Cloudstratus 3

Third shoe in rotation: double down on what works… or try something new? Alright all you cool cats and kittens, I’m at that familiar fork in the road and could use some collective wisdom. Current rotation: On Cloudmonster 2 – my workhorse. Long runs, general mileage, even raced my half in them. Just shy of 200 miles and still treating me well. Comfortable, stable, predictable in a good way. ASICS Novablast 5 – newer to the party (≈60 miles). Took a little dialing in on the left shoe so my toe would behave, but once that settled… dang. I feel noticeably faster in these. The bounce is real. Not a true tempo shoe, I know, but they want to move. Here’s the dilemma: I want a third shoe in the rotation. Originally, I was hunting for a tempo/speed-focused option, but fit became the limiting factor fast. I tried a lot of shoes - the Boston 13, Evo SL, NB Rebel (current + last), Cloudboom, etc. - and almost all of them had some kind of toe box issue that I couldn’t ignore. For context, I’m also working through some mild left-ankle stability stuff, so sketchy fits are a hard no. Ironically, the shoes that fit best are the ones I already own. So now I’m torn between: Option A: Buy another pair of something I already know works (Cloudmonster 2 or Novablast 5) and call it smart, boring consistency Option B: Try something different that complements the rotation better— - even if it’s not a traditional “tempo” shoe on paper I loved my old Cloudstratus 3s too (RIP), but they’re more daily trainer than speed. I’ve heard Topo mentioned a lot, especially for toe box comfort, but they’re harder to find in-store, which makes me hesitant. Curious how others approach this: Do you double down when a shoe clearly works for your foot? Or do you force a little experimentation to round out the rotation? If you’ve been in a similar spot (fit-sensitive, mild stability needs), what direction did you go? Not chasing marginal gains for the sake of it - just trying to be intentional before buying shoe #3. Appreciate any thoughts.

Training: OnCloud Stratus 3 (250 miles) Training: New Balance SC Trainer (250 miles) Race day: New Balance Elite v2 (185 miles) Race Day: OnCloud Boom Strike (50 miles)

You will run your best pace in a pair of shoes that already work for you. If your half marathon shoes stand up to the marathon training, don't change them. I ran a 1:44 half and 3:35 marathon in On Cloudstratus, a comfort shoe.  I have the On carbon plate shoe (can't remember the name) and they're not comfortable to run more than a 5k in, imo.

32M, 1m90 96 kg. Training for ultra (53k - 1700 altitude). Currently at 50-60km/week, looking for replacement for my daily runners. Mainly using Hoka Mach 6 now but my calves are being destroyed by them. Previous Novablast 5 (ok-ish) and On Cloudstratus 3 (very happy about these) What would you recommend?

I have narrow feet but my toes do spread during my run. I have used: Mizuno (Wave Rider, neo zen), Saucony (Rides, endorphin speeds), NB (rebal), On (cloud Stratus) I tried but didn't like: Brooks, Hoka, On (Cloud runner and monster) So ... Go try them. Better if you can find events and run in them for a 5km or so.