Nike Pegasus 41
This is the first pair of Nike’s that I’ve worn in nearly a decade, so while I don’t have a history with Nike Running, I’ve been impressed with the shoes that I’ve tried so far this year. The Pegasus 41 is a workhorse shoe built to accommodate runners of every level.
The Breakdown
Men: 10.4 oz
Women: 8.8 oz
Drop: 10 mm
MSRP: $140
The Outsole
I’ve been very impressed with the outsole on the Pegasus 41. The waffle pattern is a nice throwback to the original Nike waffle shoes and while this provides the homage to Bowerman’s original design, it also provides excellent traction for a shoe built to be an all rounder. The outsole has excellent coverage across the whole shoe and no matter where you are in the stride you can feel confident about the grip.
The Midsole
In a world of max cushion on first site there doesn’t appear to be much midsole here. I was very pleasantly surprised when I started training with this shoe by how good it felt underfoot. I fully expected to feel like this shoe was going to bottom out in the forefoot, but it feels like it has a very nice balance from heel to foot. The arch isn’t overly aggressive either, so I think it has potential for a range of runners.
The midsole material is Nike’s ReactX foam. It has a very good feel across the foot. Where I’ve always been a little skeptical when looking at Nike shoes is the air technology. The Pegasus 41 has dual air zoom units on each shoe and it seems that this is what prevents to shoe from feeling like it bottoms out in the forefoot. Since they released the first Alphafly with the air pods I’ve considered them to be more aesthetic and gimmicky than realistically beneficial, but the Pegasus has me second guessing those assumptions.
The Upper
This shoe has been a Nike workhorse since before I was born and the upper reflects that tradition. The engineered mesh is breathable while the shoe provides plenty of cushion in the heel collar and tongue. The tongue is partially gusseted as it is connected through the lower half of the shoe, so while it maintains a traditional look it doesn’t add the sense of hugging the midfoot/arch that some people experience and find uncomfortable.
The Fit
I have worn this shoe true to size and not had any issues with the fit.
Runners and Walkers
The Pegasus has been around since before I was born, barely, and while this is the first version I’ve run in, it seems designed to be unoffensive so that anyone can use it no matter their running experience. Nike has also released a Pegasus Plus and there is a Pegasus Premium coming down the line as well. This tiered approach is going to be seen in multiple Nike lines, though I’m not sure that each tier will be faster, so much as they will have more premium features.
The Pegasus is built for the grind in my opinion. If you’re someone who likes to get a single shoe to do everything in, this is the shoe for you. I don’t think it fits as a super trainer for someone who is looking to start doing races and use the same shoe for everything, but if you are the runner who enjoys hitting your usual route daily and hitting the gym a few times a week this could be a great option.
The Pegasus definitely feels like a cruiser to me. If I’m heading out for an easy run on the roads it’s easy reach. While I can do a run with pickups, if I have that kind of workout I generally go for something with a little more pop. My favorite placement for this shoe is an easy run in that 60-90 minute range. Anything longer and I want a shoe with more cushioning.
I do feel comfortable taking this shoe across a variety of terrains and would definitely recommend this for cross country runners. The outsole has enough grip that it will do fine for training, though I wouldn’t head out on a technical trail in them.
I reach for this one a lot when I’m heading out for a walk with Spirit or am hopping on the tread for some incline hiking. The stride feels smooth walking and with the outsole coverage there is plenty of grip in any condition.
The Gym
I find this to be a very amenable option for the gym. It’s not overly stacked so it has a great base for lifting from, and still feels good moving in and out of cardio machines. The only downside I see to this in the gym is that the drop is higher, so if you decide to go heavy, just beware of that forward lean.
Daily Living
While there is nothing about this shoe that makes it particularly outstanding in its field, I think that may actually be a positive when considering how this shoe fairs in daily life. The relatively low stack height prevents it from standing out, even if max cushion shoes are no longer surprising to see in the wild, but it still has enough cushion and relative support to get you through your day.