Nike Pegasus Plus Review
By Andrea Myers and Matthew Klein
Nike Pegasus PlusPrice: $179.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 8.4 oz, 238 g (men's size 9), 7.3 oz, 207 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 34 mm / 24 mm
Drop: 10 mm
Shoe Purpose: Lightweight Trainer
Pros: Firmer version of ZoomX for those who find it too soft in other shoes
Cons: High volume upper may cause foot translation and hot spots, low stack forefoot may be too low/firm for midfoot/forefoot strikers, clunky heel
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Nike Pegasus Plus is a lightweight neutral trainer for those who want a softer and more versatile alternative to the Pegasus 41. A full length ZoomX midsole makes up the midsole, providing a softer ride that is moderately responsive for easy runs and uptempo workouts. A Flyknit mesh upper provides a slightly higher volume fit that requires some additional lockdown. An interesting blend of the Pegasus 41 and Streakfly, the Nike Pegasus Plus returns a different shoe than the original Turbo series but still features elements that make it a theoretical successor.
SIMILAR SHOES: Adidas Adizero SL 2, Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 1
PAST MODEL: Nike Pegasus Turbo 2
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Nike Pegasus Plus has a slightly odd fit that evolved over time in my usual US men's size 10. Initially the shoe felt long but the tapered toe box made it feel short at the same time. The volume was initially low and put some pressure on the top of the first and fifth toes. The Flyknit mesh quickly broke in then felt true to size, a little less tapered and the volume increased. After 30 miles, the toe box is still a little tapered but transitions into a normal width forefoot. The midfoot is slightly wider with a thin non-gusseted tongue. The midfoot security is mediocre as there is no additional security from the tongue or upper. I had to really tighten down the laces every time I put the shoe on. The instep is slightly lower initially for those who are sensitive to this but those who need some stretch at the midfoot will do well as the upper breaks in. Those with more narrow feet will definitely need to lace lock this shoe. The heel is normal in width to slightly snug. There is moderate heel collar cushioning surrounding a moderately stiff heel counter. The cushioning only exists at the top of the counter, so those with heel sensitivities may struggle with this shoe. The internal mesh is quite comfortable against bare skin but the seems at the heel/midfoot transition can cause abrasion. So I would suggest socks with this shoe. The security is fine except for the midfoot, so most people will either need to tie down the laces or consider a lace lock technique.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5
Andrea: The Nike Pegasus Plus fits true to size in my usual women's 9.5. The fit feature that was most prominent during testing was the high volume midfoot, which hangs over the medial edge of the shoe. No matter how tight I tied the laces, the midfoot never felt fully secure, and I experienced a lot of hot spots behind my 1st MTP and between my 1st and 2nd metatarsals. It is rare for a shoe to make my feet hurt after running in it, but my feet burned the rest of the day each time after testing the shoe. The toe box is also on the wider side, but not nearly as voluminous as the midfoot. I have nearly a full thumb's width from the front of my big toe to the end of the shoe. The rearfoot is normal width and did not give me any issues. I like the soft Flyknit upper material, which feels like a thicker and softer version of the Flyknit found in the Vaporfly 3. The thin tongue is not gusseted, but is held securely in place by a lace loop. I like the flat, non-stretchy laces, but I found it impossible to lock down the upper enough to prevent the hot spots in my forefoot. There is a rigid heel counter and a medium amount of padding, which I had no issues with. If Nike pared down the amount of upper material in the midfoot, I would have really enjoyed the fit of the shoe.
Andrea's Typical Size: Women's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit Andrea well: New Balance Beacon v3, Brooks Hyperion Max, Topo Cyclone 2, Nike Vaporfly 3, Altra Via Olympus 2
Shoes that have fit snug: Saucony Kinvara 14 (length and toe box width), Altra FWD Experience (length and width), Hoka Cielo Road (toe box width), Saucony Endorphin Speed and Pro 1-3 (length)
Shoes that have fit large: Adidas Boston 12 (length), Adidas Adios 8 (length)
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Maybe
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Maybe
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Moderately
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: No
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: Yes
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Nike Pegasus Plus is a lightweight training shoe. The midsole is full length ZoomX and while it is moderately soft, it is also only moderately responsive. I did not find it as snappy as other ZoomX shoes but was still able to pick up the pace to a degree. I have done both easy runs and workouts in this shoe and found that it can do both, but leans towards easy runs. The lighter weight and mild to moderate midsole responsiveness make it best for uptempo runs and fartlek workouts but the relatively slower rate of midsole resilience cap it there. The midsole does a great job of shock absorption, so those with neutral mechanics wanting a lighter shoe for easy and longer runs will likely enjoy this. There is a 10mm drop and the softness of the ZoomX foam makes it feel slightly lower if you are a heel striker. There is a large centered heel bevel that is fairly steep. Combined with a bit of extra lateral flare, this creates a somewhat clunky heel landing initially that smooths out as the midsole material breaks in. The midfoot is fairly normal and transitions into a fairly flexible forefoot. Those used to a stiffer shoe should approach this one cautiously, although I enjoyed this break from high stack height, plated/stiff shoes. Combined with an early and mild forefoot rocker, this makes the front of the shoe the best transition (and part) of the shoe.
The traction is best for road as the exposed midfoot was easily torn up by rocks and trail. The outsole pieces can dig into track a little but I found wet track to be slippery in this should. From a durability standpoint, I expect this shoe to last an average amount for a daily trainer. At 30 miles I have already worn down the lugs on the lateral heel and have begun to tear into the exposed ZoomX. Those who are hard on shoes will likely see this one deteriorate quickly.
Andrea: I had not run in previous versions of Pegasus Plus, which were called Pegasus Turbo, so I wasn't sure what to expect with the shoe. My first run in it was a 4 mile easy run, and my first impression of the shoe was the forefoot cushioning felt quite firm and reminded me of the New Balance SC Pacer v1. I really liked the Pacer v1 for workouts, so I was hopeful that the Pegasus Plus would perform similarly. I tested it on an 11 mile workout that included 10x500 at 5k pace, which I did on the track. While I did feel a mild amount of responsiveness from the ZoomX midsole at 5k pace, I was most aware of the hot spots in the forefoot, which I could not resolve by adjusting the laces. The volume of the midfoot is so large, particularly paired when the narrow midfoot base, that it allowed enough foot translation as I was pushing off that by the time I got home, my feet were on fire. The pain lasted the rest of the day and thankfully was gone by the next morning. I also tested the shoe on a couple of shorter, easy runs with strides and some pickups around marathon pace, and on all runs my feet were burning for several hours afterwards. This alone will keep me from putting any more miles on the shoe now that testing is done.
Setting aside the fit issue and resulting foot pain, the shoe feels like its stated 10mm drop, in that I was aware of the heel during most of my runs, including 5k pace intervals. The relatively low (for 2024 standards) 24mm forefoot stack and firm ride provides very little underfoot protection for midfoot or forefoot strikers. This is definitely not an easy run shoe unless you like a very firm, low to the ground, higher drop feel. The only time the midsole felt like it was actually ZoomX was during strides and 5k pace intervals, in which I felt a mild amount of energy return at push off. The Nike Streakfly, which also has a full ZoomX midsole with a 32mm/26mm stack height, is many times softer and more responsive as compared to Pegasus Plus, despite being over 2 oz lighter. If the shoe had fit better and had an improved heel bevel, I think it would be more comparable to the SC Pacer v1 and I would have enjoyed it for workouts. The high coverage rubber outsole provided sufficient traction on wet roads and on the track, but the areas of exposed midsole in the midfoot already have a hole after 25 miles. The durability will definitely depend how long that area of the shoe holds up.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Nike Pegasus Plus is a neutral shoe. There are no traditional or major current methods of stability. There is a mild midfoot sidewall that is extremely soft, collapses easily and does not provide much guidance. The midfoot narrows a decent amount, so those with neutral midfoot mechanics will do best. There is slightly more lateral than medial heel flare, which creates a slight medial bias at the heel. Those with neutral heel mechanics will do best. The forefoot, while soft, does have decent flare to it. The softness of the material offsets this, so neutral mechanics will still work best at the front and throughout the entirety of the shoe.
Andrea: The Nike Pegasus Plus is a neutral shoe without any significant means of stability. The loose fitting upper in the midfoot combined with the narrow midfoot base actually makes the shoe more unstable by allowing foot translation. If you find the Vaporfly 3 too narrow and unstable in the heel and midfoot, you will likely have similar issues in the Pegasus Plus. There is some sole flaring in the rearfoot, which for me as a midfoot striker just made the heel feel clunkier, in combination with the 10mm drop and small heel bevel. There is minimal sole flaring in the forefoot, which further contributes to a less stable ride up front. Those who do well with the Pegasus Plus will likely be rearfoot strikers with neutral mechanics who do not have an issue with the mismatch between the high volume upper and narrow base in the midfoot.
Thoughts as a DPT: Variations in FoamsThe Nike Pegasus Plus is another great example of two midsole foam principles: how the same foam can feel markedly different in different shoes and how a shoe having a PEBA-based midsole does not guarantee a soft and bouncy ride. Pegasus Plus has a full ZoomX midsole with no plate and a stack height of 34mm/24mm, and it is markedly firmer than the Nike Streakfly, with a similar stack height of ZoomX (32mm/26mm) and midfoot shank. One main difference between the Pegasus Plus and the Streakfly is the high coverage rubber outsole in the Pegasus Plus, which likely provides greater stiffness as compared to the more flexible and compliant Streakfly. A rubber outsole can't account for the large difference in firmness between the two shoes, so some of the answer must lie in the manufacturing process of the ZoomX foam itself. We know that the specific manufacturing process can alter the performance properties of a given foam, which is another reason ZoomX (or any specific foam) can feel different across different shoe models. We have also learned that non-supercritical foams, like EVA, which are not typically associated with high levels of compliance and resilience can be manufactured to perform more like PEBA. We had a great discussion about this in our podcast episode with Mizuno earlier in the year. The Mizuno Neo Vista has an EVA midsole, but all of us assumed that it was a supercritical foam based on its performance during testing. The Saucony Ride 17 is another shoe that is both compliant and resilient, despite its midsole being PWRRUN+, which is TPU, a midsole material that has traditionally been associated with a firm ride. Running shoe manufacturers have made significant strides (that's a pun for Matt) in midsole foam engineering, and we continue to see foams perform in ways that are unexpected. The take home message is to not assume that a shoe with a full PEBA midsole is going to be soft and bouncy, or that a shoe with an EVA or TPU midsole is going to be firm and boring. It's an exciting time to be a runner, with more shoe options than ever. As always, the way to choose the right shoe for you is to test them out and make sure they are comfortable and they align with your preferred running mechanics.
By Andrea Myers
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: I will not critique stability as the original Pegasus Turbos were also quite neutral. I did expect this shoe to be lighter, softer and more responsive than the final product. The Pegasus Plus is much less aggressive than the prior Turbos, which also makes it more accessible for a great variety of people. I would therefore expect the price to be less but the midsole is full length ZoomX foam. Therefore, my major suggestions surround the upper and the forefoot. The upper is a little sloppy, slightly pointed and thicker than it needs to be. For this shoes intended purpose, I would thin the upper, add gusseting to the tongue for better security and round the toe box a little more. I would also get rid of that stripe as it really adds unnecessary material. Similar to Andrea's suggestion below, I would also add more stack height to the forefoot to create an 8mm drop in line with the racing models of the Nike line up. This will also add a bit more cushioning to the forefoot which others have complained about being thinner then they remember.
Andrea: I feel like the Pegasus Plus could be a great shoe, but it needs some work to get there. There is nothing wrong with a shoe having a firmer super foam, but the shoe needs to fit well and perform well at its intended uses. My major recommendation would be to clean up the fit of the upper, which is so high volume and wide that a foot that actually fits it would not fit on the narrow midfoot base. Nike should make the midfoot base a little wider and pare down the volume in the upper. Second, Pegasus Plus is supposed to be a workout shoe. The clunky heel and 10mm drop make it feel like an old school daily trainer, not a modern training companion to the Vaporfly and Alphafly. I would recommend adding 2mm of stack to the forefoot to make the shoe a little less harsh for midfoot and forefoot strikers, which would bring the drop to 8mm, and to increase the heel bevel to make landings smoother for everyone.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Nike Pegasus Plus is a lightweight trainer for those wanting a lighter shoe with slightly firmer ZoomX foam for daily training and uptempo workouts. The ZoomX midsole is soft but not mushy., which makes it a solid choice for easy runs and uptempo efforts. The upper is best for those with higher volume midfeet and who are not sensitive to a tapered toe box. It is an expensive alternative to the Pegasus 41, which seems to have lost the versatility into uptempo efforts with its new design. That comes from the Pegasus Plus but for an additional $40. There is a great deal of overlap with the Streakfly, which is cheaper, more responsive, lighter and has more forefoot stack height. Although if finances are not an issue those could be a decent pairing. Overall the Pegasus Plus may be a better option when it goes on sale, but I am at least happy to see it return. Some further work needs to be done to get it where it can be and I am hopeful that it will continue to improve.
Andrea: The Pegasus Plus will work best for rearfoot strikers who have a more voluminous midfoot and forefoot, but not so wide that their foot doesn't fit on the narrow midfoot base. The ZoomX midsole is the firmest ZoomX I have experienced and runners should not expect this shoe to feel anything like the Vaporfly 7, Streakfly, or Vomero 17, all of which have ZoomX midsoles but significantly more compliance and resilience. From my perspective as a midfoot striker with a normal width midfoot and slightly wider forefoot, the fit issue and resulting burning pain that I experienced during and after wearing the Pegasus Plus makes it a poor value at $180. If Nike fixes the upper fit and improves the rearfoot geometry, I could see the Pegasus Plus being a great workout shoe, but it is a long way from that in its current form.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B (Tapered toe box, wider midfoot requires lock down of upper. Flyknit mesh does adapt to foot)
Performance: B (Best for easy/daily miles and uptempo efforts. ZoomX soft but slightly firmer than expected)
Stability: B-/C+ [Neutral] (Narrowed midfoot, softer sole)
Value: C (Average Durability and not as responsive/versatile as expected for $180)
Personal: B (Too neutral for me over long distances but more comfortable midsole than Pegasus 41. Looks cool but not going to have a long term place in my rotation)
Overall Design: B-
Andrea
Fit: C (Extremely high volume midfoot upper results in friction in medial forefoot and pain that last hours after running. Otherwise fits true to size.)
Performance: C+ (Besides the fit issue, the clunky heel results in an unnatural landing for me as a midfoot striker.)
Stability: [neutral] C (Poor upper fit and narrow midfoot base create instability. Best for rearfoot strikers with neutral mechanics.)
Value: C ($180 is a steep ask for this shoe for the above reasons.)
Personal: C (While I actually like the firmer ZoomX, the fit issue and clunky heel guarantee I will not run another mile in the shoe.)
Overall Design: C
SHOP | SUPPORT DORNike Pegasus PlusPrice: $179.95 at Running Warehouse
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