Why are they extremely pricey compared to other running shoes? I don’t get it.

They are a great shoe and definitely worth the money. Do not buy them here. Buy them directly from the manufacturer On-running. They are $130 on their website. Check out the ‘on classic’ section you can get them even cheaper. They have a 30 day trial also. These shoes hug your feet, support them so well, and are comfortable out of the box. I can wear these for over 10 hours and I’m not dying to get my shoes off at the end of my day. I own 5 pairs I wear them all the time work and weekends.

Are these shoes true to size?

No. I bought a pair several years ago size 7. Absolutely loved them. The new model is narrower so I had to size up to a 7 1/2 which I never wear. They are not as comfortable as the older design.

My new pair has what looks like regular laces. What is the slip on lacing system?

You can do either. I like slip on I use these for gym training. Have the running style for running walking and they lace only.

I usually wear an 8 or 8.5 depending on the shoe. Do these fit close to size?

My feet are technically 8.5 and I always wear 9 or 9.5 in a dress shoe. In the On Cloudflyers (Waterproof), I wear a 9.5, and it fits perfectly. It's a very snug feeling fit, but not too tight or short. In the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 19, I bought a 9.5W, which were way too long, so I went down to a 9W.