In today’s article, we’re going to compare the Nike Pegasus vs Structure.
We’re going to be looking at the two latest iterations of these shoes, the Nike Pegasus 37 vs Structure 23.
I’m going to talk about…
- The specs.
- Who the Pegasus and the Structure are for.
- The upper.
- The midsole.
- The outsole.
Then, I’ll give you my conclusions on these shoes.
Before we start, here’s our comparison of the latest Nike Pegasus Plus and Pegasus 41.
Let’s dive right in…
Nike Pegasus vs. Structure
Nike Structure 23
Forget everything that you currently know about the Nike Structure series. The Structure series used to be firm, and stiff. It has never been a soft shoe and I never really enjoyed the ride of this shoe because it felt so harsh.
But the Structure 23 is the Structure series re-imagined and I really like the direction that Nike has gone in with it. Previous versions of the Structure felt as stiff and hard as a plank of wood, but the Structure 23 is actually fun to run in. If you are looking for a shoe similar to the Structure 22, then you will be bitterly disappointed with the Structure 23.
It is no longer a traditional stability running shoe with a firm ride and a harder medial post. It is still a stable and light pronation running shoe that’s really versatile and durable.
It possesses all the long-distance comfort features that the Vomero versions had before the 14th version such as a plush well-fitting upper, a super durable outsole, and a soft midsole with deep cushioning.
Nike Pegasus 37
The Nike Pegasus 37 is a shoe that a lot of people were anticipating. The Pegasus line has a huge following. With 37 versions, it’s pretty crazy.
People were curious to see if the 37 with its new midsole, its newish upper, and kind of a new outsole, how it would feel, and if it would be just as good as the other Pegasus versions or if it would be better.
Related:
Specs
The Pegasus 37 comes in at 9oz. It has a 10mm heel-to-toe drop with 24mm stack height in the heel and 14mm in the forefoot.
The Structure 23 checks in at 10.2 oz. The men’s version has a 22mm stack height in the heel and 14mm in the forefoot for a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm.
The women’s has a stack height of 20mm in the heel and 13mm in the forefoot for a 7mm heel-to-toe drop.
As you see, the Pegasus is a little bit lighter than the Structure 23, but the Structure has a lower heel-to-toe differential.
But compared to the previous iterations, the Pegasus 37 did gain a little weight and 2mm of stack height, which felt really nice.
The stack height on the Pegasus 37 is a little higher for a daily trainer. Usually, I prefer the 6 to 8mm range, but the 10mm of the Pegasus did not bother me.
Who Are The Pegasus & Structure For?
Nike Structure 23
If you’re a big fan of Nike and you’re looking for great comfort and a little bit of support and stability as well, then I would definitely check the Nike Structure 23 out.
The Structure is a decent upgrade on what they’ve had before.
The Nike Zoom Structure is ultimately the most popular stabilizing running shoe from Nike, and actually, it has been so for many, many years now.
How does the Structure 23 offer stability?
A lot of runners steer away from stability shoes because it usually means firm, heavy, and poking arch sensation.
So, Nike tried hard to come up with a shoe where you won’t actually feel the support underfoot.
This shoe is not advertised as a stability shoe, but stability is high even though there’s no firmer wedge or medial post.
This is down to two main reasons…
The first is that your foot sits inside the midsole and there are lateral railings which help keep your foot centered through transitions.
The second thing is that the midsole base is really wide so your foot strikes feel planted no matter where you land.
The medial side of the midsole is built up much more than the lateral side so there’s a noticeable level of under-arch support but without the poking sensation.
The densities of the medial side and the lateral side are the same, but the wall of the medial side is higher.
They’ve also put some sort of structure to it to make it a little bit firmer but it’s still the same foam.
So, the inward rolling of the foot is prevented by making the medial side more cushioned than the lateral side.
Overall, the Structure 23 does help a little bit with mild overpronation.
It’s also going to help neutral runners when their feet start to collapse in a little bit at the end of a run. The heel counter is very supportive too and works well with that.
In a nutshell, the Structure 23 is Nike’s version of the Ultra Boost ST – a high level of cushioning with a built-up medial side.
Nike Pegasus 37
The Pegasus is a neutral road running shoe for neutral runners looking for a bouncier and cushioned ride.
Doing the twist test, the Pegasus is absolutely neutral. It’s even more so than I expected considering that the stack height did gain a couple of millimeters.
Midsole
Nike Structure 23
The shoe’s biggest strength is the design of the midsole. The midsole feels super soft and cushioned without losing stability.
It’s even softer and more cushioned than some daily trainers like the Pegasus 37, the Miler, the Vomero 14, and even a lot of max cushion trainers like the Brooks Glycerin and the Hoka Bondi.
However, you won’t be able to get that energy return that ZoomX offers for example.
Where It Shines
Nike also hasn’t specified the name of the midsole foam, tough. It could be a brand-new foam, but it feels like the Lunarlon that was used on the Vomero versions 10 to 13.
Nike has done the complete opposite of what they did to the Vomero 14. So, instead of making the Structure faster and firmer, they’ve made it slower and softer.
However, the high level of sinking cushioning and the flexible forefoot means that it’s difficult to pick up the pace in the Structure 23.
So, anything faster than an easy pace is asking too much of it.
It does however shine on long runs or recovery runs at relaxed paces. Distances from 15 kilometers up to the marathon are in its wheelhouse.
I love the Structure 23 for volume training and long weekend runs, and it serves the same purpose as the Saucony Triumph and the Hoka Clifton.
Nike Pegasus 37
Gone are the days of the Cushlon foam that the Pegasus had for years upon years. Now, we have Nike’s staple React foam.
The Nike Pegasus 37 has a full-length React midsole with a little Zoom unit around the forefoot. React is a really nice balance between firm and cushioned.
React has been proven to be pretty durable, so I think you’re going to get plenty of miles out of this midsole.
So, you have plenty of cushioning and protection from the road, but this React foam just doesn’t feel the same as it did in the first .
I know a lot of you like React. I think in the smaller sizes it’s just a bit heavy and you can kind of put up with that.
However, I think for bigger feet and bigger runners, this React midsole becomes unbearably heavy.
Overall, I do like this midsole. It isn’t my favorite one, but if you’re looking for a reliable midsole that’s going to get the job done, then this is a good option.
Zoom Air Unit
Both the Nike Pegasus and Structure have a Zoom Air pocket in the forefoot.
Nike Structure 23
Out front of the Structure, there’s a Zoom Air pocket to provide responsive cushioning and a nice running experience.
It’s not like the Zoom Air pad on the Pegasus where they tuned it up or anything like that.
Nike Pegasus 37
The Zoom unit definitely does help give you a nice pop off the toe.
Coming from the React Miler, I was concerned how I would feel about this shoe. But the Pegasus was a lot softer and I did feel the Zoom Air pocket in the push-off.
And what’s even more interesting about this Zoom Air unit in the Pegasus is that Nike put different Zoom unit setups for men and women.
The women’s version of the shoe actually has a lower psi (15 psi) than the men’s (20 psi) in the Zoom unit for just a little bit more softness and cushioning.
Why?
Nike found that a lot of ladies are asking for a slightly softer and more bouncier ride through the forefoot.
I have seen people who have tried both the men’s and women’s Pegasus and they actually like the softer feeling of the women’s better. So, just an interesting tidbit.
I wouldn’t say this Air pocket makes the Pegasus really responsive, but it does feel like it aids in some way to go through that gait cycle.
Upper
Nike Structure 23
The one defining theme of the structure 23’s upper is plushness. The upper is so plush and comfortable that it wouldn’t look out of place on a Vomero.
It’s actually very reminiscent of the Vomero 11 but without the Flywire cables.
Instead of the Flywire cables, there are soft mesh panels on the midfoot which you can see through the perforations.
The shoe will definitely help you and follow your movement regardless of whether you are running fast or easy, long or short distances.
You are going to experience a ventilated support across the forefoot/midfoot area.
However, I found the Structure 23 to be a warm shoe because of the inner sleeve, and all the extra padding all around allows for sweat to be absorbed.
It’s definitely suited to cooler climates.
Tongue, Lacing, Heel
The Tongue has got a noticeable more thickness to it than the Pegasus and the lacing offers decent lockdown.
Both the tongue and the heel cup have a super soft texture, which adds to the comfortable running experience where everything just fits the way it is supposed to without irritating your foot at all.
There’s a hard woven eternal heel counter which extends down into the midsole for a secure fit to keep your foot in place.
So, this stable and firm heel cup provides supreme support out there on the road and keeps your heel locked in place.
The heel cushion is really noticeable. The cushion sits perfectly and provides the absolute best shock absorption as well as a responsive feel.
So, the quite thick feeling upper and the amount of cushioning around the heel make this area feel very much like the Pegasus. However, the heel area is a lot more stable feeling than the Pegasus.
Nike Pegasus 37
The upper is made of a translucent mesh which is a game-changer and a huge update to the Pegasus lineup.
It’s still relatively thick, but it’s nice and fairly breathable but not the most breathable shoe I’ve tried. The material is soft so it is comfortable for your foot.
There is a decently wide toe box, or at least it felt wide for my foot, so I have plenty of room for my toes to splay.
Nike has replaced the Flywire cables with these bands that adapt to the size of your feet to give you that comfort and lockdown through the midfoot.
But the problem is when this shoe gets wet, it gets very heavy. So I guess this is not a shoe that I will be taking out in the rain.
On the whole, it’s a decent upper with a good width toe box. Even if you have wide feet, you can go standard width in this shoe and it’s going to work absolutely perfectly.
Tongue, Lacing, Heel
We have what I would call quite a standard Nike tongue which I’ve seen on quite a lot of the shoes.
It’s gusseted and it’s quite thin. There’s a minor bit of padding around there but on the whole, it’s very paper-thin.
I like the extra bit of material on the tongue wrapping around the inside of the ankle. This feature kind of wraps to your foot quite nicely so that’s a good feature that I found about this shoe.
There’s a relatively standard lacing system with some extra loops which hold the laces in.
I guess these loops are just adding a bit of unnecessary extra weight because they could have used a standard eyelet chain.
But there’s nothing wrong with this system and you can still get some good lockdown in the Pegasus 37.
The ankle collar is medium plushness, which is perfect for me. The padding is not too thick and not too thin and that works all the way around and all the way down as well into the shoe.
There’s a little heel flare to allow you to slip your foot in and out nice and easily.
Size
The Structure 23 fits true to size and has a deep spacious forefoot. Also, for me, the Pegasus 37 is true to size.
The overall fit in the Structure is nice and wide and feels more like a Nike Miler in terms of the fit of the shoe. And that’s a big positive over the Nike Pegasus 37.
Outsole
Nike Structure 23
The outsole of the Structure 23 has got thick hard-wearing rubber plastered across the entire outsole with harder carbon rubber on the heel and the blown rubber on the midfoot and the forefoot.
So, the Structure 23 is tremendously durable thanks to the Duralon rubber, which means you are going to get a lot of good miles with this shoe.
The outsole is pretty flexible, which gives you a great sense of control. It adapts to your running style and the surface.
It’s also got a lateral crash railing to help absorb impact.
Nike has taken data from hundreds of runners to form the crashpad placement at the heel to provide extra cushioning for those heel-to-toe transitions.
So, with the Nike Zoom Structure 23, you are getting top comfort, steady fit, and superb shock absorption.
Nike Pegasus 37
Nike is using lots of Duralon blown rubber. They’ve also added a new and improved waffle style outsole pattern which is a major throwback.
On the lateral side, we have that crash rail that we see in all Pegasus shoes.
I like the traction on this shoe. I think it’s been pretty reliable. I never feel hesitant that the shoe is going to slip out from under me and I always feel very stable on the ground.
There is some rubber on certain shoes that kind of makes the ride too firm and too stiff, but that’s not the issue with the Pegasus.
I’ve got to say the little lugs on the outsole are quite deep. The Pegasus is not a trail shoe, but that’s quite a big bit of rubber there.
The Pegasus 37 has a very large decoupled groove through the outsole. This gives a little bit of extra trampoline feel especially if you’re a heel striker.
Again, if you are a heel striker, you will like the fact that there’s this decoupled heel.
Issues
Nike Pegasus 37
There’s a couple of things about the upper of the Pegasus that kind of ended up being an issue.
Shallow around the ankle
The first point that I want you to know is the Pegasus is relatively shallow in and around the heel counter area. There’s actually a lot of room around your ankle bones.
It felt like my ankle was barely in the foot and I did struggle with heel slippage.
Heel Slippage
Due to how shallow this section of material is, as I landed and as I pushed off at that phase there, my heel felt like the shoe wanted to go back and my heel wanted to come out.
Yet, this constant rubbing up and down the back of my foot caused no issues, no red marks, and no blistering, but it just did not feel secure in the slightest.
The good thing is I used the extra eyelet and fixed the problem. The other good thing is the forefoot of the Pegasus was really comfortable.
I know some other people have had issues with the heel slipping in this shoe, but I’m curious to know if you’ve experienced this whole midfoot drama as well.
Weight
I think the Pegasus needs to shed some weight whether it’s through the React midsole, the chunky outsole, through the upper, or the excess eyelet holders.
So, whatever it is, the Pegasus needs to shed some weight, and then it will be a completely different game-changer.
Final Thoughts
Nike Pegasus 37
To kind of sum up my thoughts on the Nike Pegasus 37, I like it. I think it’s a good option and a solid daily trainer.
If you can only have one shoe in your running shoe rotation to do it all, then this is a good option.
And if you want to pick up the pace a little bit in this shoe, because of the React and because of the Zoom unit underfoot, you can do that.
Nike Structure 23
The Structure 23 is not the lightest and not the most breathable shoe out there, but it’s going to do you a great job in particular over the winter months.
So there you have it. This was the Nike Pegasus vs Structure.
I hope you’ve learned something new today. If you’ve run in one or both shoes, please tell us your experience down below.
