On Cloudmonster 2 vs Mizuno Wave Skyrise 6:
Which to Choose

On stack height these two are close but not identical: the Cloudmonster 2 sits at roughly 35mm heel / 29mm forefoot for a 6mm drop, while the Skyrise 6 stacks a bit taller in the heel at 37.5mm / 28.5mm for an 8mm drop. That gives the Mizuno a slightly more pronounced heel-to-toe ramp and a touch more rearfoot cushioning, while the On's lower 6mm offset sits you a hair more naturally and flatter underfoot. The bigger surprise is weight: despite the Skyrise's own reputation as a "substantial" shoe at 260g, it's actually the lighter of the two — the Cloudmonster 2 comes in heavier at about 295g in a men's sample, so if you try to genuinely open up the pace, the On is the one that feels like more shoe on your foot. Ride character is where they truly diverge. The Cloudmonster pairs Helion superfoam with On's oversized, hollow CloudTec pods for a tall, plush, mildly springy feel that cradles the landing and firms up through its composite Speedboard as you push — though at very slow paces those hollow pods can feel soft and a little disconnected from the ground. The Skyrise layers ENERZY NXT over ENERZY for a soft "floating" sensation, but its composite Mizuno Wave plate is tuned to steady and compose the platform rather than to snap you forward, which keeps it from ever feeling mushy. That also shapes their stability: the Cloudmonster is a pure neutral shoe with a wide pod base and no guidance built in, whereas the Skyrise reads as stable-neutral, using the Wave element to add a subtle sense of control underfoot without being a motion-control shoe. Both transition smoothly at conversational to moderate effort and both call the half marathon and long runs their sweet spot, so the choice is less about what they're for and more about how you want the miles to feel.