I have to admit to being a little sceptical about On moving in to making hiking shoes, but the Cloudtrax Waterproof boots have surprised me.
The brand’s new hiking collection could have just been the brand’s street shoes with a bit of clever marketing to make them ‘look’ like they can take on hiking, but that’s not the case.
Over three months of use, I am impressed by the Cloudtrax boots and these waterproof versions have seen me through some pretty wet and wild weather this spring.
On Cloudtrax waterproof review
Fresh and clean in the box – the word ‘waterproof’ is embossed on the side
These come in two colours, Black and the Glacier|Zest you see here. The light grey and bright fluro yellow does show up the mud/peat, but despite this the boot fabric does clean up well, save for the odd bit of dirt staining or scuff remaining.
You can see the water beading on the waterproof fabric
One thing to point out is the ‘holes’ in the Cloudtec can fill up with mud/peat/gravel, so it requires a bit of extra cleaning effort once you’re back home.
On’s existing Cloudtec sole works well for hiking – but dirt and mud gets inside the gaps
The first thing I noticed when I got these out of the box was just how high-quality the materials are; photos don’t do it justice. The tongue is particularly well padded and has a solid, protective feel to it. I am also impressed by the lacing system; there are solid metal eyelets that you hook the lace around. There’s also a strong clip that you slide down to tighten everything up.
Strong lacing system plus there’s even a strap for hooking a gaiter on to
The toughness continues with great protection around the toe box. These things combine to make these boots feel more than just a trainer that’s been rebadged to hike in. The amount of comfort and support blew me away, I really wasn’t expecting them to feel this good to wear.
On the bottom of the shoe you have a really deep lug design. There’s a central channel and then you have the Cloudtec pattern. You’ll notice the word ‘Missiongrip’ on the bottom and this is On’s special material that helps grip on to rocks.
On’s MISSIONGRIP does its job well
Verdict
There’s a bit of wear in the Missiongrip, but that’s expected after the amount of use these have had and isn’t cause for concern. I also find that my feet get a little warm, so I’ll be interested to see how these fair on summer hikes.
That central gulley is about 13mm deep
I’ve also found these really nice to wear everyday. I often slip them on to go in to town on a wet day or for a local woodland wander.
For the brand’s first foray in to hiking boots, the Cloudtrax are impressive. I’m excited to see how they improve on them in the next season.
High-quality hiking boots that are up to taking on UK hills
Available now from On priced at £180.
