On Cloud 5 vs Cloud 6: What Changed, and Which Fits Your Foot?
On says it made the Cloud 6 more stable and better cushioned. In the lab its base measured 10 mm wider at the heel, but the foam was as firm as before and the heel absorbed about 7% less impact, in a shoe 49 g heavier.
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That makes the 6 the better Cloud for a foot that felt unsteady or cramped in the 5, and the 5 the lighter one to keep if it already works for you. Neither is a shoe for heel pain, and neither holds an unstable ankle or a stiff big toe the way a firmer shoe would.
This is a spec comparison. We have not measured, worn or scored either shoe. The brand figures below are Fleet Feet’s retailer listings, since On’s own pages would not show them to us; the lab figures are RunRepeat’s, from one pair of each. We keep the two apart because they are not the same tier of evidence.
What changed, on paper
Fleet Feet’s summary of the Cloud 6 is short: reworked CloudTec cushioning pods for more stability and cushioning, an upper rebuilt with tougher materials, a roomier fit and a new heel, and an updated insole. The listed drop stays at 8 mm, the listed men’s weight rises from 8.8 to 9.4 oz and the price from $140 to $160. RunRepeat’s testers found the 6 close enough to the 5 that they questioned the price rise.
| Specification | Cloud 5 | Cloud 6 |
|---|---|---|
| List price | $140 | $160 |
| Listed heel-to-toe drop | 8 mm | 8 mm |
| Listed stack, heel / forefoot | Not listed | 28 / 20 mm |
| Listed weight, men’s | 8.8 oz (249 g) | 9.4 oz (266 g) |
| Listed weight, women’s | 7.2 oz (204 g) | 7.6 oz (215 g) |
| Widths listed | Not listed | Regular (D), Wide (2E) |
Sources: Fleet Feet’s men’s product pages for the Cloud 5 and Cloud 6, read 28 September 2026. On’s own pages load their specifications by script and did not show them to our checks, so we quote the retailer’s listings. Weights are given without a size. Fleet Feet lists no stack or width for the Cloud 5; RunRepeat notes that it did not come in wide sizes.
What the lab measured
RunRepeat cut, weighed and measured one pair of each. The Cloud 6 stands on a much wider base, 10.3 mm wider at the heel and 12.4 mm at the forefoot, consistent with On’s stability claim, though RunRepeat’s testers still found little heel or ankle stabilization from its soft heel counter. The cushioning claim fares worse: the foam measured as firm as before and the heel absorbed about 7% less impact. The 6 also bends less easily and weighed 49 g more.
| Measurement | Cloud 5 | Cloud 6 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heel stack | 27.6 mm | 28.3 mm | 0.7 mm higher |
| Forefoot stack | 20.7 mm | 19.5 mm | 1.2 mm lower |
| Base width at the heel | 80.0 mm | 90.3 mm | 10.3 mm wider |
| Base width at the forefoot | 101.4 mm | 113.8 mm | 12.4 mm wider |
| Measured drop | 6.9 mm | 8.8 mm | 1.9 mm steeper |
| Weight | 225 g | 274 g | 49 g heavier |
| Midsole hardness (Asker C, higher is firmer) | 48.6 AC | 48.8 AC | The same, both firm |
| Energy return at the heel | 58.0% | 54.1% | Less bounce |
| Heel shock absorption | 114 SA | 106 SA | About 7% less |
| Force to bend the forefoot | 7.4 N | 12.8 N | About 73% stiffer |
| Heel counter stiffness (1 to 5) | 2 | 2 | The same, both flexible |
| Insole thickness | 4.4 mm | 3.4 mm | 1.0 mm thinner |
| Force to twist (torsional rigidity) | 2 of 5, older test | 16.1 Nm | Not comparable |
Source: RunRepeat lab, one pair of each, read 28 September 2026 (its Cloud 5 review dates from 2022, updated February 2026; its Cloud 6 review from September 2025), with the same heel, forefoot, cushioning, bending and base-width tests on both shoes. Hardness is on the Asker C scale and shock absorption in RunRepeat’s SA units. The lab measured the Cloud 5’s toe box with an older method that cannot be set beside the Cloud 6’s, so the table leaves toe-box width out. It now measures torsional rigidity in newton-metres and tested the Cloud 5 on a 1-to-5 scale, so those two cannot be compared either (the median of the 24 shoes we review with the newer test is 14.5 Nm). Base width is measured across the midsole at the heel and the forefoot (medians across the 35 shoes we review: 95.8 and 117.6 mm). Medians of the lab-measured shoes we review (34 for the toe-box figures, 35 for the rest): 72.8 mm at the big toe, 95.2 mm at the widest point, 27.0 mm of toe-box height, 38.7 mm of heel stack, 8.5 mm of drop, 137 SA and 15.3 N.
What a foot and ankle surgeon takes from this
Steadier on a wider base, but still no stability shoe. The Cloud 5 stood on a base 80.0 mm wide at the heel and 101.4 mm at the forefoot, narrower at both than any of the 35 shoes we review. The Cloud 6 measured 90.3 and 113.8 mm, still narrower than most of them (RunRepeat, comparing it with walking shoes, calls its base average), and its heel counter scored 2 of 5 and folds easily, so there is little to hold a heel or an ankle that rolls. It is steadier than the 5, not a shoe for an ankle that keeps giving way. Its forefoot took 73% more force to bend, 12.8 N against the 5’s 7.4, which was lower than any of the 35, and on the lab’s newer twisting test it needed 16.1 Nm, above the 14.5 Nm median; the 5, tested on the older scale, scored 2 of 5. Even so, at 12.8 N it bends more easily than most shoes we review, so a painful stiff big toe joint wants a stiff-soled rocker shoe rather than either.
Not a heel-pain shoe, before or after. Both stand on about 28 mm of heel, lower than all but two of the 35 shoes we review, both of them zero-drop Altras. Both foams measured about 48.7 on the Asker C scale, and the 6’s was firmer than all but one of the 33 shoes we review with that test, though RunRepeat notes that the CloudTec pods compress under load and ride a little softer than that reading suggests. The 6 absorbed about 7% less impact at the heel, 106 SA against 114, less than all but one of the 35. For plantar fasciitis, a bruised heel pad or long days on concrete, neither is the shoe to start with; our walking shoes for plantar fasciitis guide lists better-cushioned options. Both are listed at an 8 mm drop and measured 6.9 and 8.8 mm, a gap too small to matter much for an Achilles. Both heel counters are soft, which spares a Haglund’s bump but gives little rearfoot control.
Roomier at the ball of the foot, thinner underfoot. The lab measured the Cloud 6’s toe box at 96.4 mm at the widest point, wider than all but six of the 34 shoes we review that the lab has measured there, and 28.2 mm tall, which helps a bunion, a tailor’s bunion or hammertoes; at the big toe, 72.1 mm, it is just under the median. The Cloud 5 was measured with an older method, so the two figures cannot be set side by side, but RunRepeat found the 5’s toe box the narrowest of any walking shoe it had tested and the 6 accommodating for a medium-width foot. For a genuinely broad forefoot the 6 also comes in a Wide (2E); the 5 did not. Under the ball of the foot both are thinner than any of the 35 shoes we review, 20.7 and 19.5 mm, so there is little foam there for metatarsalgia or a neuroma. See how 96.4 mm compares on our toe box width chart.
Should you switch?
Buy the Cloud 6 if…
- You felt unsteady in the Cloud 5: the 6’s base is 10.3 mm wider at the heel and 12.4 mm wider at the forefoot, though its heel counter is just as soft.
- The 5 pinched across the ball of the foot: RunRepeat found the 6 accommodating for a medium-width foot, and it comes in a Wide.
- You want a little less bend at the forefoot: the 6 took 73% more force to flex, though it is still more flexible than most shoes we review.
Look for a leftover Cloud 5 if…
- You want the lighter of the two: 225 g against 274 g in the lab, and Fleet Feet lists 8.8 oz against 9.4 oz.
- It already works for you. A shoe that has settled a problem is worth more than a new model year.
- You liked its slipper-like bend: 7.4 N, more flexible than any of the 35 shoes we review.
Orthotics and inserts
Both insoles lift out, 4.4 mm in the 5 and 3.4 mm in the 6, the latter thinner than any of the 35 shoes we review, so taking either out frees little depth, and with about 20 mm of forefoot foam there is little room to spare. Both heel counters scored 2 of 5, so neither holds a device’s heel cup firmly. Neither is a strong orthotic shoe; if you wear a custom orthotic every day, a deeper shoe with a firm heel counter is the better platform. Our Orthotic Volume Rating explains how to check the fit.
Questions people ask
Is the On Cloud 6 better than the Cloud 5?
Steadier and roomier, not softer. The lab found the 6 on a base 10.3 mm wider at the heel, and RunRepeat found its toe box accommodating where the 5’s was the narrowest it had tested. But the 6 weighed 49 g more, absorbed about 7% less impact at the heel and kept the same firm foam and soft heel counter. If the 5 felt tippy or tight, the 6 is the upgrade; if you liked its featherweight bend, it is not.
What is the difference between the On Cloud 5 and Cloud 6?
Fleet Feet’s summary names reworked CloudTec pods for stability and cushioning, a tougher upper with a roomier fit, a new heel and an updated insole. In the lab the 6’s base measured 10.3 mm wider at the heel and 12.4 mm wider at the forefoot, its forefoot took 73% more force to bend, and it weighed 49 g more. Both are listed at an 8 mm drop; the lab measured 6.9 and 8.8 mm.
Is the On Cloud 6 wider than the Cloud 5?
Yes. Its base is 90.3 mm at the heel against 80.0, and 113.8 mm at the forefoot against 101.4. RunRepeat measured the 6’s toe box at 96.4 mm at the widest point and found it accommodating for a medium-width foot; the 5’s, measured with an older method, was the narrowest of any walking shoe it had tested. The 6 also comes in a Wide (2E).
Are On Cloud shoes good for plantar fasciitis?
Not these two, on the lab’s numbers. Both sit on one of the lowest heels we have figures for, on some of the firmest foam, and the Cloud 6 absorbed less heel impact than all but one of the 35 shoes we review. A taller, better-cushioned shoe is the better start for heel pain.
Is the Cloud 6 heavier than the Cloud 5?
Yes. The lab weighed 274 g against 225 g, and Fleet Feet lists 9.4 oz against 8.8 oz for men, a gap of about 17 g. RunRepeat points to the Cloud 6 Coast and Cloud 6 Versa as lighter versions of the 6.
Is the On Cloud 5 discontinued?
RunRepeat lists it as discontinued and replaced by the Cloud 6, which it reviewed in 2025. Fleet Feet was still selling the 5 in September 2026, from $105.
Read the full analysis
For the Cloud against On’s cushioned runner, see Cloud 6 vs Cloudrunner; for the brand against a traditional trainer, Brooks vs On Cloud. Our spec analyses of the Cloudmonster 3 and Cloudrunner 2 cover On’s better-cushioned shoes, and On Cloud shoes for men the rest of the range.
Sources
- Fleet Feet, men’s On Cloud 6 page (9.4 oz men’s, 7.6 oz women’s, 8 mm drop, 28/20 mm stack, Regular and Wide, $120 to $160, its summary of the changes) and men’s On Cloud 5 page (8.8 oz men’s, 7.2 oz women’s, 8 mm drop, $105 to $140), read 28 September 2026.
- RunRepeat, On Cloud 5 (May 2022, updated February 2026) and On Cloud 6 (September 2025) lab reviews, read 28 September 2026.
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