ish miles. After that, my toes start to bother me. The best way to explain it is my toes are tired of working. They are my go-to shoes for my coach’s 3 miles plus strides. They are perfect for a 3 mile run, light and feel great, and then throw in some speed! Woo!

The biggest drawback of these shoes might be the 3D-printed sole. It might be more of a where I live problem because I don’t imagine the soles would be a problem in my old Wisconsin neighborhood where all the yards are grass. But when all the yards and HOW landscaping is rock? I end up picking out rocks at least twice on every three mile run. Yes, I run on the sidewalks but somehow the rock landscaping ends up spread across the sidewalk, I try to avoid it but it is inevitable, that a rock will end up stuck in the soles.

My verdict? If you are looking for a lightweight shoe for shorter, speedy runs and live in a place with grass yards, the CloudFlyer might be for you! Do I still run in them? Yes! Will I buy another pair after these? Maybe. I haven’t ruled it out yet. I do prefer them to my Brooks but maybe there is something even better out there for me!

They still feel great at 200 miles. I will try to update when I get closer to their retirement.

Next? The Nike Pegasus Shield. I was browsing the Nike Outlet and from a distance saw these beautiful, all black running shoes and they were half off! I had to try them! I put them on and walked around. I needed them! We were headed to a hockey game so I couldn’t buy them that night. There was only one pair in my size on the shelf so I hoped they were still there the next day.

Luckily when we showed up the next morning, the light shone on the size 8 and I was able to snatch them up!

The Pegasus Shield is a neutral, max cushion shoe with a standard 10mm drop. Now, the Pegasus Shield are made to repel water so they aren’t meant to be an everyday runner. I live in a place without “weather” so I didn’t really need them but I wanted them. The Pegasus is made for the “everyday runner” per Nike. It is light (9 oz) with max cushioning. You can tell it’s cushioned but it’s not too much, like some shoes.

Nike states the water repellent shroud resists moisture and stays lightweight and breathable. I will agree with them on the lightweight. It doesn’t feel heavy but I am going to say it isn’t as breathable as most shoes. My feet definitely retain heat more in the Pegasus Shields than other shoes.

The Pegasus is supposed to be responsive and bouncy. It definitely feels bouncy. The sole on the Shield is very grippy and not as responsive as a regular running shoe. I bet the regular Pegasus is much more responsive. If I run in dry conditions, the Pegasus Shield will often squeak like a basketball shoe does. It definitely has grip!

The Pegasus Shield offers a very comfortable run with lots of bounce. Usually, I prefer a shoe where I can feel the ground but despite these being super max comfort I still enjoy a run in them. The bad part is the Shield. I don’t have weather and they make my feet very warm so summer, in Phoenix, is not the best time to run in them. Maybe in another climate, I would love them more.

Maybe I’ll do an update in winter when I won’t care that my feet get warm.

The CloudFlyer beats the Pegasus in weight, at about half the ounces. But unless you have one of each on you wouldn’t really notice. I think the Pegasus might beat out the CloudFlyer if I had the non-Shield version. The CloudFlyer is my go to for short, speedy runs. The Pegasus Shield is the oh, I think there’s weather out there shoe. Or maybe when it’s a little colder out, like winter.

Quick Compare:

CloudFlyer

Stability
Max Cushion
7.41 oz

Pegasus

Neutral
Max Cushion
9 oz