On Cloudboom Strike vs On Cloudboom Strike 2:
Which to Choose

On paper these two look nearly identical: both are neutral, low-stability platforms rated 6/6 for pace and responsiveness and 5/6 for cushioning, both use Helion HF PEBA foam and a full-length carbon Speedboard, and both punish slow running. The differences are in the details. The original Strike stacks 39.5 mm at the heel and 35.5 mm at the forefoot for a true 4 mm drop; the Strike 2 raises the heel slightly to 40 mm but drops the forefoot to 33.4 mm, giving a claimed 5 mm drop (caliper checks land closer to 3 mm). That lower, more aggressively rockered forefoot — now built around CloudTec Sphere pods — is the biggest ride change: the Strike 2 rolls harder through toe-off and is tuned to reward a forefoot or midfoot strike holding marathon effort. Weight is the other clear win for the successor: the standard Strike 2 comes in around 200 g in a men's US 9 versus roughly 215 g for the original, and a sprayed LightSpray version drops all the way to about 158 g. The carbon plate is also stiffer and lighter than before, and the upper switches from engineered mesh to a barely-there Lenoweave open weave. Use case shifts too — the original genuinely works from the 10K up through the marathon with the half as its sweet spot, while the Strike 2 narrows its focus to the half and full marathon, with the marathon as its home. Both still ask for roughly 3:00–3:30 min/km to feel their best; neither offers any added stability for heavier or slower runners.