By Kieran Alger
Running shoes don’t survive for four decades without doing something right. The Nike Pegasus has successfully ridden changing running trends to stay popular. But with bigger leaps in shoe tech in recent years, the battle to stay relevant has become increasingly tough.
So the Nike Pegasus 41 makes some big changes in a bid to keep up with the competition. There’s a new midsole foam formula that Nike says is designed to deliver “an energised ride for everyday road running.” But does it? Is there life in the old Peg yet? Read on for my Nike Pegasus 41 review.
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Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price
First up the key details then. The Nike Pegasus 41 stack height comes in at 37mm in for the heel and 27mm up front, for a generous, calf-sparing 10mm drop.
Pop them on the scales and the Nike Pegasus 41 weighs in at 10.5oz in my US men’s 9 test shoe. That’s pretty midweight, close to a Saucony Ride 17 or the Adidas Supernova Prima. But weightier than an ASICS Novablast 4.
On price, the Nike Pegasus 41 will set you back $140. The same as a HOKA Mach 6, ASICS Novablast 4 and the Saucony Ride 17.
Stats
NIKE | Pegasus 41 |
|---|---|
Best for | Road / Daily miles |
Support | Neutral |
Cushion | Medium cushioning |
Stack Height | 37mm heel 27mm forefoot |
Drop | 10mm |
Weight | 10.5oz / 298g |
Suggested Retal Price | $140 |
Fit | True to size |
Rating | 9.1/ 10 |
Design
While some running shoes look wilder and wilder (we’re looking at you Puma and Mizuno), the Nike Pegasus 41 sticks to a more traditional shape. Nike’s basic trainer stays firmly in its lane – a larger drop, mid-stack neutral shoe that’s designed to eat daily miles in comfort.
There are some notable updates here, though. Starting with a new softer formula ReactX midsole foam that Nike says is now “13% more responsive than previous React technology”. That works with a Dynamic Midfoot Fit system to boost the support and dual Air Zoom units under the forefoot and heel to add a bit more pop to the ride.
You’d now call this a medium cushioned shoe compared to the bigger stack beasts like the HOKA Skyward X or the Brooks Ghost Max 2.
Up top there’s new engineered mesh uppers. And yes, they’ve been designed to be lighter and more breathable. When are uppers not. But those uppers are nicely flexible and largely unstructured. The heel collars and tongues are also medium padded with a traditional running shoe feel. Balanced rather than overly plush.
Flip them over and you’ve got a generous covering of Nike’s waffle-inspired rubber outsole with small ‘studs’ to enhance the grip and durability.
Nike Pegasus 41
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Fit
In testing, I ran in my regular Nike size – a US 9 and I found the fit was great. There’s balanced comfort and hold without excessive plushness from the medium padded heel collars and tongues. Plenty of flex in the uppers too, though some might want more structure and support on tighter turns.
But for long straight miles on even asphalt, the Pegasus 41 offer an easy, roomy, unrestricted feel. I’d recommend going true to size.
Performance
In testing, I clocked more than 60 miles in the Nike Pegasus 41. That included a 16 miler, followed the next day with a full marathon test. For those two runs I moved slow and spent long hours on my feet. My marathon took six hours. But I also did some shorter runs with a 5km that pushed beyond my current marathon pace.
TLDR: I really like this shoe. Sometimes you get shoes that just feel right straight out of the box. This is one. It has an excellent disappearing feel on the foot. It’s spacious and roomy, perhaps bordering on being marginally long in the toe. But it feels light, unfussy, easy to slip on and instantly comfortable.
The ride is cushioned and despite some weight gain over the last-gen Peg, it runs much lighter on the foot, than scales suggest it should.
The midsole with that bigger drop is cushioned and protective but not overly soft and laboured. It’s a workhorse that’ll eat easy miles but there’s versatility. It’s not as punchy as some faster-tuned daily trainers like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 and I wouldn’t choose it first for fast sessions.
But there’s some bounce and energy from the combination of the ReactX midsole and the Air Zoom Pods that makes it light and lively enough to be relatively happy at faster paces. It’s capable of moving up the gears even if it’s not remarkable when you hit the top speeds.
But what I like most about this shoe is its gliding, rangy capacity that makes you feel like you could pop it on for almost anything, confident that it’ll do a solid job.
It might not be the most cushioned shoe and fans of softer, springier shoes might want more underfoot for the longer slower miles. It might not be the fastest and most energetic for faster runs either. But I think it’s excellent at treading the middle ground. It’s good enough at the long slow and the upper pace and makes a virtue of versatility.
For my marathon test, I ran for six hours carrying a 5kg pack, running in 90 degree heat. I needed a shoe that was going to look after me while landing flatter-footed, further back towards the heel and taking more road impact. The Pegasus 41 delivered. It was cushioned, stable, light enough and comfortable with some extra spring and energy.
There’s good breathability in the uppers, too. I needed that when temperatures topped 90 degrees.
When I moved up a gear for the 5km, I pushed to 6:30 min/miles and I found there was just enough lightness, response and energy to move happily at that pace. There are many more energetic alternatives out there. But the Pegasus 41 lets you go there if you want. Particularly if you’re ok doing a bit more of the work for the speed.
One final word on durability. After 60 miles I’m already seeing some signs of wear to the outsole studs and that’s a bit of a worry so early on. If that continues at that rate it could limit the long term lifespan of the Pegasus 41.
My Verdict
Verdict then, and I’m a big fan of this shoe. It’s definitely the best Pegasus we’ve seen for a while. The Nike Pegasus 41 is one of those shoes. Like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, like a Puma Velocity Nitro 3, it can handle a lot.
There’s a lot to be said for versatility, having one running shoe in your locker that can cover most runs. That’s particularly true for newer runners or anyone who wants to save a bit of cash.
If you like really cushioned, bouncy shoes – think ASICS Superblast 2 – they might not 100% tick your box. If you want the liveliest, punchy energy and response, there are snappier shoes. But as a multi-purpose option to have in your running armoury, the Nike Pegasus 41 is very capable, very easy to run in.
It’s balanced and controlled with good cushioning and protection but avoids making you wade through softness. It disappears and lets you go about your business of eating miles with freedom. You know what you’re getting in each step and for that I think it has quite a lot to offer. It’s a shoe I’d recommend for beginners, or occasional runners and even anyone who wants guaranteed comfort for a 4-6 hour marathon.
It’s also the kind of shoe you can stick in your suitcase for holidays and work trips, confident that it’ll cover all your mileage.
One final thing, I don’t tend to worry too much what a shoe looks like as long as it performs. But I do love this Nike volt yellow and the blend of modern looks with the trad feel. This is a shoe you can definitely wear when you’re not running without screaming to the whole world “I’M A RUNNER!”
The Pegasus was my favorite running shoe id the 1980s and into the early 90s. I ran the 1985 Munich Marathon in them. Then Nike made changes that really made it a different shoe and it didn’t work for me. This looks like it might be a return to the fit and feel I loved back then, with improvements. I’m looking forward to trying them!