It’s Nike Pegasus, but not as we know it. The Nike Pegasus Premium sits at the top of Nike’s Pegasus series and is a very different shoe from the Nike Pegasus 41 and Nike Pegasus Plus. That’s largely thanks to its wild midsole design, which includes three different materials.
The combination of high stack and materials creates a bouncy and fun ride, and the Pegasus Premium is the bounciest Pegasus I’ve ever tested, but this bounce is compromised by the weight of the shoe and it’s also very unstable.
The Nike Pegasus Premium is a fun, casual shoe that looks great, but it doesn’t match the performance of the best running shoes. In my Nike Pegasus Premium review, I’ll explain why and compare it to the best Nike running shoes and alternatives from other brands I’ve tested.
Nike Pegasus Premium Review: Price and Availability
The Nike Pegasus Premium is scheduled to release on January 30, 2025, and will cost $210 in the US and £185 in the UK, making it considerably more expensive than Nike’s other Pegasus shoes. The price is in line with top cushioned shoes like the Asics Super Blast 2 and Hoka Skyward X.
Nike Pegasus Premium Review: Design and Fit
The Nike Pegasus Premium launches in the “Airscape” colorway I tested, with other colorways expected to follow. The shoe has a very high midsole stack of 45mm in the heel and 35mm in the forefoot, while maintaining the same 10mm drop as the Pegasus 41 and Pegasus Plus.
I found this shoe to fit well in my regular running shoe size. This size is the same size I use for other Pegasus shoes and have used for all Nike shoes for years. Considering the Pegasus Premium’s high stack, it’s no surprise that it’s a heavy shoe. At 11.6 ounces in a men’s size 10, it’s over an ounce heavier than the Pegasus 41 and 2.5 ounces heavier than the Pegasus Plus in my size.
upper
The Pegasus Premium features an engineered mesh upper with plenty of padding around the collar. The tongue is also well padded for added foot comfort, but it may feel a little hot when running in warmer conditions. However, they are breathable enough for use in the British winter, and overall we found the upper to be comfortable throughout our testing, with no chafing or hot spots.
midsole
Nike went all out with the Pegasus Premium’s midsole, which includes three different materials. The top layer is ZoomX foam, a resilient, lightweight material used in the Nike Alphafly 3 and Vaporfly 3 racing shoes.
And it features a full-length Air Zoom unit, which is Pegasus Premium’s main innovation. While Nike has used Air Zoom pods in other running shoes for years, this is the first time a full-length unit has been incorporated into a shoe, giving the Pegasus Premium a responsive ride. I’m doing it.
Beneath the Air Zoom unit, the Pegasus Premium has a layer of ReactX foam from the heel to the midfoot. This is likely to protect the soft foam at the top and increase the stability of the shoe. This is necessary because the Pegasus Premium’s high stack and narrow midfoot compromise stability.
outsole
The bottom of the Pegasus Premium has a long cutout that reveals the Air Zoom unit, while the shoe’s critical impact zone is covered with a layer of rubber. The grip of the shoes is good even when running in wet conditions, and there seems to be no issues with the durability of the outsole.
Nike Pegasus Premium Review: Running Performance
We’ve tested all three Nike Pegasus shoes in the current lineup, and the Pegasus Plus is a natural step up from the Pegasus 41, with a similar design but improved midsole foam to make it lighter and more responsive. It’s improving.
But the Nike Pegasus Premium is very different from Pegasus’ other two shoes. Similar to Max stack cruisers from other brands like Hoka Skyward X and Brooks Glycerin Max, it offers a fun, bouncy ride that adds fun to an easy run.
This is certainly the bounciest Nike Pegasus shoe I’ve tried, with much more foam underfoot than the Pegasus 41 or Pegasus Plus. This is especially noticeable under the forefoot while running. The Pegasus 41 and Plus can feel a little flat for me and weren’t as comfortable as other brands’ shoes with lower drops and higher forefoot stacks, but the Pegasus Premium certainly doesn’t lack for comfort. yeah.
However, underfoot foam has two significant drawbacks. The first is weight. Even for a high-stack shoe, the Pegasus Premium is heavy. Much heavier than the Asics Super Blast 2, and heavier than the Hoka Skyward X and Brooks Glycerin
Also, most high-stack cushion shoes I’ve tested, including the Hoka and Brooks shoes mentioned above, have a wide base for added stability, but that’s not the case with the Pegasus Premium. There’s a narrow pinch point in the midfoot area that doesn’t seem like a stable shoe. Even as a neutral runner, I could sometimes feel my foot roll inwards.
If Nike had made the shoe wider, it would have been even heavier. As such, the Pegasus Premium may have been caught between a rock and a hard place on its front end. If you’re a neutral runner and running on flat surfaces, instability won’t be an issue, but if you need extra support I’d probably avoid the Pegasus Premium.
Should you buy the Nike Pegasus Premium?
The Nike Pegasus Premium is a fun shoe, and I’m interested to see where Nike takes the Air Zoom technology in the midsole next, but it’s not one I’d recommend for most runners. The higher price, heavier design, and instability mean there are better options. So unless I really like the look of the shoe and want to use it for general purposes as well as running, I would look elsewhere.
The Asics Super Blast 2 is the most versatile Max Stack shoe I’ve tried, equally good for easy, hard, short, and long runs. Meanwhile, the Hoka Skyward Nike Pegasus Premium.
Within Nike’s own lineup, the Pegasus Plus is a less comfortable but more versatile daily trainer. The Nike Zoom Fly 6, on the other hand, is a great plated super trainer that is perfect for all types of running. For newcomers, the standard Pegasus 41 is a better option. It’s perfect for runners thanks to its stable, protective design and relatively low price.
