Nike Pegasus Premium Review | A Lot of Hot Air

That headline mostly made us laugh, but is a great reference to the full length Zoom air pods adding cushion to the Nike Pegasus Premium. You can absolutely feel the difference with the Air unit vs straight cushioning. But also, it’s a $210 training shoe, so let’s talk.

Super trainers are a tough category of running shoe because they vary so widely. Some have a plate, some have a lot of bounce, some are super light weight and some are a completely the opposite.

Nike absolutely went all in with a “triple stack” of technology in this shoe. The goal between the 2 different types of foam and the Air Zoom unit is to create a plateless shoe that can meet your speed training and possibly race day needs.

We love the look, so let’s talk about performance.

Who is It Good For?

Who is the Nike Pegasus Premium a good fit for? Let’s break it down with some categories we use on all shoes:

• Wide Feet: Not as narrow as many Nike shoes, but still not a wide fit.
• Heavier Runners: Should hold up will with the air pods and outsole.
• Long Runs: Could definitely handle marathon miles, but most will probably prefer half and under.
• Front of the Pack: Designed for long tempos and potentially mid-pack marathon pace miles.

The Pegasus Premium is a super trainer for runners who love the bounce of Nike air pods under foot, don’t want an overly cushioned shoe and want a durable trainer.

Nike Pegasus Premium Overview

The new line up of Nike shoes taking a base model (Nike Pegasus 41) and then adding a Plus and Premium model is going to get confusing and fast. Right now we’re on the first round of it, so will the next be the Plus, Plus and the Premium v2?

Pegasus 41 is a solid moderately cushioned running shoe that we recommend to a lot of folks because of the lower stack height. The Pegasus Plus shocked us by being a little firmer and not quite as much fun as we expected.

Which brings us to the Premium v1, a moderately cushioned shoe with a unique feel thanks to the air pods throughout the midsole.

At a 45mm stack height it’s absolutely considered max cushioned running shoe, but has an entirely different feel than say the Asics Gel Nimbus 27. That is a cushioned shoe. This shoe feels a little bouncy thanks to the air, but not super cushioned and due to the weight, not super fast.

One of the things I noticed in my runs is that the forefoot has a lot less cushion and that’s partially to rock you forward and push off. That’s actually an intentional feature resulting from the Zoom Air unit. But if I’m using them for easy runs, that sensation was a little uncomfortable.

Based on all the technology and the price it’s falling in to the super trainer category, but without a plate and with more weight, less bounce than competitor brands.

In fact, they claim that the fully visible Air Zoom unit is shaped like carbon plates in Nike’s Vaporfly shoes. That means the slight curve is designed to help carry a runners momentum and power from heel to toe. According to them it returns more energy than any other Pegasus to date.

So if you love the Nike Pegasus, but are looking for a shoe to help you potentially gain some seconds per mile this might just be it. It’s not a hit a 3:00 marathon PR training shoe, but for someone who loves the feel it might have just enough boost to give the middle and back of the pack a little pick up.

If it were a little lighter, I’d be a whole lot more psyched about it. Ok and if the stack height was a little lower because I just don’t totally get it in this shoe.

Like the original Pegasus the tread has some grip, but nothing to write home about…meaning probably stick to dry roads. Also, the Air Unit can make the shoe feel less stable, so may not be ideal for hitting the gravel paths either. (Definitely did not run in the snow with it.)

I like that this full coverage will make for a more durable shoe. At $210 I want it to last!

Fit

Overall fit is a standard Nike. Lengthwise I wear the same size in Nike, but felt this one might run a tad short compared to the original Pegasus.

That could again come down to the rock forward and the more tapered toe box. Absolutely not a shoe for our wide foot friends, those who want space for their toes or anyone who deals with black toenails from running.

There have been a lot of complaints about the tongue being too padded. Honestly, I can’t say that bothered me, but I also expected this to feel like a daily trainer and many of them are pretty padded.

Of course it’s breathable, etc, yadda, yadda, but again I wasn’t thinking wow this is the lightest and coolest my foot has ever felt. That’s pretty much when you’ll hear me talk about the upper or if it has an issue. Because most of us want to know is it snug, stiff, etc.

It’s an upper that won’t be accommodating for a high volume foot.

Similar shoes

Not sure if this is the right shoe for you, but are interested in a super trainer?

• Asics Superblast 2 – Lighter and a little softer
• On Cloudmonster Hyper – A little wider fit and with a plate
• Saucony Endorphin Trainer – Much bouncier cushioned ride

I think like many shoes right now, these are trying to straddle a line and some are going to love it, but others are going to be disappointed.

The Nike Pegasus Premium is innovative and doing exactly what we expect from Nike in running. They are pushing, testing and seeing what hits. We’ll be looking forward to the next iteration, that we anticipate MUST BE lighter.

Have you tried it? Have you tried any of the shoes in their new lines?  What do you think about this new 3 style system?

Looking for other running shoes??

• Nike Vs Saucony Running Shoes
• Best Marathon Training Shoes
• Should You Forefoot Strike?
• How to Boston Qualify (from every day runners)

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