When it comes to max-stack daily trainers, they don’t come much bigger than the two daily trainers we’ve got for you in this video – the HOKA Skyward X and the On Cloudmonster Hyper.
With super shoe tech, massive midsoles and super foam inserts, these running shoes aim to deliver maximum comfort and efficiency-boosting to your daily miles – even at the easier end of your everyday pace. They also carry pretty big price tags. So do you need them in your rotation? And which one is best? Watch on for our On Cloudmonster Hyper vs HOKA Skyward X head-to-head review.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
0:00 – Intro
0:35 – Stack Height, drop, weight, price
1:27 – Shoe comparison
3:22 – Fit
7:22 – The Run Test
17:33 – Verdict
Hey people welcome to the Run testers Now when it comes to big stack daily Trainers they don't come much bigger Than the two shoes we've got for you in This video we've got the hoker Skyward X And the oncloud Monster hyper now these Two super trainers deploy Super Shoe Tech with massive midsoles super foam Inserts to deliver maximum comfort and Efficiency boosting to your daily miles Even at the easier end of your everyday Pace now they also carry bigger price Tags so do these shoes work and which One is best watch on for our oncloud Monster hyper versus hocus sky odex Head-to-head Review first up those usual quick Details then when it comes to stack Height neither shoe is messing around The oncloud Monster hyper Midol stack Comes in at 372 Ms in the hill 312 m in The 4 foot for a six mil drop the hoker Skyward X pack are whopping 48 Ms in the Heel and 43 Ms in the 4ot for a 5 mil Drop the oncloud Monster hyper WS in a Surprisingly light for its General bulk 9.1 o or 258 G that's in a UK men's 8 A2 The hokus skywood X lands at a weight Here 11 oz or 313 G that's up there with The heftiest running shoes you're going To find and these new generation super Trainers come with some eye watering Price tags there's only five bucks Between them in the US the difference is
Bigger in the UK with the oncloud Monster hyper landing at $220 or £210 And the hoker skyw X coming in at $225 or £185 Let's give you a quick shoe comparison Then well the first thing you notice About both of these shoes is how big They are minimal they are not in fact They pack the most cushioning you'll Find of any shoe in their respective Ranges the other common factors here They both use two types of foam with a Super foam inserts carried in a more Standard foam cradle the cloud Monster Hyper has a wedge of high energy peber In an EVA cloudtech foam cradle with 2 And 1/2 Ms more foam across the midsole And you'll get on the oncloud monster 2 Now perhaps the other surprising thing Is that the oncloud Monster hyper goes Any kind of plate there's not even an Ison speedboard that we're used to Seeing bring some stiffness to the Midsoles in On's other shoes the hokus Skyward X also packs a wedge of peber in A super critical Eva frame but it adds a Bod carbon plate It's a combination Designed to deliver cushion spring and Improve efficiency with that Eva frame There to enhance stability as well now Up top the cloud Monster hyper has Excellent engineered woven uppers that Strike a good balance between structure And flex the sky would has a flat knit
Upper that's marginally thicker with Some overlay reinforcements into the toe Box here both shoes go all out for Cruiser comfort with no scrimping on the Plush details that includes fat padded Heel collars with the Hocus skyex coming In narrower than the cloud monster Hypers more rounded cup the Skyward opts For big padded tongues while the cloud Monster hyper saves a bit of weight with A rcia flat wrapping tongue the hyper Also adds rubberized laces that lock Tight and don't come loose now when you Flip these shoes over there's a Relatively generous coverings here of Out sole rubber across both bases the Sky X has more coverage and a thick and More durable rubber the cloud Monster Hyper follows On's regular format with Uh reinforcements on all of the key kind Of cloud elements in the impact areas But this time there are also some little Studs to improve the grip those are Already kind of showing some signs of Early wear for me Though comes the fit of these two shoes Uh both have been very good for me in my Normal running shoe size i' got a uk9 For both shoes which if these Brands is A US 9.5 sometimes brands are us 10s if They're uk9s but us 9.5 uk9 it's about Spot on for me I've got good hold around The heel and midfoot with no irritation At all at the back of the shoe in terms
Of in my achilles which sometimes get Irritated by shoes I've got enough room In the toe box say they're both fairly Wide toe boxes but not so wide a problem For me with a narrow foot and I've got a Good amount of length there as well so Yeah all good for me in my normal Running shoe size so in terms of fit I've got both of these shoes in a UK Size 8 that is my typical running shoe Size that's typically the shoe size that Works best for me in most of Hawker Shoes and again the same for on shoes as Well too now what I would say is that I Feel like going through size should be Absolutely fine it was for me I would Say the nature of the fits are slightly Different I would say that you're Getting a lot more material in this Upper which means it sits a little bit More snug around your feet whereas it's A bit thinner here on the uh kind of on Cloud monster hypers if you look at Something a bit thinner a bit more Breathable then I think you're going to Get that here on cloud Monster hyper I Think also maybe is a touch more roomier In the toe box as well too but I don't Think it's a huge amount in it I haven't Found this uncomfortable or too short For me um but I do think in terms of you Know you are getting more volume I would Say on this shoe on the um Skyward X at The top of the shoe and kind of above
Your feet whereas I think you know up Front and kind of around you're getting A little bit more here on the cloud Monster hyper but I think yeah in terms Of fits I would go true to size I think Getting a bit more padding here on the Skyward X you know you're getting a lot More in that tongue you are getting that A lot more just generally in the whole Upper um the heel color is slightly Different as well it's a bit more Narrowed here around the ailles as well As you can see if you prefer something That's a bit more narrowed focused in Compared to the kind of more kind of Open one on the cloud monster hyp is a Key thing to keep an eye out on here but For me crucially I would say go true to Size so let's talk you through the fit In the hoker Skyward X there's loads of Room towards the end of the toe box Plenty of room there with the thumbs Width again nice kind of uppers that are Flexible you've got a bit of structure Here for protection as well so this Holds the toe box over the toe so you Don't get any rubbing across the top so Nice and roomy lots of space across the Top coming back into this area here the Toen knuckle area it's snug and it's Secure but it's not restricted this is One of the hoker shoes actually it Doesn't feel too tight across here for Me and that is mainly down to the fact
That the uppers have a bit of flex and a Bit of stretch up into the laces I get Good lace locked down across the midfoot Good hold if you come back to the Tongues you got big big padded tongues Take any problem of lace pinch off Medium or to well medium to Plush padded Heel collars here quite a high kick up At the back uh but it holds the heel Nice and well it's quite narrow so I Find good Security in there at my Regular size if you compare that to the Oncloud Monster hyper again up top You've got a really nice amount of room With a big thumbs width at the end lots Of clearance across the top of the toes And there's loads of flex in the uppers Which means there's plenty of wiggle Room there again back here they hold Kind of snugly and securely into that Big toe knuckle see a little bit of a Bulge here but it's not sort of Restrictive or uncomfortable there is Enough movement and room in the uppers Here to make that not a problem and then Back into the laces I get you know Decent lace lock down and hold across The midfoot up into the tongues you've Got flat wrapping tongues here but there Is a bit of extra padding to take the Lace pinch off so that means you can Tighten them down nice and securely back Up into the heel colors here you've got Like a medium I would say padded heel
Collar holds pretty well there's not Much structure into the heels so they're Nice and flexible there's not much of a Counter in there the one thing I will Say at times I've had a little bit more Sort of slipping in here and overall I I Find the hole to be reasonably secure It's not the most secure in the heel but It's not a problematic fit either and Overall with both of these shoes I would Recommend going true to Size so tells my running experience in These two shoes what I was looking for Them was to kind of really fit that Max Cushion super trainer Bill so shoes that I could go and run Long Easy in but also If I wanted to slightly pick the pace up In as well too maybe do more Up Tempo Running not necessarily probably speed Workor interval work then these would be Shoes that would allow me to do that now In terms of that experience I would say It definitely has been very different Now the first thing I think I notes Between these two shoes or clearly Differentiates these two shoes is the Weight so this is the heavier of the two Shoes and it has been in my UK size 8 Now what I would say is the sky X does Handle that weight very well the weight The added weight compared to the clam Monster hyper hasn't been an issue for Me now this is no to be the lighter shoe But I do think you do notice the heft of
It a little bit more it's not a clumpy Shoe to run in but you do get quite a Big stack there in it and I do feel like I've noticed the way a little bit more In the shoe despite this being the heavy Of the two shoes obviously this has got The bigger stack high this has got uh The peber foam got two Foams in here got A carbon fiber plate this has got um Paback based foam um now in terms of and What that creates terms of experience This is a Firma feeling shoe this feels Very protective I think that would be The main thing the main quality for me Definely feels very stable feel feels Very controlled if you want something Very protective then that's what I feel The cloud Monster hyper gets you now in Terms of that versatility for me it's Just not really there when I've tried to Pick the pace up in the shoe even kind Of moderate Paces it's just felt like an Effort to do it and it doesn't really Anything in this shoe kind of really Lends itself to running a little bit Quicker you know it's missing features Like the kind of speedboard that it's Really kind of a a racing or kind of Faster focused feature that on uses in It shoes that's not here in here it just Feels a little bit different for me when I've tried to run and my kind of Moderate even more Up Tempo Pace I've Managed to do that in this shoe it's
Felt comfortable to do it it's a shoe I Felt easy to kind of transfer back to Gruning a little bit easier in and it Allows you to kind of you know do that In a very smooth and you know per Purposeful way and I think you know in Terms of that versatility this feels Like it's giving me more On that front and as a result I have Actually wanted to run a lot more in This shoe because I think the ride just Works a little bit better the Combination of those Foams the kind of Slightly snappier responsive feel that You're getting despite this being the Heaviest shoe and having that bigger Stack of foam and terms of out soole Durability and grip in general I think The gripping has been pretty good for me You know the different designs in terms Of outsole it's a little bit more rub I Think in the areas of the outsole on the Cloud Monster hyper I mean I haven't Seen terrible signs of where On the sky X for me and I've done longer Runs in in this shoe I've logged a lot More miles in this shoe and you know I've been pretty happy in terms of the Performance in terms of that durability Gripping wise again very good I think You know very kind of agile shoes I Think maybe this is a touch more just Because you've got a little bit less Rubber in there but you know in terms of
Flexibility and how they've worked in Terms of out SS they've been both very Good so yeah I would say they are Mac Cushion super trainers built very Differently I think both can be used for Easy long recovery style runs uh that's Probably where they Excel best but I do Feel like for me the skex can handle Some slightly more Up Tempo running and It feels more enjoyable overall to Running the shoe compared to the cloud Monster hyper so in testing I've covered North of 40 miles in both the hoker Skyward X and the oncloud Monster hyper I've covered a range of Paces from slow And easy to faster efforts up to Marathon pace and Beyond I also recently Used the oncloud Monster hyper for my Sub 9h hour 55M comrades Marathon in South Africa now in my cloud Monster Hyper review I mentioned I wasn't Entirely sold on this shoe partly Because of the price partly because I Don't think it quite delivers the super Trainer performance that you'd expect For that price you get good cushion Protection with some livess underfoot And generally good stability for a Neutral shoe but it's not packing enough Punch I think to Warrant that kind of Super Shoe label and that big old price Tag now I wasn't convinced by the H Skyward X either I don't think I've ever Used a shoe that's confused me more
After 40 miles I still can't quite get a Handle on this shoe it's got this big Soft easy Cruiser Vibe with good overall Comfort it's nice and plush there's a Big base that makes the road Disappear Completely underf foot but for me in the Way I run I find it really lacks Reliable stability the kind of stability You usually expect with shoes that you Lace up for those kind of long slow easy Miles now I also did a sidebyside mile With one shoe on each foot and the Difference between these two shoes is Really quite marked even though they're Both Max cushion shoes with big midsole Volumes the designed for similar Purposes that's daily training basically With an easier Edge they're actually Chalk and cheese when you put them on The ride is completely different underf Foot now when you put the oncloud Monster hyper up against other shoes Like the oncloud eclipse the original Oncloud Monster it feels big softer more Heavily cushioned up against the hoker Skywood X all of a sudden this shoe Feels like the firmer more traditional Shoe the hus Skyward X is a Max cushion Beast that makes the oncloud Monster Hyper I think almost feel normal even Though it very much is not the Hocus Skyw X stack and softness makes for a Slightly wild ride for me the oncloud Monster hyper I find to be more precise
More controlled more stable there's not As much cushioning in this shoe but There's far less wobble so if you like a Ride that's more controlled I think You're probably going to like the Oncloud Monster hyper better overall Than the Skyward X in my tests the hoker Skyex was all a bit Jackal and HDE at Times I was convinced it was the least Stable shoe i' ever running wobbly soft Squidgy really quite odd a few miles Later I'd hit the sweet spot with the Shoe unlocking enough spring and energy To make me wonder if this was a shoe That was built for faster miles it's a Really mixed bag and it just is a little Bit unreliable on that front for me but More often than not I couldn't quite Control the hoker Skyward X there's too Much softness in the giant midsole bed That for me is uncontrolled I just don't Get the stability and at times I think It's sort of very sinking as well unless You land on The Sweet Spot you don't get Much energy back one caveat I know Plenty of Runners out there who who have Reviewers as well who including Mike and The Run say who love the hoker Skyward X So whether it's my weight or running Style some other Runners get on with it Really well and if you really want that Super super cushion matx to the extreme Cushion shoe there's no doubt this is Going to deliver that and you might get
On with the ride better than I do but if You want something that's a bit more Controlled a bit more stable but still Offers good cushioning and eats up the Road impact you know almost equally as Well then I think the oncloud Monster Hyper offered that in a way that is much More natural over over all so these two Shoes actually landed at a pretty Similar time for me I was quite deep Into marathon training doing lots of of Every day was pretty much a longish run And I was doing lots of long sessions That kind of thing both of them I used Mainly for kind of recovery runs easy Runs long runs rather than anything too Fast but I did do some faster stuff in Both shoes to see how they could handle That obviously they both came in with Very big price tags and they both look Quite intriguing on paper I thought I Was probably more excited by the on Cloud Monster hyper on paper because This peber foam we've seen in the cloud Boom Echo 3 is a really good foam I Thought that it's a lighter shoe than The hoker I thought this might be a nice Versatile daily trainer with a bit more Bounce than some of their other shoes But that wasn't really the case for me In the run test I found a bit of a Disappointment there's just loads of Cloud Tech stuff on the foam here you Know this is the bottom layer of the
Foam here especially at the back of the Shoe I'm a heel Striker got very dead Feeling from that foam a firm feeling And a little bit of spring from the PE But not very much it just feels like a Very regular shoe a very typical on shoe But with you know a very big price tag And it's not particularly lightweight Shoe it didn't feel very versatile to me I didn't really enjoy going fast in it Say during long runs it felt better the Kind of the longer the Run went on but Up to a point it wasn't like it was Becoming fantastic by the end of a run But it did start to feel a bit smoother And a bit less kind of clunky on longer Runs at any kind of pace but by the end Of the run it still wasn't a shoe that Was really wowing me or anything like That just feels like to develop the shoe On is going to have to lose the cloud T Because it's heavy foam it's hard foam Doesn't really deliver a very exciting Ride and I think it makes a shoe feel Very bottom heavy and really mutes the Impact of the peber foam you have here So yeah it was quite a disappointing run Test I had with the cloudm hyper just Felt like a shoe that you could eat up a Lot of miles in it protects legs Reasonably well but the ride wasn't Great and I think there were certainly More accommodating shoes for its purpose One of which is definitely the Hocus Sky
X which was actually a very pleasant Surprise for me because I saw the shoe It's very big it's very expensive it's Pretty heavy you know it's just it's Kind of shoe I don't really tend to use Like it's a really big Max cushion shoe But without on paper much versatility I Thought the ride would be okay but maybe Not to my taste but actually it really Did win me over I did a long run in the Shoe Straight Out of the Box did a 15 Mile on an undulating course and it runs A lot lighter than it is it's got a nice Rocker it's also very springy like it is You know some kind of super trainer it Is something different to the norm Whereas the cloud Monster hyper feels Like a normal shoe doesn't really feel Like that exciting but you're paying a Big price for it the Hocus SC X at least Brings something different to the table For its high price it's it's really Stable despite the high stack here it's Got loads of bounce it rolls through Well and it does feel very good for Ticking off long runs recovery runs even Runs at a pretty decent pace it didn't An easy to steady progression run in the Shoe and by the end you know I was Moving along fairly quickish kind of 340 A pace like it's not the shoe I'd pick For that but it is more versatile than The cloud monster hyp I'd say it's more Comfortable when easy runs and it's just
A more exciting shoe all around like it Has a fun ride but also a stable and Protective one it's not you're pulling This on and then it's like oh I can't Really go and do my normal recovery run And this is a bit too wobbly and large It's very stable for such a big shoe and Comfortable and like I say yeah it's a Shoe that you look forward to pulling on It just wasn't the case at all with the Cloudm hyper so yeah like I say by the End of some of the longer runs it felt a Bit better than cloudm hyper but even at The end of those it didn't feel as good As the sky de which has a lot more Bounce a lot more fun and just is more Protective as well so kind of whatever Purpose you're really looking for on the Run I found that I enjoyed the skyex More for that purpose all around so Putting the shoes on at the same time it Certainly feels a lot firmer with the Cloud Master hyper doesn't really feel Like it's got as smooth a transition it Doesn't really feel you get much lift Off from that peber chunk under the Forefoot either there so even when You're starting to push hard really Putting some Force into the forefoot of The shoe you still don't really get a Huge amount back from the shoe I don't Think whereas the skyex very easy to get A load back from it it's got the plate In there but it doesn't make it feel
Stiff or hard or anything like that so Yeah certainly more enjoyable run test Of me in the sky Decks verdict for me would certainly be A case that I probably wouldn't buy Either of these shoes because they're Really expensive I think they're still Fairly limited both of them I think They're shoes that you just use for Churning out mileage recovery runs I Think you can get far more versatile Exciting shoes for less money like even If you're looking at something like a Super trainer like the super blast or a Plated shoe like the Endorphin speed or Anything like that you get shoes that do A lot more for slightly less money or Equivalent money but picking between Them for me the sky X is clearly the Better shoe it's much more fun to go and Run your daily miles in the shoe it's Got a bounc your ride more protective Ride a smoother ride like it really Makes use of the fancy Foams and the Tech within its uh kind of midsole it Really you can feel them and you can Enjoy them on the Run Cloud Master hyper Don't get any of that it's all really Muted by the cloudtech pods for me it's Got firm ride pretty clunky ride an okay Shoe for churning out miles but not one That I'd ever really pick up scal X like I would like I say I wouldn't put it in My rotation but if I had it there it is
A shoe I'd turn to for a LAX long runs Because it is something a little bit Different and that's what you want for This much money it's something that does Make those kind of easy runs a bit more Exciting and fun and while i' perfectly Happy to do them in a you know a normal Cushion shoe for £100 if you do spend The money on the hoker you will enjoy Using it with the clam as the hypers Okay but it's really expensive and Doesn't really deliver anything extra For that money in my opinion okay so my Verdict on whether you should go for the Hawas sky X or the on cloud Monster Hyper I think it's a pretty Straightforward one for me here this Shoe has been the more memorable one the Skyward X I think in terms of what You're getting here in terms of the ride In terms of performance in terms of Types of runs it can lend itself to I Think it's just got more in its Locker I Think ultimate the cloud Monster hyper I Think it is best suited for people who Want that kind of firmer feel want that Protection want that kind of you know Knowing you can go you're getting that Kind of a lot of cushioning you know Between you and the floor then that's What this shoe is going to give you and Maybe get you a little bit more in terms Of outo durability but I don't think It's a huge amount in it but for me you
Know the shoe that I would spend more Time in and have spent more time in has Been this and I think if you want a more Memorable feeling shoe to run easy runs But also run a little bit quicker this Is the shoe that's going to give it to You it's a shoe that I you know is one Of my favorites that I've launched this Year and if I was looking for a Max Cushion kind of super trainer style shoe Outside of something like the super Blast which is I think for me a very Different Beast then this would be the Shoe that I'd be getting and i' be Getting it over the cloud monster Hyer Verdict then both shoes push the limits Of Max cushion daily trainers both shoes Deliver big plush cushion soft rid that Virtually make the road disappear underf Foot but if you're a runner who likes Snappy connected responsive shoes with Good ground contact then these two shoes Are probably not really for you you want To look at options like the HX 6 or the Soc endorphin speed 4 as good Alternatives now but for these two There's not much to choose when it comes To comfort the oncloud Monster hyper or Tad rumia the hoker Skyward X are a Little more snug with just $5 between Them in the US the decision here if You're in the states anyway really comes Down to whether you want really really Really soft or just really soft if you
Want really soft then on versatility the Oncloud Monster hyper edges it for me It's lighter and less shoe on the foot It handles the slow and easy miles with Better control protection and enough Balanced energy to help tired legs as Well when you land further forward and Engage that c of peber insert there's Also energy that I struggle to extract From the hokus Skyward X on which shoe Might work best for you if it did we'd Love it if you'd hit like maybe Subscribe maybe even share this video With your fellow Runners you might be Looking for some big old maxed cushion Shoes if you're interested in deeper Reviews of these shoes I'm going to pop Those two up on the channel now Otherwise thanks for stopping by we hope To see you again soon and in the Meantime happy running people
