Nike Pegasus Plus Introduction
The Pegasus Turbo and Pegasus Turbo 2 are regarded by many runners as the best Nike trainers that have ever been produced. They were the complete opposite of the regular Pegasus: lightweight, soft, versatile and energetic. Their big downfall was the midsole separation of the ZoomX and the React foam.
Three years later, Nike then launched the Pegasus Turbo Next Nature. This trainer had nothing in common with the previous 2 versions. It was firm, it had a warm, lifestyle upper and it had a flat ride with a midsole made of recycled ZoomX foam. I’ve been using my pair as a casual walking shoe.
If we analyse the current Nike performance trainers, most of them have a firm, flat ride (with the exception of the Vomero 17 and the Invincible 3). Nike is missing an energetic, lightweight, tempo trainer that competes with the likes of the New Balance Rebel v4, Hoka Mach 6 and Adidas SL2. The Pegasus Turbo used to fill that role.
The 2024 Pegasus Turbo is called the Pegasus Plus. It really should have been called the Pegasus Turbo 4. It even says Pegasus Turbo on its outsole so it seems like the name was a last minute change. The “Plus” in the name is confusing and it doesn’t have as much clout as “Turbo”. There’s no continuity in Nike’s naming strategy.
Nike says that the Pegasus Plus is a trainer for everyday runs. Its price is $180; a high one considering it doesn’t have a plate in its midsole. $180 is the price that you’d expect to pay for a super trainer these days. It weighs 245 g (8.6 oz) for a men’s US 9, which is 30 g (1.1 oz) lighter than the Pegasus Turbo Next Nature.
Nike Pegasus Plus First Impressions
My first run was a 20 kilometre Sunday morning recovery run. The thing that surprised me was how soft the ride was compared to the Pegasus Next Nature. There was a really pleasant squish with every footstrike- a softer ride than even the Invincible Run 3.
It was a really fun, bouncy ride, nothing like the Pegasus 41. It felt more like an easy run shoe than an uptempo trainer because of how flexible and relaxed the forefoot was.
The shoe that it reminded me of most was the Nike Streakfly which also has a thin, full-length ZoomX midsole. They both compress very easily and have a lot of ground feel.
Nike Pegasus Plus Upper
The Pegasus Plus upper has a similar design to that of the Pegasus Turbo Next Nature but it has less padding so it feels like less of a casual, lifestyle upper. It’s made from thick, stretchy Flyknit so it’s not a very breathable material.
There are reflective panes on the sides of the heel counter, on the tongue and on the eye stays so it’s a safe shoe to wear in low light conditions.
The flat tongue is not gusseted but there’s a loop in the middle of it for the laces to go through to prevent any tongue slide. I find heel lockdown to be excellent with the use of a runner’s knot.
I have no issues with the sizing. It’s true to size with a typical Nike narrow fit. The midfoot is narrow, the forefoot is normal and the toe-box is also narrow. It’s best suited to narrow, low-volume feet.
Nike Pegasus Plus Sole Unit
When the original version of the Pegasus Turbo came out 6 years ago, it felt like a fast shoe. Most of the trainers back then were still using EVA and were non-plated so the Peg Turbo felt really bouncy in comparison, like a breath of fresh air. It had a layer of React foam underneath the ZoomX so the ride felt balanced.
Pegasus Plus of today doesn’t feel like a fast shoe. This is due to 2 reasons: it has no plate or stiffener in its midsole and it also doesn’t have the firm React layer. The ride feels a lot more squishy. The Pegasus Plus has a very relaxed ride which is best suited to easy or recovery runs.
Most of my runs in the Peg Plus have been easy runs. It’s not very easy to hold a fast pace because the forefoot is so bendy and you get a sense that the shoe just doesn’t want to go fast. It’s also worth noting that there’s no high toe-spring and no rocker to speed up transitions. The ride does however feel faster and more fun than the Pegasus 41.
Versatility is also not as good as previous versions because there is less cushioning depth without the layer of React. The ZoomX midsole also has a very high rate of compression. The Pegasus Plus is only suited to short or middle-distance runs below 21 kilometres. For long runs, there is too much ground feel and not enough structure/stability.
The Pegasus Plus is not a particularly stable shoe. Other super soft trainers like the Mizuno Neo Vista have a plate to create some structure but the Pegasus Plus midsole is 100% squishy ZoomX foam. If you’re a severe overpronator, this is one to avoid- there’s also no arch support.
Underneath the insole is a furry white strobel lining with small circular holes punched into it. The holes allow you to feel the foam without making the ride too mushy. Version 1 of the Pegasus Turbo also had these holes in its strobel lining however version 2 did not.
The entire forefoot and entire rearfoot are protected by thick, soft rubber. Durability is average- there is some noticeable wear on the outer heel area. The ZoomX foam is exposed at the midfoot but there isn’t much wear showing there on my pair, only discolouring. Traction on wet surfaces is good but not great.
Build quality is very bad. The upper has already started to separate from the midsole on the medial side of the left shoe where the shoe flexes, leaving a big gap.
After just 83 kilometres, this is very disappointing for a $180 shoe. The Pegasus Turbo series just doesn’t have the same exceptional build quality as the regular Pegasus.
Nike Pegasus Plus Conclusions
The Pegasus Plus is a much better version than the Pegasus Turbo Next Nature. It feels more like a performance running trainer and less like a lifestyle one. Its ride feels more energetic and most importantly, it’s a lot more fun to run in.
It doesn’t feel very similar to the Pegasus Turbo 1 and 2. The Vomero 17 feels more similar to those trainers because it has the ZoomX toplayer with a firmer layer foam underneath it. The Pegasus Plus feels more like a training version of the Streakfly.
The Pegasus Turbo series used to feel fast but in the current market, the Pegasus Plus feels like an easy or recovery trainer. Nike needs to increase the stack height and add in a flexible plate to make it more snappy and more versatile. That would make it feel more modern too. The Pegasus Plus feels like a blast from the past but I feel that it needs to be modernised.
The Pegasus Turbo should have been priced at $160- that would make it $20 more than the Pegasus 41. $180 is too much to pay for a non-plated trainer with limited versatility and low build quality.
