The Nike Pegasus 41 is one of our favorite all-around road running shoes, as it also excels on gravel, dirt, and crushed rock trails. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Not many running shoe models stand on more than four decades of history. That’s precisely what you get with the Nike Pegasus 41 ($140). If you’re like us, you’ve probably run in at least a handful of models in the shoe’s lineage. But we can confidently say the 41st edition is one of the best yet. Why? Broadly speaking, it’s a workhorse trainer at a decent value. It’s durable, versatile, and improved its energy return, especially for heel strikers.
The shoe’s versatility is really what made us fall in love with this particular model. That starts at the bottom, where Nike employs its waffle-inspired rubber outsole. It’s grippier than most road running shoes, which gave us confidence running on multiple surfaces, from pavement to non-technical dirt paths and gravel roads. The claimed high stack at the shoe’s heel of 37 millimeters and the 27 millimeters at the forefoot make it a better shoe for heel strikers. The 10-millimeter drop might be somewhat off-putting for forefoot-first runners. And the actual weight of 9.9 ounces (281 grams) per shoe (U.S men’s 10) makes it solidly midweight compared to other road running shoes.
Simply put, the shoe’s durability and versatility led iRunFar’s Bryon Powell to use them throughout his course-record-setting win at the Ultra Gobi 400k in October 2024. The shoe made its way into many of our buyer’s guides, like the Best Nike Running Shoes, Best Running Shoes, Best Half Marathon Shoes, Best Running Gear, and Best Road Running Shoes. We’ll dig into the nitty-gritty below, but the upshot is this: There aren’t many (if any) better daily running trainers currently available.
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Keith Kilgore, Jr. runs in the Nike Pegasus 41 in Ventura County, California.
Nike Pegasus 41 Upper
Let’s start with the upper portion of the Nike Pegasus 41. Nike upgraded this portion of the shoe to an engineered mesh material. And the upgrade is real. The 40s didn’t have excellent breathability — we often felt our feet getting warm, especially when wearing thicker socks or running in summer conditions. This version does. Nike also claims the new upper material helps decrease the shoe’s weight.
Nike isn’t known for shoes with wide toeboxes, but the Pegasus 41’s toebox is wide enough. I have fairly wide, flat feet and didn’t find the fit throughout the foot too narrow or suffocating. Previous versions of the Pegasus — and Nike running shoes in general — run narrow. That’s not the case with the newest version of the Pegs, making it a better shoe for more types of runners. The toebox and the mid-section of the shoe are more of a regular fit, making it still work for those with narrow feet and higher arches because of its lacing system and structure.
Overall, we credit Nike for improving the upper of the shoe. It’s more breathable, lighter, and more comfortable for a wider range of runners. This helps the Pegasus compete with Hoka’s Clifton line, New Balance’s Fresh Foam 1080 series, and Brook’s Ghost series in terms of being the best general trainer.
The midsole and outsole of the Nike Pegasus 41 make it comfortable, efficient, and versatile. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Nike Pegasus 41 Midsole and Outsole
The outsole — and moreso midsole — is where the Nike Pegasus 41 really shines. The highlight upgrade of the Peg 41 is adding ReactX foam. (For more info on Nike’s midsole foams, check out our Best Nike Running Shoes guide.) The ReactX foam is one of Nike’s premium midsole foams. It’s an upgrade on the React foam, originally developed in 2017 and utilized primarily in Nike’s golf, basketball, and running shoes to help prevent injuries. Nike engineers and designers spent five years developing the ReactX foam, which debuted in 2023 in the Nike InfinityRN 4.
The upgrade’s upshot is a foam with greater energy return and a smaller carbon footprint. We’ll spare you the nitty-gritty nerd stuff, but Nike claims the ReactX foam reduces its carbon impact by 43% through reduced energy during the manufacturing process while also improving the energy return by 13%. We didn’t measure the energy return, but we definitely felt the improvement from previous models. This version of the Peg has more spring and bounce, which helped us stay efficient in longer runs and runs when we wanted to turn the legs over at a slightly faster pace.
The Nike ReactX midsole foam found on the Nike Pegasus 41 is comfortable and efficient. Photo: iRunFar/Nathan Allen
The stack height makes the Pegs on the more cushioned side, but the premium foam helps keep them from feeling like boats or overly clunky. The 10-millimeter drop is probably the maximum amount I tend to prefer. However, it doesn’t feel totally overaggressive.
Moving to the outsole, Nike employs its waffle-inspired rubber outsole. In our opinion, the outsole is what really sets it apart from top road trainers from other brands like the Hoka Clifton, Brooks Ghost, and New Balance Fresh Foam models, among others. I run a mixture of pavement, gravel and dirt roads and trails, and rocky, technical singletrack, all from my doorstep. For most runs, I’ll hit a combination of multiple surface types. I value a versatile shoe that can handle many terrain types. That’s exactly what you get in the Pegasus 41s. Yes, these are technically road shoes. And, no, I wouldn’t make them my go-to shoes if I’m running technical singletrack every day. But, if you are like me and often run a mixture of pavement, dirt, gravel, or crushed limestone, you should absolutely have the Pegs in your running shoe rotation.
This last point about the shoe’s versatility is that the Pegs have become my go-to travel shoe. When I’m not checking a bag and trying to save packing space, I’ll often just wear the one pair of running shoes I plan on taking to the airport and onto the plane. If I’m taking one pair of running shoes, I prioritize versatility and aesthetics. Meaning I want a shoe that will handle different types of terrain and surfaces and doesn’t scream, look at my dorky running shoes. (Sorry, Hoka.) The Pegasus 41s have been that shoe for me over the past year.
The waffle-inspired rubber outsole found on the Nike Pegasus 41 makes it a versatile shoe, able to handle multiple surface types. Photo: iRunFar/Nathan Allen
Nike Pegasus 41 Overall Impressions
The Nike Pegasus 41 is a solid option for beginners to seasoned marathoners looking for an all-around solid training shoe. It will work for the runner training for their first 5k to someone competing in a long ultramarathon on variable terrain (as our own Bryon Powell did). Simply put: this shoe will work for most, if not all, runners. It’s a workhorse running shoe that is durable, versatile, and at a great value.
From the bottom up, you get some of Nike’s best materials and technology. The waffle-style outsole is a classic and versatile bottom able to handle pavement, dirt, gravel, and crushed rock. The ReactX is the best midsole foam Nike offers outside of its premium racing shoes. And the engineered mesh upper is comfy. All of this adds up to creating a fun, efficient, and durable running shoe that we love.
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Bryon Powell runs in the 2024 Ultra Gobi 400k with the Nike Pegasus 41 running shoes. Photo: Daniel Keppler
