Nike Pegasus Plus running shoes

The Nike Pegasus Plus Running Shoe is officially a lighter, faster version of the new Pegasus 41, but it could also be seen as a completely individual shoe rather than a version of the Pegasus. Nike makes no secret of the fact that this shoe is the 3rd edition of the Nike Pegasus Turbo. If you look at the pictures of the outsole, it says Pegasus Turbo, not Pegasus Plus.
In short, my opinion of the Nike Pegasus Plus running shoe is the same as my opinion of the Pegasus 41 running shoe, it’s not a bad running shoe, but it doesn’t have anything extra. Nike uses technologies and materials that have been on the market for years, there is nothing innovative, nothing new. It doesn’t stand out from the rest of the shoes, like the Pegasus Turbo did in 2018 when it was released. If we also take into account the price of the shoe, which will be around 180 €, and look around the market to see what running shoes you can find for that price, we will be even more puzzled by the Nike Pegasus Plus. For the money you will find much better running shoes in a similar category, comfortable for fast daily training, exciting and innovative, unlike the Pegasus Plus.

Nike Pegasus Plus upper

The upper of the Nike Pegasus Plus Running Shoe is more on the comfortable side and not reminiscent of a performance-optimized running shoe. The upper is made of a seamless knitted mesh material that Nike has named Flyknit and that is used in several of their running shoes. The upper has good breathability, but the strip of fabric running down the middle takes away from its breathability. The Pegasus Plus does not use the FlyWire technology, which consists of carbon fiber threads that start from the lacing holes and run down the midsole to reinforce the proper foot lock, but it still provides good foot lock. The heel collar is high with medium cushioning and locks the foot well. The tongue is thin and wide with minimal cushioning. The upper of the shoe fits true to size, but because of the narrower fit, if you have a wide foot, it may be worth buying a half size larger.

Nike Pegasus Plus Midsole

The Nike Pegasus Plus Running Shoe Midsole is made entirely of ZoomX foam, Nike’s most advanced foam used in its fast, raceing running shoes. Previous versions included ReactX foam in addition to ZoomX, and the Pegasus 41 midsole is also made with ReactX foam. ZoomX foam is a soft and lightweight PEBA foam. The midsole of the Pegasus Plus running shoe is particularly low compared to the average. The height of the midsole is 32mm at the heel with a drop of 10mm, which means 22mm at the forefoot. This is good news for those who like running shoes with a high ground feel, but bad news for those looking for a cushioned running shoe with high energy return. With this 32mm height, the ZoomX foam cannot be compared to other running shoes with a ZoomX midsole (Alphafly, Vaporfly, Zoom Fly, Streakfly, Invincible Run), as such a thin design has a completely different running feel. It feels soft, but not as dynamic. It’s most comparable to the Nike Streakfly running shoe, which also has a 32mm thick midfoot at the heel, but only a 6mm drop, so the midfoot is 26mm thick at the front, which is 4mm more than the Pegasus Plus. Runners who come to the heel will prefer this shoe because it has a lot more dynamics at the heel. Due to the low and soft midsole, the shock absorption of the shoe is not as good, so it is recommended to run half marathons at most. It is flexible and lightweight, so you can run fast dynamic phases or full runs in it and get the results the shoe was designed for.

Nike Pegasus Plus Outsole

The Nike Pegasus Plus Running Shoe Outsole is segmented, consisting of two parts, which is good because it allows the shoe to be lighter and also keeps the torsional flexibility of the shoe very good by not having an outsole in the middle. The outsole is made of the same harder rubber compound as the outsole of the Pegasus 41. To enhance the grip of this harder rubber compound, the outsole has a deep tread pattern to give the shoe good traction.

Summary

The Nike Pegasus Plus Running Shoe Overall is a neutral, lightweight, flexible running shoe for fast workouts with good stability. Although it’s called the Pegasus Plus, it’s actually the next version of the former Pegasus Turbo series, so you could also call it the Pegasus Turbo 3. The shoe has a low midfoot, so it will mainly appeal to those who like a high ground feel, and it’s not a problem if you don’t have a lot of cushioning in the shoe. I have the same opinion of the Pegasus 41, it’s a good shoe, but Nike could do much better. No imagination, no innovation, no uniqueness. It doesn’t do anything more than similar fast everyday running shoes from competitors, but it’s more expensive than them, plus within the brand I’m not sure I would choose this shoe for fast everyday training.