I spent a month testing On's latest Cloudrock hiking boots — here's my verdict

When I took the On Cloudrock Mid hiking boots for review, I was in desperate need. My previous walking boots, a set of Timberland GreenStrides, were totally worn out — so much so that the sole had gone completely flat. Luckily for me, the Cloudrocks fit the replacement bill perfectly.

Like the GreenStrides, the Cloudrocks, while ostensibly a hiking boot, are more of a hybrid sneaker/boot. And that’s exactly what I want. See, my Timmies were my daily drivers: I wore them for everything.

I live in a city, so most of my usage is walking the dogs around our local park. But they still need to keep up when I go on walks with friends and family in the countryside, and scale the odd moderately challenging hill.

After around a month of testing, the On Cloudrocks have filled the Timmy-shaped hole perfectly. These are fantastic boots for daily use and light to moderate hiking.

What they are not, however, are serious hiking boots. Make no mistake, these are mid sneakers with a waterproof membrane and a chunky outer sole. If you’re after a pair of the best walking boots to scale mountains and last years, spend your $220 elsewhere.

Read on for my full On Cloudrock Mid WP review.

On Cloudrock Mid WP review: Specs

On Cloudrock Mid WP review: Price & availability

The On Cloudrock Mids cost $220 / £210 from On. That’s a lot of cash for a pair of lightweight hiking boots.

As I’ll cover later, these aren’t hardcore expedition boots, despite being priced as such. If you’re going on strenuous hikes, or your budget can’t stretch to the $200 mark, I would advise the fantastic Keen Targhee IVs ($169).

The Cloudrock Mids are available in men’s U.S. sizes 7 to 14, and U.K. sizes 6.5 to 13.5. They’re also available in women’s U.S. sizes 5 to 11, and U.K. sizes 3 to 9.

In men’s, they’re available in black, beige and greeny-brown colorways. And in women’s, you can get black, aloe green, or gray.

On Cloudrock Mid WP review: Design

The On Cloudrock Mids are a seriously fetching pair of boots. The upper is shaped like a sneaker, narrow and squared off at the front. The sole is nice and chunky, giving lots of height, with angular lugs and ridges, plus numerous cutouts — all this contributes to a sporty and futuristic feel, especially in the black colorway I tested.

Each boot’s upper is made from recycled polyester, for a whiff of sustainability. The TPU plastic toe cap and mudguard aren’t recycled, though. The latter runs around the boot above the sole to minimize the amount of water and dirt that reaches the porous polyester.

The outsole and midsole are both made from rubber, with On throwing around a plethora of its proprietary jargon about the construction. The rubber is “Missiongrip,” whatever that means; there’s a “Speedboard,” whatever that is; and “CloudTec” technology, whatever that might be.

Essentially, the boots have the cushioned sole (CloudTec) and carbon plate (Speedboard) from On’s running shoes, with grippy rubber on the bottom (Missiongrip).

Now, don’t get me wrong, these shoes are built very well. But they feel like well-built sneakers, not well-built hiking boots. Waterproof they may be, but that does not necessarily a hiking boot make.

From the extensive use of plastic through to the polyester upper material, the Cloudrocks just don’t feel like serious hiking boots. There’s no leather, faux or otherwise, no nubuck, no Gore-Tex. I have serious doubts as to how well these things will hold up to hardcore hiking expeditions.

On Cloudrock Mid WP review: Comfort

The On Cloudrock Mids are super comfortable to wear. There’s heaps of cushioning on the inside of the upper, which in tandem with the fairly narrow design keeps your feet feeling snug, but not uncomfortable.

I have pretty wide feet — bordering on flippers, apparently — so I was a little concerned that the shoes would feel too tight. Thankfully, I found my fears unfounded, although for the similarly fat of feet, I would nevertheless advise thin socks.

I often struggle with cramped toes when wearing boots, leading to blisters between my toes. The Cloudrocks aren’t exceptionally roomy at the front, but feel more spacious up there than their narrow body might initially suggest.

I’ve worn the boots non-stop for over a month now — often all day every day, to work, on long walks and hikes — and never once felt uncomfortable in them. They didn’t need breaking in either and were good to go from the off.

The Cloudrock Mids are also very lightweight and breathable, so you needn’t worry about hot feet. I wore the shoes on a hot spring day here in the U.K., on a long walk through woodland and fields. My socks remained sweat-free.

Thanks to the “CloudTec” rubber sole, there’s a fair amount of cushioning, making them very comfortable on firm terrain. I wouldn’t call these shoes springy, but that’s not really what you want from a hiking boot.

My gait often results in me rolling my ankles, so I need a good amount of support. The Mid design is perfect for this, providing lots of support. Thanks to an open top rung, you can lace the boots at the top of the neck, or sacrifice a rung and lace lower for less support around the ankle.

On Cloudrock Mid WP review: Performance

As I briefly mentioned above, I used the On Cloudrock Mids for just about everything during testing. As an everyday pair of boots, they’re fantastic. But of course, what really matters is how they hike.

I took these boots on two hikes. The first was across hills and fields in rural Worcestershire (try pronouncing that one, Americans), here in the U.K., in rainy conditions. The Cloudrocks provided decent levels of grip in the wet, even on relatively smooth, wet surfaces like rocks and tree roots.

Climbing wet, muddy slopes was a breeze, and I had no issues descending either. The Cloudrocks even helped me stay planted when one of my dogs — an all-muscle, ex-racing greyhound weighing 80lbs — decided to start pulling on her lead.

I also tested the Cloudrocks on a drier day, hiking through woodland at a large stately home in South Wales, U.K., and again, they presented no issues. I had plenty of grip across the dry, muddy ground and over rocks, tree roots and branches.

Thanks to the taller mid-height, I found the shoes very supportive over rough terrain, and I never once rolled my ankles.

Waterproofing

The On Cloudrock Mids are waterproof, let’s just get that down straight away. I had no issues with puddles or streams, and my socks never got wet. They also dried out fairly quickly and were bone dry by the end of my walks.

Again, though, I question the usefulness of these boots for serious hiking. While the upper features a waterproof membrane, there is a gap between the top of the tongue and the edges of the upper, about two and a half inches.

Any splashes at the right height are liable to get into this gap, getting your feet wet. As with any rain, deep water, or even wet strands of long grass. Indeed, walking through wet grass on my first hike led to wet socks. Not ideal.

On Cloudrock Mid WP review: Verdict

If you need a pair of all-rounder boots that are comfortable and stylish enough for everyday use, and rugged enough for light or moderate hikes, the On Cloudrock Mids should be high up on your shortlist. These boots offered me plenty of grip during testing, plenty of support and are supremely comfortable.

However, if you're on a budget or need shoes that can handle tougher hikes, there are better alternatives out there. The Keen Targhee IVs, for example, are much more rugged and cost less, while the Keen Zionic Mids are a great shout if you want a sneaker-style boot that can also handle serious expeditions.

All that said, I love the Cloudrock Mids. I'm not scaling the Rockies, like ever, so what I need is a blend of everyday comfort and style, with enough ruggedness for the odd hike when I want to venture off piste. For what I need, these boots are fantastic. They're my new daily drivers, no doubt about that.