I love sneakers. And also the one thing I love a lot more than sneakers is new sneakers. Which is why when Nike invited several editors to wear-test the brand new Air Zoom Pegasus 35 ($120; nike.com)- an iconic shoe that has been in the Nike family for 35 years-I jumped in the opportunity.
I was especially curious about the most recent model, which dropped this week, because, well, I felt like Nike had something to prove-to me at least. You see, I had been no fan of their predecessor. Sorry Nike, but the Pegasus 34 irritated the heck from my right forefoot every time I slipped it on, and thus spent more time in the back of my closet than it did on the road.
I learned in the good folks at Nike which i wasn’t the only person who felt something was “off” with the forefoot of the previous version.?In fact, that was one of the things the brand addressed when revamping the silhouette of the Pegasus, which happens to be one of Nike’s best-selling running shoes of all time.
“When we look at the midsole from the shoe, previously it had two thick air bags, a ‘zoom bag’?within the forefoot as well as in the heel. We’ve replaced individuals with one thin full-length bag that really contours to the shape inside of the shoe to provide you with the same responsiveness throughout the entire shoe, rather than in only two places,” a Nike spokesperson said to our group before we headed out for a 3- or 5-mile run. “The feedback [from various runners concerning the forefoot issues]?is exactly what led us to some full-length bag, because individuals with sensitive feet felt the edges from the [original] bag.”
Roz Frazier
And the tweaks didn’t hold on there. The runner presently has a?partial bootie construction and a notched tongue, which will make it simpler to jump on. It’s lighter. The women’s version includes a slightly softer cushion foam. The heel collar?takes it’s cue from long-distance runner and four-time Olympic Gold medalist Mo Farah. His 2016 custom Pegasus sneakers were?designed to help him having a bursitis issue he was having on the back of his heel at that time;?a sort of peak extends out from the foot a little to ease pressure around the Achilles.
The outsole has also been rejiggered. “You still have these flex grooves to make it nice and flexible, but we have lugs?that give you more support and stability underneath the foot.?Then in the front from the shoe, you’ve smaller lugs that provide you more flexibility,” the Nike spokesperson said.
In my estimation, the changes have definitely chose to make this a much better shoe-at least for me. They were extremely comfy within my rainy 3-miler. I felt like I was just zipping along (hello, responsiveness!) despite my body system being fatigued from the run the day before. And that all-over breathable mesh upper (which looks super sleek too), will likely be a godsend come summer.
My only complaint: The manufacturers should sole would be a bit more grippy. This could be a rain-specific issue, but as I glided over NYC grates, I felt like I was losing my footing a bit. (Full disclosure: I?have this complaint about a large amount of athletic shoes I sport in the rain.)
Roz Frazier
That said, I’d definitely rock this shoe again on a run. In the event you? This is a personal decision. But according to Nike, the Pegasus 35 is built for those runners and all sorts of miles.
“We want this to be a democratic shoe that matches lot of different feet,” the Nike spokesperson said.?”And that is what the Pegasus has been known for for a long time: being the go-to shoe no matter what distance you will do on the run.”
