The Freshfoam 1080 range has long been one of New Balance’s most popular shoes for cushioned daily training. However, despite the chunky level of midsole foam, the shoe has historically veered towards a firmer ride.
The 1080v13 has modified the shoe with a new, softer Fresh Foam midsole to improve the level of cushioning and comfort, as well as redesigned the upper with a new breathable mesh that offers more structure than earlier versions.
The seventh iteration of the On Cloudsurfer is almost a complete overhaul of its predecessors. The daily training shoe’s biggest change is the addition of the brand’s new CloudTec Phase midsole foam technology, a softer, bouncier design that aims to improve heel-to-toe transition and offer a significantly improved level of comfort.
Unlike most of On’s shoes, the Cloudsurfer no longer has a Speedboard running across the length of the shoe, meaning the ride is less rigid than earlier models.
Tom, Nick and Kieran have been testing the shoes out to see which one is worth spending your money on.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:16 – Stats
00:46 – Design
01:46 – How’s The Fit?
03:27 – The Run Test
12:47 – Verdict
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers and Welcome to another running shoe versus In this video we are going to be looking At the New Balance 1080 v13 and the on Cloud surface 7 let's dive In the New Balance Fresh Foam 1080 v13 Cost £160 or $164.99 weighs in at £262 G or 9.2 o for Men in a size 8 and the drop is 6 mm the On cloud surface 7 costs £50 or $159.99 weighs in at 236 G or £83 Oz for Men in a size 8 and the drop is 10 Mm the 108 v13 has modified the shoe With a new softer Fresh Foam midsole to Improve the level of cushioning and Comfort as well as redesigned the upper With a new breathable mesh that offers More structure than earlier versions The Shoe features plenty of padding around The ankle collar and tongue for a Healthy dose of stepping comfort and it Features an endurance rubber outsole for Grip and to improve Durability the seventh iteration of the Oncloud surfer is almost a complete Overhaul of its predecessors the daily Training sho's biggest change is the Addition of the Brand's new cloudtech Phase Midol phone technology a softer Bouncier design that aims to improve Heel-to-toe transition and offer a Significantly improved level of comfort Unlike most of on shoes the cloud Surfer No longer has a speed board running
Across the length of the shoe meaning The right is less rigid to earlier Models there's a soft mesh upper that Features plenty of padding around the Heel collar and tongue a modest covering Of outso rubber across the front and Rear of the shoe and an interesting Lacing system designed to offer a lock Down Fit so the fit for me in these two shoes I'm size eight these are both size Eights in the UK um I have found both of Them to be very comfortable there's Plenty of padding in them they feel like There's plenty of space in them as well They feel very very similar to Me Overall I don't think there's any major Differences in them the upper is quite Similar as well there's quite a lot of Reinforcement and padding on it um and There's plenty of wiggle room in the 4 Foot in both of these shoes for me so I Would stick to my size in my UK size Eight for both of these shoes so when it Comes to fit I'd recommend going true to Size in both of these shoes the main Difference I think is that the New Balance 1080 hugs the foot much more Closely around the toe box is a bit Narrower the tops the the uppers you can Feel across the top of the toes a bit More the oncloud surface 7 has much more Wiggle room it's much more air and Spacious can even feel a little bit
Loose by comparison so I quite like that Though I like to have room for my toes Toplay and feel like they've got room to Maneuver but the New Balance 1080 v13 Definitely hold your foot more snugly It's more compact it's a more kind of Dial in fit but I would recommend going True to sizing both so I have my normal UK size in both of these shoes which is A uk9 and with both of these shoes that Translates to a US 9.5 so it's at the Smaller end of the uk9 cuz lots of Brands convert to a us10 uh I'd say both Of them have fit me pretty well the surf I think is a little bit shorter and There is a potential to go half a size Up to get a little bit more room in the Toe box especially if you're looking at A long run shoe but overall I was pretty Happy with both shoes good comfortable Hold around the midfoot really nice Uppers on both of them actually really Well padded really welcoming when you Put your foot in them and they feel very Comfortable breathable everything like That so so over I'd say stick to your Normal size with the 1080 v13 but maybe Look at going half size up in the cloud Surfer or at least try it on to see if It is a bit too cramped in the toe box For You so I've just on my usual sidebyside Mile I've got the 1080 on the left foot I've got the cloud surface 7 on the
Right foot main difference here I think Is just in the kind of spring of that Fresh Foam X the bigger volume of fresh Foam X you've got under foot compared to The cloud Surfer 7 which has got that Helium foam which is a little bit more H It's a little bit more direct a little Bit firmer there's not as much bounce You can feel a bit more of the ground Coming up you don't get quite as much Spring off the foam itself I think the Footed and that kind of midsole on the New balance is just a bit more detecting There's a little bit more energy coming Back in terms of sort of Bounce but then If you flip over if you want a more Direct ride I think that gives you a Little bit more response when you're Rolling through kind of 4 foot and toe Off then I think you're getting that a Little bit more from the cloud surface 7 It's a bit kind of more compact as a Shoe if you need a bit more of a wide Base a wider platform to run off that's What the New Balance offer the cloud Surface 7 offer a slightly kind of Narrower more dialed in kind of platform So it's a bit more precise I find which I quite like I quite like the firmness And directness as well particularly if I Was going to go for faster miles I think That's the shoe I would choose maybe if I was going to go longer slower I think The New Balance 1080 would offer a lot
More protection for those longer slower Miles where you want something that's Maybe going to eat up a little bit more Of the road and put something more Between you and maybe give you a little Bit more bounce back but when I'm up on My four feet running with good form it's Not a huge amount to choose I think I Prefer the overall kind of feel of the Cloud Surfer on the foot they are a Little bit lighter they're a bit more Compact it's a bit less shoe going on Yeah yeah and you've got a little bit More aess a little bit more room like I Said in the section on fit and so I Think for me the cloud surface 7 wins it For when I want to go up the gears I Think the new balance is probably the Shoe that I would choose for when I want To go down the gears so a couple other Things I wanted to say I think because You've got that wider platform to run Off I think the New Balance offer Marginally more stability than the cloud Surface 7 also the cloud surface 7 don't Feel quite as rocked as the New Balance 1080 I think you feel a little bit more Roll through from The Rocker on the 1080 Whereas the cloud surface 7 feel a Little bit more flat to run in until you Get up on your front foot really I don't Think you get if you're Landing sort of Further back on the shoe you don't get As much kind of natural roll through
Into toe off and yeah but so we'll do The verdict back in the office cuz I'm Fighting the heath throw flight path Here Q so I've enjoyed using both of These shoes this year and both of them Are softer than we've come to expect Either from the 1080 line or from on in General the the cloud Surfer was a Really big hit with me and many people This year as an onoe that really changed The feel of on shoes with this very soft And staggered cloudtech phase midsole That creates a very smooth rocking ride To it that is really soft in a really Lightweight shoe that also looks quite Good which is a nice bonus like I loved Cruising around in this shoe at easy Paces but it is so light and has that Well-designed rocker you can pick up the Pace in it pretty comfortably making it A nice first style daily trainer just a Really good shoote all around um Concerns with it are probably restricted To things like um how durable this Cloudtech phase mile is going to be Haven't any problems yet but it doesn't Seem like it's necessarily going to be The most long-lasting design and is a Bit squeaky this shoe but I don't really Mind that but a lot of people do and Then the New Balance 1080 v13 is Certainly a lot softer than what we've Seen from the line in the past in the Past the 1080 was an okay shoe not one
That really stood out to me but it was a Solid versatile cushioned shoe with a Firm ride that worked well for a range Of runs it was quite heavy but it was a Good shoe that could tackle a lot of Different things I'd say the 1080 v13 is Now much more a cushioned easy day shoe With a really soft ride almost mushy at Times I'd say the ride is and it now Makes it a much better shoe I think for Recovery runs and easy runs it's really Comfortable certainly people just Looking for a comfort Focus shoe will Find it with a 1080 v13 I think it has Lost a little bit of Versatility though I didn't really enjoy picking up the Pace in the shoe the foam just feels a Bit mushy like really just designed to Cushion the impact of running rather Than give you a load of bounce back or Even Rock through or anything like that So while I enjoyed the 1080 uh for kind Of short easy runs General daily plots Didn't really like it so much for going Long or trying to do anything even Vaguely fast or steady p in just because I just found it a bit too soft for my Taste a lot of people disagree though Just love it for that softness but at The same time I think you get a really Soft ride with the cloud Surfer and then Just that little bit more back if you Are running long or trying to pick up The pace at all it just has a little bit
More of an edge to it CU it's slightly Lighter than you balance but also just Rocks through a little bit more Effectively rather than just getting a Very mushy feeling underfoot where you Almost get lost in the foam yeah overall I' say the characteristics of them both Make them best suited to those easy runs When you're enjoying the soft ride it's Been an interesting year for Cushing Shoes and um both of these are quite Surprising shoes from from the point of View of the fact that the previous Versions of these have been very very Different um I'll start with the New Balance 108v 13 so I've never been a big Fan of the New Balance um 1080 range I've always found it to be a fairly General running shoe is plenty of midell Foam in it but not a midell foam that Really did anything that impressive Wasn't particularly soft wasn't Particularly responsive it just did the Job it was quite durable um but whenever I would go running in the 1080 v11 or V12 I just found like I wasn't really Getting anything out of that shoey I Didn't enjoy it I didn't feel like I Could run fast in it didn't feel Particularly versatile it was just a Fine solid uh running shoe um but yeah I Never really enjoyed those shoes so when The 1080 v13 came out I was sort of Expecting the same thing and I wasn't
That excited about getting it but the 108v 13 is completely different than 1080 v11 and 12 this new mids soft foam Is so much softer than what you get in In those previous versions and it just Rides like a completely different type Of shoe it's so soft and comfortable and Really just Nestles your feet into the Run but it's also quite a nice Cruiser As well I've been using this I've Probably done about 100K in this now I'm Just using this all the time at the Moment and it I'm really enjoying every Run in it just feels really nice for Those easy runs which for me would be About 4 minute 50 km it just feels great At that pace um when you pick up the Pace it's too off for that it doesn't It's not particularly versatile shoe When you're going to do something like That but it still just feels great for Those those sort of daily runs where you Just want to go out and take off a lot Of miles and just have your legs as Fresh and comfortable as possible um and For that I absolutely love it um if You're a fan of the channel you might Know that I'm largely obsessed with the New Balance Mo V3 and more V4 this shoe Has come in and really I'm picking this Up instead of the more V4 at the moment Just because I'm I'm enjoying it and Just feels a little bit nimbler than the Mo V4 the mo V4 is a big shoe um and I
Think this is going to be a tricky one If you're looking to get a cushion shoe From new bands because previously I Would have said get the more before but Now I think this is probably the better Option um I would say that more4 Probably a little bit um better at Longer runs it's not as soft uh and it Has a bit more of a rocking action so You can do quite long runs in it it Works quite well but the New Balance 1080 v13 is fantastically comfortable Just a great shoe really loving it um The cloud Surfer 7 they massively Updated this shoe so they've added in a New midle cloudtec phase and that's Something we've been waiting for from on For a long time because On's been using The same helium foam in all of its shoes For a few years now and it's quite a Firm foam I've never really enjoyed that That foam it works okay in something Like the cloud monster because there's a Lot of it in there but when you take it Down to more of the daily shoes it just Becomes a little bit firm and means They're not not very enjoyable when you Like soft cushion shoes like me there's Not many on shoes that do soft Cushioning um whereas the new one the um CL 7 is really soft it's a completely Different shoe again than than than what A has produced in the past and as a Result I really really like it it's just
So smooth and nice to go out with for For a daily run it probably is a little Bit soft um so as a result it's not that Versatile uh but it is great for those Daily easy runs where you're just Ticking off the miles going out for Enjoyable 5 to 10K absolutely fantastic For that uh really really enjoyed it and Again I would use this for my easy easy Run so 4 minute uh 50 km um so both of These shoes I say they do the same thing They're really really similar they take Off the same boxes seems to be a lot of Shoes coming out like this now where It's really focused on those comfortable Easy miles um but veering more towards That cushioned world as opposed to a Slightly firmer balanced world and I Love it because I love Cushing shoes um So this this is a tough one because I Really like both of these shoes uh other Things I would say about them is the Upper is very comfortable in both had no Issues at all uh the out soole is better On the 1080 v13 it's just got a little Bit more to it um for protecting that Midsole bit grippier out soole on the Cloud Surfer 7 is a little bit lesser There's not as much coverage on it um And yeah it's just not not as much for Me as the 1080 v13 any other thing I Would say about them is that the cloud Ser7 squeaks quite a lot Uh I I didn't realize that this until
About two or three runs in it and I I I Thought it was like my keys or something Squeaking in my pocket this squeak so Much I didn't know what it was the first Couple of times I went running but yeah Um my girlfriend's got a pair as well And hers squeak a lot as well so if you Don't like squeaky running shoes this is Probably not for You okay so my verdict on these two Shoes is a really tricky one cuz I like Both of these shoes and I think they are Good options if you're like me and you Like a lot of cushioning um um for your Daily runs uh and you just enjoy Softness um but what I would say about Them is if it came down to it I'm going To go 108 v13 I just think there's a Little bit more to this shoe um I like The upper I think it's a little bit more Reinforced a little bit more comfortable And I like the softness in the mid fof Foam I think it's just got a little bit More density to it whereas the uh Cloudtech phase in Cloud Sur 7 feels a Little bit too soft for me it's probably Because of these Cloud units in it um And it really sort of feels like it's Squishing into the ground so I think for Me it just feels like you just retain a Bit more energy in the 108 v13 and There's a little bit more density in it Whereas the cloud surface 7 just feels Like it deadens the run a little bit
More for me not a lot but that's why I'm Going to go for the new balanc 1080 v13 I just think it's a more solid shoe and Um just feels like you're g a bit more Control over the run so verdict here I Think these are both really solid shoes I say personally I prefer the ride of The cloud Surfer I enjoy enjoy it more As a slightly lighter shoe a shoe that I Think feels better over long distances And then has a little bit more about it If you're using it for a variety of Daily training same time the new balance Is still a very good shoe and if you're Building a rotation and want an easy day Shoe in there it's very comfortable very Soft I think it'll probably be a little Bit more long lasting than the cloud Surfer it's got a bit more of an Effective outsole as well that will help With durability it's just I found it Slightly too soft for my taste however If you do really really love soft shoes And just want a very soft ride and the Most protection you can get on the run I Think the 1080 provides that even more So than the cloud Surfer even though That is a strength of the cloud Surfer As well you get even more cushioning Here with the 1080 so that might make it The standard option of the two for most People but I do prefer the oncloud surf All around and I like the look of it so It's a good walking around shoe as well
Great holiday uh running shoe because You can wear it all the time so I've Taken Refuge from the planes in the car For my verdict and I actually like both Of these shoes they're both good daily Trainers the oncloud surface 7 is one of My favorite shoes of the year it's a Really easy shoe to put on for a really Good range of workouts and I think it's One of On's best shoes for a long long Time if not up there with kind of ever The New Balance 1080 v13 shifted away From having a bit more ground connection It's much closer now to the bigger Bouncier shoes like the aex Joe Nimbus 25 with a deep stack a wide soft Platform and a bit more sink and spring To the ride it's also heavier a bit more Bulky than the surfer 7 but it's great For soaking up longer miles in comfort And that's how I'd split these shoes the Fir and more responsive Cloud surface 7 I think is better for faster efforts Though it can also soak up slow miles And Recovery runs as well done plenty of Those ran an ultra in it the New Balance 10 atv3 is softer springier and it makes Your foot feel all round a bit more Swaddled a bit more cocooned but the Bulon weight for me make it a bit better For slow and easy it's just not quite as Good when you're moving faster it's not Overly heavy and sluggish but it lacks Some of the faster Pace potential I
Think you'll get from more versatile Daily trainers and that includes the Oncloud surface 7 so if I'm going to Choose one of these shoes to add to my Rotation or as an only shoe that I could Buy well because it's a smidge cheaper It's better at those faster efforts and I think can cope slower the oncloud Surfer wins this for me I like shoes a Little more Compact and direct so that Is the one I'd go for that's it from us On this firsts if thanks a lot for Watching don't forget to like subscribe Click that little bell and check the Channel out for all the other videos We've got if you go to the caption below You can also find a link to our podcast Which comes out at the end of each month Um so take a listen to that and if you Like it give us a in or leave us a Comment thanks a lot for watching catch You next Time
