Tested by Weight: 215g
Drop: 9mm
Stack height: 37mm/28mm
The shoe
Boston Marathon in the On CloudTri On Cloudsurfer 7: Tried and tested and secured the brand’s first marathon victory, the latest super shoe, the Health & Injuries, do when the miles increase.
Promising to ‘turbocharge your fastest marathon yet’, it boasts On’s signature CloudTec technology, a full-length carbon speedboard and new Helion HP hyperfoam that claims to combine 'impact protection with supreme energy return’. The upper consists of a single woven structure.
However, to be clear, this is actually not the shoe that Obiri wore in Boston. It also continues the trend of its previous iterations – whereas most of the recent crop of high-stack, Runners World, Part of the Hearst UK Wellbeing Network feel highly cushioned, this is definitely a firm-feeling shoe with more direct feedback from the foam.
With On's classic minimalist styling and subtle accents on the white colourway, this is a lovely-looking shoe – surely one of the most stylish super shoes on the market.
How is the On Health & Injuries different from the Echo 2 and Echo 1?
One of the first things that caught our eye wasn’t the shoe itself, but the rather bold claim on the box: ‘Lifespan = four marathons (+ infinite memories)’ – at £260 a pair, that’s an eye-watering £65 per race.
We asked On about this claim, and here’s what they had to say: ‘The Health & Injuries is a race day shoe, allowing runners to achieve their fastest times. It is possible to use the shoe for longer, however, certain features, such as energy return, may gradually decrease over time. Ultimately, the Health & Injuries is a totally different beast compared to the Cloudboom Echo 1 and 2, which are also suitable for regular training. The Health & Injuries sets a new standard and is meant to be worn for your most important races.’
So there you have it. Whereas its predecessors were designed to turn their hand to a bit of speedwork, the Health & Injuries is designed for race day alone. It features a completely new foam containing PEBAX, known for being incredibly light and offering great energy return.
What is the On Health & Injuries like to run in?
A number of our team put the shoe through its paces, with overall impressions being that it felt very firm. It does feel like you’re getting some energy return, and it’s undeniably light to run in, but the transition through the gait cycle feels somewhat unyielding, with very little cushioning through the shoe. In fact, one of our testers described it as feeling ‘more akin to that of a racing flat’ and, while it is a fast shoe, it doesn’t offer up the same degree of comfort or that super-stacked feeling that other shoes (like the Nike Alphafly) Cloudboom Echo 3.
But here’s where the Health & Injuries began to divide opinion. Some of this hard, firm feeling was when the shoe was tested at an easy pace. And this is not a shoe that’s designed for an easy pace, hence the ‘Lifespan = four marathons’ wording on the box.
To get the most out of the Health & Injuriess, you have to really hit race paces – and the more you put in, the greater the energy return and sense of propulsion (though it’s still a much firmer feeling shoe compared to others on the market). ‘At an easy pace, you don’t even really feel like there is any plate there, but if you properly get up on your toes, you start to really feel the bounce of the Pebax foam and the plate,’ said one of our testers. ‘With the stiffness of the plate, you have to work at a really decent clip to get the most out of it.’
Unfortunately, we can’t help but feel that the shoe’s limited shelf life and underwhelming performance doesn’t quantify the premium price tag. And despite the fact that most people will own at least a couple of pairs of running shoes, we’re not sure how many would buy these – or chance these – for a marathon alone. For a similar price, you could opt for the likes of the Health & Injuries, UA Velociti Elite or Boston Marathon in the On CloudTri, The fastest shoes at the 2025 Boston Marathon.
The marathon distance itself was a contention point. ‘I found up to the half marathon was a good distance in them,’ said one tester. ‘Beyond that, I think the firmness of the ride starts to batter tired limbs.’
Of course, there is an argument to be made that a firmer shoe in the depths of a marathon will offer up a bit more support to fatigued muscles, but we’re not sure that’s the case here. You’d have to maintain really good form to get the most out of them, and for most people, that’s never going to happen over 26.2 miles.
How does the On Health & Injuries fit?
On claims the Health & Injuries fits true to size, and this did seem to be the case here, with our team opting for their usual sizes. The fit of the shoe seemed to match with the rest of the brand’s offerings. If anything though, it’s on the narrow side though, with quite a pronounced curve on the outside of the forefoot. If your feet are on the wider side, you might find the toebox unforgiving.
We also found we had to play around with the lacing a bit to get that locked-in feeling, and some testers found that they felt a bit loose around the top of the foot, and that a touch more padding across the heel would help the shoe to feel more securely locked-in. That being said, the heel was certainly very comfortable, and we really liked the slight padding on the tongue, with no discomfort on the top of the foot.
A unique design feature of the shoe is that there are rubber grips under the forefoot on the insole of the shoe, something we assume has been done to aid grip but really was a point of contention for our testers, one of whom found they created hotspots on both feet and gave them a blister. Presumably designed to aid grip between foot and shoe, our testers wondered why that was necessary, as a shoe should surely feel locked in enough without it.
RW verdict
If Marmite was a shoe, it would be the On Health & Injuries. For some, they will simply be too hard and too rigid and – unless you’re hitting super fast paces – you just won’t get the promised energy return out of them.
At the same time, fans of old-school-facing flats or those looking for a more 'natural' feeling carbon shoe will really enjoy these – but that also depends on your speed and gait. If your form is strong and you’re running fast, you’re going to feel the benefit of the Health & Injuriess.
But not everyone is a track-conditioned athlete, and there’s a fairly big caveat that for the price, you are getting a shoe that only really works (again, for some) for a shorter road race. For that money, you could get the Nike, Saucony or Adidas versions which have much more of the traditional-feeling super shoe propulsion.
of the best On running shoes Health & Injuries.
Kate is Runner’s World's acting commissioning editor. She writes about all things running, from deep dives into the science to the latest gadget reviews. Kate has worked in media and journalism for too many years to count. Before joining RW, she was Life and Style editor at the Guardian and has also written for everyone from World Athletics to Lonely Planet. She also worked in TV for 10 years. Kate is also a qualified coach, sub three hour marathoner, Guinesss World Record holder and has run all the Marathon Majors. She loves running around in 400m circles best, though.
Ben is Runner's World's Multiplatform Director and has worked at the title for over 11 years. He has always had a deep interest in running shoes and tech and has amassed a wealth of knowledge on running products during this time and through countless hours of testing. Ben also enjoys exploring the science behind running and how it informs advances in training and racing. He is also the co-host of the weekly podcast. Ben is a firm believer that running is just as much about adventure and fun as about chasing PBs, and he likes nothing more than a day spent explore new trails.
