Nike Pegasus Premium Performance Review

The Nike Pegasus Premium channels the 2012-2016 timeframe when Nike was using full-length, visible Zoom Air in its top-of-the-line shoes. If you were a runner at the time, you likely remember the Nike Zoom All Out Flyknit. If you were a basketball player at the time, the Nike LeBron 10 is the shoe with full-length Zoom Air that probably stands out.

The problem with both of those shoes – and any others that used a ¾ or full-length, visible Zoom Air setup? Stability. Wearing them made people’s ankles do extra work to keep their feet level.

Think about the first time you tried on a super shoe, say the Nike Vaporfly Next%. The foam was so soft that your ankles were pressed into a level or service they’d never known before. The trade-off was worth it, but it was a different experience.

While the LeBron 10 and Zoom All Out Flyknit weren’t quite at the same level of softness as the Vaporfly, the visible Zoom Air was very soft and smushy. Neither shoe enticed the wearer to make quick movements or turns.

So with that history in mind, guess what went through people’s heads last summer when the images of the Nike Pegasus Premium first started to hit the internets? If you guessed some variation of “that looks cool, but how will they keep it stable?”, then you nailed it. Heck, maybe you thought that yourself when you saw the pictures. I know I did.

So, with great anticipation (and trepidation), I awaited my test pair of the Pegasus Premium. I may have even muttered “don’t screw this up, Nike” under my breath. I wanted the Pegasus Premium to be good. I wanted to realize the potential of full-length, visible Zoom Air. 

Now it’s time to find out if the Nike Pegasus Premium will let us all down or fulfill our wildest dreams.

What is the Nike Pegasus Premium?

Nike is rebuilding its running line into 3 core pillars. The Pegasus – or Responsive Cushioning – pillar, the Vomero – or Max Cushioning – pillar, and the Structure – or Supportive Cushioning – pillar. Nike did this in response to complaints that its running line was getting too complicated.

Each pillar will include an Icon, Plus, and Premium model. For the Pegasus pillar, we have now tested all three models. The Icon is the normal Pegasus, this year’s Pegasus 41. The Plus is the successor to the Pegasus Turbo, the Pegasus Plus. And now, the Pegasus Premium fills the void at the top as the Premium responsive cushioning model.

So, while the Nike Pegasus Premium isn’t trying to be max cushion per se, it’s pretty darn close. Heck, it’s packing 45mm of stack height in the heel and 35mm in the forefoot. That’s a lot.

It’s also showcasing the first sculpted, visible Air Zoom unit in Nike’s history. The idea, according to Nike, is that the Zoom Air bag is curved or scooped much like the carbon plates in Nike’s race day shoes. Nike claims that “the sculpted Air Zoom unit carries a runner’s power through their transition from heel to toe” and “returns more energy to the runner than any other model in the Pegasus franchise to date.”

The Zoom Air unit (or Air Zoom, depending on who’s writing the copy) is paired with ReactX foam in the heel for stability and fluffy ZoomX foam as a top layer. The midsole and all its various cushioning technologies are the unequivocal star of this shoe and the entire focus of the brand’s press release.

How did the Nike Pegasus Premium perform?

Nike is not new to pushing cushioning technology above everything else, but here we are again with the Nike Pegasus Premium. And you know what? Nike did a great job.

The cushion is great. It is a bit unstable at the heel, but Nike has largely fixed the stability problems inherent with using a full-length, visible Zoom Air unit. The Pegasus Premium feels in line with most super trainers on the market.

The curve in the Zoom Air unit is not noticeable per se, but the bounce off the forefoot is very good…better than any Zoom Air-packing running shoe to date. I imagine that has to do with the geometry of that Zoom bag.

Unfortunately, Zoom Air is heavy, and the Pegasus Premium is among the heaviest shoes on the market. The Puma MagMax Nitro is a hefty super trainer (though the ride is awesome), and the Pegasus Premium is even heavier. Weight doesn’t play a big role in my consideration of my favorite shoes; but, for those for whom it does, the Pegasus Premium will likely be relegated to casual wear.

And it will do casual wear really well. The Nike Pegasus Premium looks amazing, giving me both Nike Air Max 97 and Nike Air Max 2013 vibes. Both of those shoes were performance-ready and lifestyle-ready in their time. I like that the Pegasus Premium is providing the same type of look good/play good ethos as some classic Nike performance running shoes.

The upper, with its 3M hits, quick lacing, and fun overlays is still very breathable and great for summer wear. The lower portion of the tongue reminds me of Nike Torch and is very comfortable… But the top section is a weird, plush, pillowy sort of thing that’s annoyingly poofy. It seems out of place on a performance running shoe. I wish they had used the lower-portion material for the entire tongue.

Finally, the Nike Pegasus Premium looks poised for great durability. The upper is built strong, and the outsole, while it doesn’t have the grippiest rubber compound, is covered everywhere (except the midfoot) in a thick diamond-y pattern. It’s barely showing any wear from my test period.

And, if you didn’t read through the above essay, here’s an abbreviated list of pros and cons.

Pros

• Impressive cushioning, making it Nike’s first true super trainer
• Highly breathable upper
• Great aesthetics
• Good lockdown
• High durability

Cons

• Outsole rubber isn’t grippy enough for all conditions
• One of the heavier running shoes on the market
• Weird, poofy top of tongue

Is the Nike Pegasus Premium wide foot friendly?

While the Nike Pegasus Premium is more wide-foot friendly than most Nike models – especially in the forefoot – it’s still a Nike. I’d recommend most wide footers try them on when they become available.

Is the Nike Pegasus Premium worth $210?

There’s definitely a Nike Premium (hehe) at work here, but $210 is not out of the realm of what I’d expect for a super trainer with this level of cushion. With the Asics Superblast 2 and Brooks Glycerin Max at $200 and the Puma MagMax Nitro and other super trainers hanging out at $180, you can see how small the price difference is. 

The bigger issue is that the Pegasus Premium isn’t quite as good as those three shoes yet still costs more. That may make the price point a tough sell for many runners.

Nike Pegasus Premium Summary

The Nike Pegasus Premium did what it set out to do: create a scooped Zoom Air unit that was soft and bouncy but ultimately stable enough to trust for tons of miles.

Along the way, Nike also made a hella good-looking shoe. I’d expect the Pegasus Premium to sell just as well to the casual wearer as it does to the performance-minded runner.

They’re a bit too soft and squishy to pass my theme park test, meaning they’re more tuned for running than just wearing around, but for runners that’s a good thing. The Nike Pegasus Premium is made with a performance-first mentality and provides a real fun factor around Nike’s first foray into the super trainer realm.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Disclosure

While Nike did provide a pair of the Nike Pegasus Premium to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.