RRP £109.95 Reviewer Paid £61.58
Purchase link https://www.nike.com/gb/t/air-zoom-pegasus-38-flyease-easy-on-off-road-running-shoes-BMBZRb/DJ5408-100
First some basic info about reviews on this site. All reviews are of products that I have bought for my own use and are based on how the product performs for me and are offered as a guide only. The reviews will be updated periodically to reflect how they perform over a period of time rather than just new out of the box, as such it is worth revisiting the reviews for an update occasionally.
The Nike Pegasus 38 Flyease is described by Nike as a "workhorse with wings" and first impressions certainly suggest this to be the case, they are not the lightest of trainers but the weight is not noticeable when worn and they feel well cushioned and supportive for the weight. They feel like a trainer that you will be able to put some good mileage on before they start to break down and the rubber sole looks tough with a decent amount of tread for grip. Aesthetically they look sleek and fast and come in a wide range of colour schemes and while I personally wouldn't usually go for the bright colours I buy my trainers to run in, not to look good and so I picked the cheapest colour, quite often with Nike you will find a different colour option of the same shoe is substantially cheaper so it's always worth checking.
I have wide feet and so I ordered the wide version in a 10.5 UK which is generally the size I wear and I feel they are true to size although having never worn the standard fit, or indeed any Pegasus previously I cannot comment on how the wide compares but I can say that they are very comfortable with quite substantial cushioning and plenty of room in the toe box. The flyease system is also new to me and again was only ordered as this model was on offer, not through any personal preference. The flyease utilises a zip and quick lace system and I was concerned that I would be able to feel the zip against my foot but this proved to be unfounded and on first trying on the trainers I found them to be very comfortable with no discomfort in any area.
To test them out I broke all the rules, my run for the day was a 4 hour run with the idea being to speed up for the second half of the run. After a big event a few months ago my fitness isn't really there for that yet but what the hell, you have to try don't you. The run consisted of road, pavement and tree lined cycle track which is primarily gravelly tarmac with a small wooden boardwalk section.
Having zipped up (that seems odd to type) I headed out of the house at a steady pace of 8:45min/mile and the Pegasus immediately felt natural with a lovely cushioned feel but with a nice spring, immediately making me feel like I could quite happily wear these for long easy runs but also confident they would respond for faster workouts such as interval sessions. On the road and pavements they gripped well and they handled the greasy leaves on the cycle track well, it was a wet day so the wooden boardwalk section of the track was extremely slippery and while there was some loss of grip on this section I was able to carry on running as normal without having to take any extra care. The rain also seemed to just run off the trainers with them not absorbing any noticeable amount of rain however my feet were very wet at the end of the run which I suspect was due to the trainers not being particularly breathable but this did not result in any rubbing issues on this run.
After about 13 miles the Pegasus still felt lovely and comfortable but I did feel like they needed tightening up, I didn't really see this as an issue as given this was the first time I had worn them you would expect some adjustment to be needed and the flyease system should make this a very quick process. This however is where I ran into a problem, the laces are tightened by pulling the end then attaching that to some velcro that is on the heel of the trainer, it is simple and efficient but in my case tightening the shoes to the desired level resulted in the laces reaching beyond the velcro tab and so I could not adjust them any further. To be fair it may be that the Pegasus are quite accommodating with the width and a normal rather than wide fit may have fitted me better but it is something to be aware of, having said that I continued the run completing a marathon and despite not being able to adjust the fit any further I did not experience and discomfort or rubbing.
So the verdict so far after just over 26 miles is that they are a very comfortable trainer that grip well on all surfaces that you are likely to encounter on a typical run around the streets. They were definitely well suited to this type of steady paced run and despite no break in period were comfortable from start to finish and after this initial run show no signs of wear to either the upper or the sole. The only negative encountered is that I personally would have liked to see them have an option to shorten the lacing somehow to allow additional adjustment but maybe the normal width would have suited me better?
100 mile update 21/11/2021
A few miles shy of 100 miles in these now and they are still like new, there is no wear at all on the sole and they still have plenty of bounce. I have managed to overcome the adjustment issue by twisting the cord that attaches the velcro tab thereby shortening it and this does the trick just fine. It is looking like these will be a great value daily trainer at the price paid.
Comments