The Pegasus is a long standing feature of the daily running scene. Over the past few years it has started to take on the trails. Has the 5th iteration ironed out some of the kinks?
Nike Pegasus Trail 5: A Daily Do It All
Nike have recently released the 41st iteration of the Pegasus. Over time, this workhorse with wings has lost a bit of traction (pardon the pun) in the daily trainer market. However, the Pegasus Trail has played a consistent role in the light trail and commute niche. Like all of Nike’s trail shoes, the lack of a grippy outsole, especially when the going gets soggy, makes runners suspicious of their new wares.
Each time, it is released as “our best outsole yet” only to turn into banana skins in the mud. As you can see from my Zegama 2 review, they have solved their grip problem in the premium end of the trail market. Have they managed it in the more wallet friendly end?
Specs:
Weight: Approx. 243 g/8.5 oz (Women’s US 8), 300 g/10.58oz (Mens US10 )
Stack height: 37mm in the heel to 27.5mm in the forefoot
Heel to toe drop: 9.5 mm
Price: $150 | €140 | £129.99
Nike Pegasus Trail 5 Upper: Really Good!
My first impression out of the box was that I loved the looks of the Pegasus Trail 5. Yes, it is mostly white. As soon as it hits the trails, it will never look this fresh again. However, the growing patina tells its own story as the shoes age. That said, I am lucky that all of my runs in the Pegasus Trail 5 so far have been in the dry. The looks are still top notch! Secondly, the fit is great. The toe box has plenty of room for the foot to expand. Where Nike has chosen to put padding in the heel, ankle area and tongue, they have done well. It is well placed and adds to the comfort of the upper. While stout, the heel area is not super stiff which is a real bonus for me.
Material wise, the upper is made of a single, highly tuned mesh which feels very lightweight and breathable. In my experience, the Flywire and lacing system work excellently. When combined with the gusseted tongue, it wraps my foot securely and ensured I found no blistering or hot spots. Overall, it is a wider fit than many Nike shoes.
Fun fact: the Pegasus Trail 5 is 8g lighter than its road sibling in my size!
Midsole: React is Dead, Long Live ReactX
For a long time, the midsole of the Pegasus Trail line has been their rather aged React foam. Over time, the joy of React has lessened and it feels outdated. Poor energy return in comparison to competitors foams meant that runners were looking elsewhere for their kicks. However, this year, Nike introduced their ReactX foam which boasts 13% more energy return than React classic.
How does it feel underfoot? After just a few metres in the shoe, I could tell it was going to be a pleasant ride. It doesn’t offer a sensational feel but it was smooth, easy and everything a daily trail shoe should be. I also found the rocker geometry to ease me through my gait cycle.
Nike Pegasus Trail 5 Outsole: Good In The Dry
The outsole of the Pegasus Trail 5 is intended for smooth, flat terrain. I have to admit that I have yet to have wet conditions to test it out in. Whilst running in the Peg, the weather has been mostly very dry. I will have to come back to review the shoe in the wet.
My first run in the Pegasus Trail 5 was a 25 km long run. Here, the outsole performed beautifully on both trail and pavement. One note I will make is that the outsole material, Nike’s All Terrain Compound, is the same as on the Pegasus Trail 4 GTX. There it worked very well in the wet so I hope that this will be the same.
As it is not meant for heavily technical terrain, I will not enter into arguments about the lug depth. Also, how a shoe performs on technical trails also depends greatly on the runner in the shoe.
Nike Pegasus Trail 5 Conclusion: The Best Pegasus For A While!
The arrival of the Pegasus Trail 5 coincided with two shoes which I was more excited to run in. However, I decided to leap in at the deep end and take them on a 25 km long run straight out of the box. Surprisingly, that felt great and in just a few days I found myself packing the mileage onto the shoe.
Overall, I think it is a great all round shoe. I have used it for daily runs which have taken me along roads and into the woods on gravel. It has also allowed me to pick up the pace and run some faster efforts in it. Sure, I won’t be hitting the track in it but if you are searching for a jack of all trades, this might be the one. Shorter trail races on the right terrain would be a joy in this. I might even go out on a limb and say that the Pegasus Trail 5 is the best Pegasus since the 35. Even better when the price point of €140 is taken into account.
