First Look: This Could Be Nike’s Most Exciting Running Shoe in Literal Years

Don’t call it a comeback. After months of speculation, Sneaker News just shared the best pictures to date of the upcoming Nike Pegasus Plus. The successor to the Pegasus Turbo from 2018 isn’t just another everyday running shoe, however. It might be Nike’s most exciting releases in literal years.

Nike Pegasus Plus

The Pegasus Plus will carry the torch from Nike’s wildly popular Pegasus Turbo line from 2018 and 2019. Though unceremoniously discontinued by Nike after the second generation — likely due to durability issues — the shoes have gained something of a cult following among runners who remember its propulsive ride and do-it-all reputation for short, easy runs and uptempo efforts, alike.

Photo by Chase Pellerin for Gear Patrol

Back when Nike’s so-called “super shoes” were still highly elusive, the original Pegasus Turbo brought the company’s premium ZoomX foam to the masses. In hindsight, they also represented something of a dying category: training shoes that go fast without a plate nestled inside the midsole.

“Super trainers,” that is everyday running shoes with top-of-the-line tech, have become increasingly divisive, as their plates have been linked to a higher risk of stress fractures, plantar fasciitis and other lower-body injuries. Though Nike has yet to share any official details of the Pegasus Plus, rumors suggest they will forgo the plate similar to the Pegasus Turbo of yesteryear and feature a midsole crafted from ZoomX foam.

Upon launch, it looks like we will receive at least five colorways, including a gray-and-pink model that harkens back to the OG the Pegasus Turbo. In an apparent homage to that shoe, the new Pegasus Plus will carry a thick racing stripe down the front, while the words “Pegasus Turbo” are written on the bottom of the outsole; the year 2018 (when the first Pegasus Turbo came out) is printed on the inside of the tongue.

The Year of the Pegasus

It’s shaping up to be a big year for the Pegasus. The images shared by Sneaker News come right off the heels of two other announcements surrounding Nike’s workhorse line of running shoes.

The first was the Pegasus 41. Scheduled to hit roads in June, the new installment to the long-running series will feature ReactX foam for increased energy return over previous iterations.

Nike

Nike also recently announced the Nike Pegasus Premium. When it comes out in “spring 2025,” it will combine ReactX and ZoomX foams with a full-length Air Zoom unit.

At the end of the day, it’s not exactly clear why Nike decided to rebrand the Turbo line to the Pegasus Plus. It may be to distance the shoe from the flop that was the Nike Pegasus Turbo Next Nature, which featured recycled ZoomX foam when it came out in 2023. More likely is that the brand simply wanted to more clearly position the Plus between the entry-level Pegasus and the upcoming Premium model.

On Reddit, one user wrote, “All they have to do is make Peg Turbo 1 or 2 exactly the same (but with a shade more durability) and I’ll buy it. Best running shoe I’ve ever owned (running for 40 years).”

“If they re-released the Turbo 2’s, I would literally buy 5 pairs on the spot,” another user chimed in.

Here is hoping. Expect the Pegasus Plus to hit roads later this year, with more updates from Nike in the coming weeks.

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