Is the Nike Pegasus as great as everyone says it is?

I am a 60 year old woman who has been running for about 30 years. I have worn mostly the Pegasus since the 26. Slight overpronator, used to wear mostly stability shoes, had chronic issues with PF and Achilles tendinitis. I have not had these issues since I switched to the Pegasus. I have found, however, that in recent models the toe box is too narrow and I have to get them in wide. Also a few years back I noticed that for a given model (can’t remember which one) some colors were made in Vietnam and some in China, and one of them was better made than the other but now I can’t remember even which one it was that I had a problem with! Getting old sucks.

Anyway, the reason it is popular is not because it is from Nike or because it is what people get used to when they are young. It is because it is simply a great shoe that works for many people, and it is durable and reasonably priced. Trust me, I wish I could run injury-free in something else. I don’t want to necessarily be wearing Nikes. I have tried other things (most recently Hoka Cliftons) and always go back to the Pegasus. Also have a pair of the Turbos and like them as well but not sure they are worth the extra money. And I couldn’t find them in a wide so went up a half size and that seems ok. They are my fall marathon shoes.

My training buddy swears by the Turbos

I've run in the Pegasus 34, 35 (twice) and now the 36, so clearly I like the shoe.

I think the best way to describe them is 'the shoe you would own if you could only own one pair of running shoes'.

They've been getting lighter with each recent version and gearing more towards speed than support, so maybe some of the longtime wearers are missing the stability of older models - but at 265 grams for a size 11 I think the 36s are fantastic all around.

I run in Ravenas right now, but also have a pair of new Pegasus' that I got for free at work and the Pegasuses are comfy and fit nicely, but I can't run in them b/c they have zero support for pronation. (I am a moderate pronator.) Since you seem to dislike the support in the Ravenas then you might like the Pegasus, but generally speaking, if you were told by shoe professionals that you need a mild support shoe, I would not recommend switching from Ravena to Pegasus. Nike has another shoe called the Oddessy that fits similar to the Pegasus, but it is a mild support shoe similar to the Brooks Ravenna, so that might be worth trying as well.

Bear wrote:

My training buddy swears by the Turbos

That’s how it started in my training partners! Now, 3/4 of the team have Turbos. We have two guys who work at the Nike outlets so they hook us up! Great shoe btw just finished a 12 mile double, 8 am 4 pm. I used them in the evening and 7 minute pace felt easy!

Vomero 14 FTW

Yes

I was an Asics guy for 10+ years.

I run 60 MPW exclusively in the Peg Turbos now as a daily trainer and absolutely love them. My ankles took a while to adjust to less support (relative to Asics) but I'm fine now — and injury-free 1.5 years and counting.

There are a lot of folks on here who claim the ZoomX foam in the Turbos poots out around 150 miles. But in my experience, I've consistently gotten 500-600 miles out of each pair before retiring.

Peg Turbos all the way. Like slippers.

The Turbos cost more and use the same foam as the 4%, but with no carbon plate. A couple lab studies suggest that most of the benefit from the 4% shoes is the foam and not the plate, so it seemed worth a try. After running Boston this year, I had no joint soreness at all and went running two days later. I feel like they've hit the sweet spot of cushioning, energy return, and low weight.

I have 300 miles on mine with no visible wear, but the foam doesn't quite pop like it used to.

I had no idea when I bought my first pair back in 1983 (their debut year) that I'd still be running in them decades later. Well, not that pair of course but still. I go off of them for years at a time but whenever I come back and buy another pair, they always seem to get the job done. Are they my all-time favorite shoe? No, but they have been the most consistently reliable trainer that I've ever owned and I almost always seem to get around 1000 miles out of them.

I’ve been told I’m neutral but my ankles tend to snap upon foot strike, I’m assuming this is because I have weak hips. What does moderate over pronation look like?

Pegs are pretty damn solid. Hard to go wrong. Smooth ride. Gets the job done. Long track record of success.

There's really 2 answers to your question... yes and no. I'll start with the no first as I feel it would apply to most people. Over the years the Pegasus has changed in terms of softness and firmness. It has a much more firm feel than in decades past. With that being said, most runners who train on the roads tend to fine the current day Pegasus too "hard" for their needs. Now onto the "yes" side of the argument. If you have access to soft wood chip trails in the Pacific NW and are a neutral runner, then the Pegasus is as good as it gets for that kind of running. With the trails already being soft, so don't want to run a shoe that is soft to begin with. I love the Pegasus for simply walking around. I am currently in the 34 version and I love it for walks. I just bought a pair of the 36's and will use those when my 34's no longer feel good. Hope this helps.

ForefootRunner177 wrote:

I’ve been running in nothing but brooks ravennas for the past couple years, looking for something new. I’m thinking about the Nike Pegasus as a daily trainer, are they good everyday training shoes for long runs and base mileage?

They are the best trainer out there. I'm on my 6th pair.

ForefootRunner177 wrote:

I’ve been running in nothing but brooks ravennas for the past couple years, looking for something new. I’m thinking about the Nike Pegasus as a daily trainer, are they good everyday training shoes for long runs and base mileage?

I’m a bit late to the Pegasus party, having only bought the 36 back in August after retiring my Vomero 14s. During my brief stint of high school track/XC (2 seasons) I ran with Structures, which I found good at the time despite them making me underpronate a bit. While not a serious runner by any means, I continued running 20-25 mpw on and off for several years, trying out shoes from Brooks, Saucony, Adidas, Mizuno, and Salomon. My return to Nike happened with the Streak 6, followed by Elite 9 and 10, and then the Vomero 14. Having worn so many different brands and models of shoes, I can say the Pegasus 36 is one my favorites. Whereas I found the 35’s upper a bit tight, the 36 has a more supple and accommodating upper. It definitely feels like a performance trainer you can use for almost anything but the fastest days, be it easy runs, long runs, tempos, and even wet trails (not the best use but they work ok for me). It’s such a smooth shoe, offering a good balance of snappiness with flexibility, cushioning without mushiness of instability, and a fantastic outsole. It’s biggest downside though would be the unpadded tongue through which you can feel the flat laces, exacerbated by the flywire and making it difficult to tie the laces at the correct pressure. That may sound like a glaring flaw, but I’m extremely finicky with lacing my shoes, so you may not have that problem.

Give the Pegs a try and see if you like them. There is a reason why they’re so popular and still in production after 36 years (though they’ve obviously evolved). Most of my club teammates run in the Pegasus...

mcguck wrote:

Mostly, everyone, I know who ran in the 35's including myself experienced severe calf or tendon issues from running in them.

I had tried the pegs for the 35 problem and pretty soon after got calf problems. Did not realize ti was common with others too

Are the newer models better for this problem?

Bought my first pair a couple months ago . THe 36. They are as good or better than anything else ive ever tried for a daily trainer. They are easily my favorite of the past 3 or 4 shoes I've worn (Brooks Vault, NB Zante, Boston). They are great for long runs. Work for other stuff, but I'll typically wear my zoom streaks or bostons for anything Tempo pace or faster. The Pegs don't feel anywhere near as fast as the streaks.

mcguck wrote:

Mostly, everyone, I know who ran in the 35's including myself experienced severe calf or tendon issues from running in them.

The 35’s are the best . The 36 didn’t fit as well . I’ll buy the 37 without trying then on.