The Pegasus has become Nike’s running shoe icon. It may not be as flashy or as fast as the headline-grabbing Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%, but it’s been around for nearly four decades. And it’s a safe bet that it’ll hit the 40-year milestone and last many years beyond that, given that Nike just released the shoe’s next iteration: the Air Zoom Pegasus 38.
Read More
Since the first version back in 1983, Nike has consistently geared the Pegasus for a full field of runners that includes occasional three-milers and half or full marathoners alike. The 38 is no different. In fact, some of the new updates aim to widen the goalposts; Nike adjusted the shoe’s last to make more space in the toe, and a midfoot webbing system makes lacing more dynamic and adjustable.
Nike
NikeNike also gave the new Pegasus a mesh upper that differs from recent iterations. The change will likely be a welcome one — one of our tester’s critiques of the Peg 37 was that its upper was too supportive. That same runner also noted that compared to previous iterations, the 37’s sole was “softer and springier, but less responsive,” making it “a no-nonsense running shoe for easy days.” Nike carried these components, which include the company’s durable React foam and an airbag in the forefoot.
We’ve had an early sample of the shoe in our hands — er, on our feet — for a few weeks now and can attest that the 38 does indeed carry on the Pegasus’s feel-good tradition. Comfort is the name of the game here — the sole is squishy enough to want to walk around in long after your last “official” mile, and the new lacing architecture locks the foot onto it but has just enough give to avoid pesky pressure points. Even with these features, the Peg 38 is plenty responsive. And, at $120, it’s a comfy (the theme continues) entry point into higher-end running shoes.
Nike also released the new Pegasus in a version that includes its new FlyEase tech, which allows runners to get in and out of the show more easily.