In today’s post, I’m going to answer a question a lot of Pegasus fans ask: are Nike Pegasus good for running?
Every year since 1983, Nike has released a brand-new Pegasus running sneaker. Somehow, Nike has held off the urge to change the name of the sneaker to something stupid and they just kept with the numeric theme and it’s lasted for the last 38 years and I love it.
So, are Pegasus really good for running as they are for lifestyle wear?
Let’s find out…
Related:
Now that the Pegasus 41 and Pegasus Plus hit the shelves, here’s our comparison of both shoes.
Are Nike Pegasus Good For Running?
Absolutely. The Pegasus is one of the best running shoes and most comfortable Nike shoes in the market today. Professional runners love it and people who run casually also love it.
So, if you’re a professional runner, here’s the review of the Pegasus 38 from a professional runner’s perspective. And if you’re not a professional runner and you do it casually maybe once or twice a week and then you wear the Pegasus casually, then keep reading…
In the next section, we’re reviewing the latest iteration of one of my favorite running sneaker lines.
Pegasus – Great for running & lifestyle wear
A lot of people do enjoy running and they usually find themselves lacing up a pair of shoes like the Pegasus over pretty much anything else.
I know runners are very specific and I know a lot of runners have one brand or one shoe that they stick with and they’re not going to change things up. So keep in mind that this review of the Pegasus is for someone who really likes the Pegasus line for lifestyle wear and runs in the Pegasus line.
One thing I will say about the Pegasus line, most notably the more recent Pegasus 37 and 38, since they’ve updated the cushioning of these shoes, these shoes have become incredibly comfortable for casual and lifestyle wear.
I actually have a couple of pairs of Pegasus because I wear some of them casually and some of them for running. It’s just an all-around really comfortable and good-looking shoe.
One thing you might notice about the Pegasus 38 is how similar it looks to the Pegasus 37. There are definitely some changes on the toe box, on the tongue, and on the heel, which in my opinion actually really helped the shoe out a lot.
But if you like the way that the Pegasus 37 felt underfoot and you like the overall feel of the shoe, this shoe still feels pretty similar. I mean aside from the new colorways, these past two versions look almost identical.
So, I guess the question then becomes is the Pegasus 38 a worthy improvement over the Pegasus 37? If you already have a pair of Pegasus 37s that bit the dust, would you go to the outlet and pick up a cheaper pair of 37s instead of grabbing a brand-new full-priced pair of 38s?
Let’s check out all the improvements and find out whether the Pegasus 38 is something that you want to grab over the 37 or whether it’s a shoe you want to try at all.
Upper
Starting off in the toe of the sneaker, the first thing that you’ll notice is this textile mesh. There’s actually a couple of changes that take place on the toe of the sneaker from the 37 and the material is one of them.
This textile mesh feels very soft and very premium and reminds me a lot of what was on the Pegasus 36. However, on the Pegasus 37, the material that they used seemed a little bit more premium.
I don’t know if it was just the visual aspect and the fact that it didn’t really look like a mesh and it had this cool-like translucence going on, it was a really cool effect. Honestly, the Pegasus 38 textile mesh just feels a little bit more basic and just not as premium.
There is however one pretty big change on the toe of the sneaker and actually the entire fit of the shoe that I know a lot of runners have been asking for and that’s that Nike used a completely different last in the top of the sneaker, which makes the entire toe of the sneaker much wider and it’s not going to cramp your foot like the older ones did.
I’ve got to say the wider toe is definitely noticeable but it’s something that I really didn’t have a problem with on the 37s.
Nike has revamped the heel portion of the shoe as well. They’ve added a little bit more padding around the top of the ankle and they’ve actually made it a little bit more of a secure fit around your heel. You can definitely notice that there is some more heel lockdown over the 37s.
Aesthetics
Moving to the midfoot of the shoe, stylistically, you’ve got this oversized Nike swoosh outline which I don’t mind the look of. That detail is only present on the lateral side and not so much on the medial side. The medial side is much more plain.
Then, towards the back of the shoe, the mesh changes color and is also seemingly pressed around the heel counter. I’m not sure if that heat press detail is there for structure or if that’s purely there for aesthetics, but I don’t mind it and the heel counter definitely feels more plush than the previous Nike Pegasus 37.
Lacing System
As you move up in the shoe, you find these flat laces that weave through these very colorful nylon loops.
One thing I really love about this shoe is that the nylon loops are actually attached to the midfoot webbing system, which means that when you tighten the laces, not only does it pull the top half of the midfoot towards your foot, it pulls the entire midfoot towards your foot.
It’s actually a very similar system to Nike’s flywire and it works in a very similar way. For me, it does provide a much more snug fit especially when I really want to lock down the shoe and tighten the laces, I really feel it around my midfoot.
Visually, I actually really like what Nike did with the Pegasus 38. They added this separate synthetic leather eyestay, but the way they attach this eyestay to the rest of the sneaker is a kind of cool touch.
Nike is using an exposed contrasting stitch detail, which reminds me a lot of more hyped-up sneakers like Off-whites. And while not every runner will like this new aesthetic, I think it definitely brings the sneaker into that new sort of modern aesthetic, which I think a lot of people will like.
As you move farther back in the shoe, you’ve got some fused overlay reinforcement around the top eyelets that also runs all the way down the side of the sneaker and probably covers up the stitching detail.
One of my favorite details which is one of the least important details is the brand-new pull tab on the tongue that features the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 text in metallic silver.
Underneath the laces, you get to another change from the Pegasus 37, which is a brand-new Pegasus 38 tongue.
Tongue
The biggest difference between the 38s and the 37 is how the tongue is constructed. On the 38s, the tongue is actually its own separate tongue, which I love. Not only that, Nike has decided to go with a much more standard tongue over the not-so-standard tongue from the 37s and give it some really nice plush foam as cushioning.
This tongue is just so much more comfortable against your foot, and because it’s not just this thin piece of material around the edge anymore, it doesn’t scrape against your foot when you run. So this is a much more plush, much more comfortable approach on the tongue and I prefer it so much.
Now, let’s get to one of the more important details on the Pegasus 38 and that’s sizing…
Sizing & Fit
In my opinion, the Nike Pegasus 38 definitely fits true to size. The Pegasus line has always fit pretty much true to size so I usually go true to size in these sneakers. However, because the 38 has a wider toe box, even for wide-footers it’s going to fit you fine true to size.
Nike is always so good with their sizing especially when you compare it to some other brands that aren’t always as good with their sizing and the Pegasus line for me has always fit true to size and that’s definitely what I recommend for you all.
But because every runner is different and likes their shoes to fit differently, I would suggest trying on a pair of the 38s before you buy them just to make sure that you’re grabbing the right size for you.
Midsole
Moving down on the shoe, you get to the Pegasus 38 midsole which I’m happy to report remains relatively unchanged from the Pegasus 37.
The midsole of the Pegasus 37 was my favorite part of the shoe and that was the part that got changed up the most from the Pegasus 36 and was the part in my opinion that made the shoe as comfortable as it was.
Like I said, the Pegasus 38’s midsole remains pretty much the same as the Pegasus 37s and still features a full-length React foam cushion setup. Just like with the 37s, in addition to the React, you still have that forefoot Air Zoom unit which feels incredible underfoot. So, when you pair the super-soft React foam cushioning with the very bouncy Air Zoom unit in the forefoot, you get an incredibly comfortable ride.
Some people might find it a little too well-cushioned and I totally understand that. But for someone who loves cushioning under their feet especially when you’re running, this shoe feels amazing. This React midsole is also the reason why people love wearing this shoe casually. It’s incredibly soft underfoot, it’s incredibly comfortable, and this is one of Nike shoes that you can definitely wear and stand on all day.
The only Nike cushioning setup that’s softer than React is ZoomX. ZoomX is incredibly soft and mainly only for racing purposes. React won’t bottom out on you over time like ZoomX does because it has a little bit more structure than ZoomX.
If you need more stability through your foot strike, Nike has the Structure for you. Here’s our comparison of the Pegasus vs. Structure.
Outsole
Finally moving to the bottom of the shoe, you’ve got this rubber outsole that features the exact same traction pattern we had on the Pegasus 37s. One little thing I noticed about this outsole is that it has these speckles throughout the rubber and I’m wondering if that’s because they’re using some recycled materials because Nike is really pushing recycled materials at the moment.
Nike didn’t call it out in their marketing materials because usually when they do something like this where they use recycled materials, they make sure to call it out. But they didn’t and so it’s possible that they’re either not using any or they’re using very little.
Overall, the Nike Pegasus 38 is an incredible everyday running sneaker and also a great casual shoe.
So, is the Nike Pegasus 38 worth upgrading to over the 37? I’m not so sure. If you can grab a pair of 37s at discount, I would probably suggest going with the 37s over the 38s if you don’t feel like you care about the tongue or the toe box because that shoe feels just so similar on foot.
If you already have a pair of 37s and it’s not worn out, maybe wear that pair to the ground and then grab a pair of 38s.
But as far as upgrading to the 38s, if you don’t really need to upgrade if your shoes aren’t worn out, I don’t know if it’s worth it. Maybe wait until the 39s and then grab a pair of 38s on discount.
If you need more cushion for your runs, you can check the Nike Vomero. We’ve done a full comparison of the Nike Pegasus vs. Nike Vomero. Make sure you check it out as well.
In conclusion,
If you’ve worn the Pegasus 37 before, you know exactly what you’re getting into with the Pegasus 38. There are some minor improvements like the toe, the tongue, and the heel. And if you liked the Pegasus 37 but didn’t love it, that might actually make you love the Pegasus 38. But if you didn’t like the Pegasus 37, you’re not going to like the Pegasus 38.
If you take running seriously or if you’re a casual runner who loves wearing their running sneakers as everyday sneakers as well, the Pegasus 38 is perfect for you. I would definitely recommend it at this crazy price and I’m surprised if it kept that price point because this is a great shoe.
With that, we pretty much wrap up the entire review for today. So, if someone ever asks you “are Nike Pegasus good for running?” Now you know the answer.
I would love to know your thoughts on the Pegasus 38 and whether they’re a pair of sneakers that you would consider picking up. Make sure to let me know in the comment section down below.
