by Zach Mione, Marathon Sports staff member

Let me start by saying every year I think Nike is going to ruin the Pegasus. For the better part of a decade I have been running most of my miles in the Pegasus. It has always been a simple shoe that has given me complete control of my run, and in the shoe ‘tech wars’ era, that has been hard to come by.

My initial reaction to the unveiling of the Pegasus 33 was ‘Nike did it again, this shoe looks great!’ But as we know, looks are a non-factor when heading out for a run; fit and feel are the important factors. While on my foot for the first time, I noticed that this version of the Pegasus had a much better ‘slide in’ feel than past models – not too roomy, not too tight, just right. With my new shoes laced up I was ready to get out the door and hit the pavement.

A few things stood out during the first few steps of my run. First, the new Zoom Air unit that Nike put in the forefoot. Traditionally, the Pegasus has had a single Zoom Air unit in the heel while Cushlon Foam ran through the entire midsole.

In a world where midfoot/forefoot striking is king, Nike has beefed up the cushion to make the shoe softer wherever your preferred landing zone is. What amazes me is how they engineered the shoe to provide more cushion without adding bulk or weight. The vertical and horizontal cuts in the outsole add a bit more flexibility to the shoe and give it a more natural feel through your stride.

A few of the usual suspects have been carried over from years past. The Engineered Mesh on the upper provides a breathable and forgiving toebox to accommodate swelling or bunions. Flywire cables through the midfoot give you a nice locked-in fit. The 10mm heel-to-toe offset keeps the Pegasus squarely in the traditional neutral category with a lightweight trainer feel (10.8 oz for men, 8.6 oz for women).

In a world where althleisure is ruling fashion, the Nike Pegasus is unique in the sense that it can bridge the gap between both function and fashion. No longer is it taboo to wear your trainers out to a bar – and these shoes are pretty cool looking.

The Pegasus 33 is the perfect combination of simplicity, cushion, speed, and style.

The Nike Zoom Pegasus 33 ($109.99) is available in men’s size 8-13 and women’s size 6-11 in all Marathon Sports locations.