Women's Cloudsurfer 2

Both are On's pod-based cushioning, but Phase changes when the pods compress. On standard CloudTec the pods under your foot compress broadly together. On CloudTec Phase the geometry is computer-optimised so they collapse in sequence, heel through to toe, following your footstrike. You feel it as a continuous roll rather than a distinct landing and push-off. It also tends to feel steadier, which is why On rate this shoe Medium-High for stability despite calling it neutral.

Same family, different amount of shoe. The Cloudsurfer 2 has one layer of CloudTec Phase, weighs 225 g and has a 9 mm drop. The Cloudsurfer Max has two layers, weighs 262 g and drops to 6 mm, and On rate its cushioning High against the 2's Medium. Choose the 2 if you want light and lively for daily miles; choose the Max if you want protection for longer or slower runs. Both are neutral and both roll rather than land.

No, but it is a genuine trade and worth understanding. On rate the cushioning Medium - comfortable for daily mileage, well short of a max-cushion shoe. What you get back is a shoe that disappears on your foot, which for a lot of runners matters more over an hour than another few millimetres of foam. If you regularly run beyond about 90 minutes, or you finish runs with sore joints, size up the cushioning rather than the shoe and look at the Max or the Cloudstratus.

Take your usual running size. The mesh upper is engineered for breathability and has a little natural give, and the tongue construction was updated on this version for a more comfortable fit. The embroidered eyelets and overlays sit flat rather than being stitched on, so there is less bulk across the instep than on many uppers. It is stocked here in one fitting.

The outsole and the upper, mostly. On updated the tread pattern and made the outsole more durable, which was the main complaint about the original - a light shoe that wore through quickly. The tongue construction was reworked for comfort, and the eyelets and overlays are now embroidered rather than applied. The CloudTec Phase geometry and the Helion foam that define the ride are carried over, so it still runs like a Cloudsurfer.