Nike Pegasus 41 Introduction
New and improved. Yet old and the same. That’s the headline of a 2005 Pegasus advertisement which inspired the designers when they created the Pegasus 41.
When designing the Pegasus, more emphasis has been placed on the second part of this tagline, “old and the same” rather than the first part. With such a big fanbase, why would they ever want to change the ride of the good old Pegasus?
Last year’s Pegasus was the big 4-0. 40 is a massive milestone for a running shoe yet all we got was a version with an updated upper. It was OK in the performance department. There was nothing wrong with it but I just found its ride boring. It didn’t have an energetic or engaging ride.
The Pegasus is one of the most popular running shoes but I’ve noticed that most Pegasus wearers are not hardcore runners but gym or fitness enthusiasts. It’s used for casual wear, cross training and can also handle some running. A beginner runner might start off using a Pegasus but will then graduate to something else and never go back.
Every two years, the Pegasus gets an entire, top to bottom update so this year’s Pegasus 41 gets a new midsole foam, new upper design and an updated outsole.
It weighs 10.5 oz (297 g) for a US 9, which is a substantial increase over the Pegasus 40 that weighed 9.7 oz (275 g). It also has a 4 mm thicker midsole in both the heel and forefoot.
The Pegasus 41 gets a price increase and now costs $140 which is the same price as the Saucony Ride, Brooks Ghost, ASICS Cumulus and Adidas Supernova Rise.
Nike Pegasus 41 First Impressions
My first run was a 21 kilometre, steady-paced run. The new ride was decent but not mind-blowing. I expected a bit of a softer ride from the ReactX midsole but the firm forefoot Zoom airbag made it feel very similar to previous Pegasus versions.
With 37 mm of stack height in the heel, it’s now classified as a high stack height trainer yet it weirdly still felt like a medium stack height. It didn’t feel as cushioned as other daily trainers like the Ride 17 or the Supernova Rise which both have lower stack heights than the Pegasus.
The upper was perhaps the best fitting, most comfortable of any previous Pegasus I’ve tried. It fit me like a glove and needed no adjusting mid-run.
Nike Pegasus 41 Upper
This year’s Pegasus upper is the highlight of the shoe for me. It’s spacious but not too baggy and it feels plush. The mesh is also more breathable than past versions.
Foot lockdown is really good and there are reflectors on the side of the toe box, tongue and heel for safety. The semi-gusseted tongue doesn’t slide around and it has the perfect amount of padding.
Fit is perfectly true to size for me. It has an accommodating fit which is comfortable for most foot shapes but it’s also available in wider widths.
Nike Pegasus 41 Sole Unit
If you were hoping that the ride of the Pegasus 41 will be more exciting, engaging and fun, you’ll be frustrated because the ride is still very “Pegasus”: predictable and consistent. The rearfoot is ever so slightly softer than the Pegasus 40 but the forefoot is similar in softness because of the pressurised airbag taking up a big portion of the forefoot.
This is the 2nd Nike road trainer to feature ReactX (TPE+EVA blend): the first was the InfinityRN 4. It’s a very dense, rubbery midsole foam which doesn’t feel energetic- there isn’t much rebound. It’s lightyears behind other new-age foams which are supercritical or have PEBA in them. Nike claims that it’s 13% more responsive than the previous version, React but in reality, I don’t feel the difference.
The forefoot houses the Pegasus’ signature Zoom Air unit and I feel that the air pressure of it is too high. It makes the ride very firm because the rearfoot has to match the firm feel of the forefoot or else there will be too big a difference. The airbag also feels flatter in profile than in the Pegasus 40 and 39. It doesn’t bulge out as much so the forefoot feels thinner. The large airbag is situated above the flex point in the forefoot and it acts as a stiffening agent, making the forefoot stiffer than other daily trainers.
I can only do easy/recovery runs in the Pegasus 41 because it’s too heavy and I feel no bounce from the ReactX foam. It’s a shoe that doesn’t want you to pick up the pace. Back in the day, the airbags used to feel springy but new, groundbreaking foams have been created, and now the airbags just feel antiquated and firm.
After running 80 kilometres in the Pegasus 41 for a week and using it for almost every run, I noticed that my legs were more sore than usual, particularly my knees. I find that it doesn’t provide as much impact protection as the trainers that I usually use.
The Pegasus is now one of the heaviest shoes in its class, weighing more than the Ghost 16, Ride 17, Cumulus 26 and Clifton 9. This is really disappointing considering the Pegasus 39 weighed just 9.2 oz (261 g), more than an ounce lighter than the Pegasus 41.
My longest run in the Pegasus 41 was 33 kilometres. It wasn’t a fun experience because of how firm and flat the ride felt. For the entire run, I wished that the ride was softer. There’s also no rocker to assist you through transitions so the ride feels very old school. For most runners, the Pegasus will be suitable for runs of only 21 kilometres and under.
The Pegasus 41 has the signature Pegasus 10 mm drop which feels old-fashioned. A lot of the other daily trainers have switched to 8 mm drops (or lower) because runners prefer to have more cushioning under the forefoot which creates more long-distance comfort. There’s a big difference in softness between the rearfoot and the forefoot of the Pegasus so it’s better suited to heel strikers or walkers.
I noticed that the 41’s insole is thinner than in previous versions so there isn’t as much step-in softness- it doesn’t feel as plush. This is noticeable when you have both versions on your feet at the same time.
The waffle-rubber outsole provides really good traction. It rained heavily during the long run and grip was outstanding. The outsole isn’t flat- there are protruding square pieces (the waffles) designed to grip onto the road and other surfaces. This results is these protruding pieces strike the ground first and wear down significantly in the first 100 kilometres.
The rubber that the Pegasus 41 uses is harder than the average running shoe, so the outsole is relatively durable even though it shows significant wear initially.
Nike Pegasus 41 Conclusions
It might just be me but the Pegasus 41 doesn’t feel new and improved; it’s heavier and there’s still not much bounce. It does however feel old and the same, so Nike succeeded with that aspect.
If you haven’t run in other, “more advanced” trainers, or you’re used to it, I think you’ll find the Pegasus 41 perfectly fine. It’s comfortable, it has enough cushioning for distances up to a half marathon and it looks stunning visually. It’s also built to last a really long time.
After this update, the Pegasus is probably going to be an even more popular shoe: not because of its performance but because of its design. On the Nike website, the Volt colourway has been sold out for weeks. Nike’s marketing is so good that the Pegasus is not only bought for the purpose of running but also for casual-lifestyle wear, walking and cross training.
As a performance running shoe, it can’t quite compete with the mid-range, neutral daily trainers of ASICS, Adidas, Saucony, New Balance, Hoka and Brooks. It doesn’t have as much cushioning, versatility or energy return.
And now at $140, the Pegasus 41 has even more really tough competition. It’s no longer considered a “great bang for your buck” daily trainer. The Adizero SL2, Kinvara 15 and Propel v5 all undercut the Pegasus by $20.
I prefer the 41’s upper to the 40’s but the ride of the 41 just isn’t as enjoyable. Although it has 4 mm extra stack height, it doesn’t feel much more cushioned or significantly softer. The new ReactX midsole isn’t a big improvement and the ride is still bland. It doesn’t feel efficient (no rocker) or engaging and during long runs, the ride feels harsh.
The Pegasus 41 is now one of the heaviest mid-range, neutral daily trainers. It weighs as much as the Pegasus 34 from 7 years ago. I would pick last year’s 40 over the 41.
