NIKE Men's Zoom Pegasus 36 Trail GTX Track & Field Shoes

Product Information

As I’ve steamed through the life expectancy of my On Cloudventure (that developed an annoying squeak), I’ve been looking for a new pair of waterproof trail running shoes that are not too extreme and a bit more “door to trail”. I loved my Nike Zoom Wildhorse 3, which bridged that road/trail gap but they were not waterproof.

One of the primary criticisms of the Pegasus Trail 3 was its weight; at 321 g for a US Men’s size 9, it was one of the heaviest shoes in the maximal category. While a shoe’s weight arguably shrinks in importance as the distance it’s intended for increases, there is definitely a ceiling when weight’s concerned, and the Pegasus Trail 3 was pressed up against it. As such, most of the changes to the latest iteration involve trimming grams where possible, and the Pegasus Trail 4 benefits from those efforts. For context, here’s how the shoe’s stated weight compares to the stated weights for some other similar models, including the Pegasus Trail 3. All weights are based on a US Men’s Size 9. These shoes are not for the mountains, the deep mud or anything too technical. Nike describes them as trail shoes and that’s what they are. On grass, gravel and damp earth trails (with not much climbing) is where these shoes excel. For those who have some road to get from their door to the trail, the Nike Pegasus Trail GTX manage well on the tarmac and will keep your feet dry-ish, even on the wettest days. Make sure to tie them up correctly too.If you’ve run in Nike Pegasus road shoes before then you will already be familiar with the slipper-like comfort in these trail shoes. Comfort while running in the Pegasus 36 Trail GTX is nearly as dreamy as its non-waterproof counterpart. It’s obviously better suited to running in the winter though due to the Gore-Tex upper that keeps your feet warm and dry, so it certainly wins in that arena. There are a couple of areas where it falls short when compared to the summer running shoe alternative though. The two design aspects that adversely affect the comfort of the Pegasus 36 Trail GTX are: The Nike Pegasus 36 Trail GTX fits true to size, relative to other popular running brands, so no need to size up or down. Feel free to leave me a comment at the bottom of this review with the brand you normally run in and I’ll let you know how they fit relative to them just in case. Or just say hello!! 🙂 The drop is 10mm which makes it feel more like a road shoe. One of the other Nike trail shoes, the Nike Terra Kiger only has a 4mm drop, which may not be to a roadrunners liking. The weight is 288g approx for a Men’s Size 9, which is similar to the Terra Kiger, which are described as lightweight. Conclusion

As Nike’s trail line has matured, it’s continued to distinguish itself from the brand’s seemingly limitless selection of road shoes. One of the most felt effects of this bifurcation has been the way most Nike trail shoes fit. Models intended for off-road use are under different constraints than their road counterparts, generally requiring higher volumes and wider lasts. Nike’s early attempts at trail shoes were frequently criticized for being too narrow, likely a byproduct of the footwear manufacturing process at the time (i.e., I suspect Nike used the same if not similar last for the Pegasus 36 and the Pegasus 36 Trail). Within the last few years, I’ve noticed a concentrated effort from Nike to shed this reputation, and the Pegasus Trail 4’s fit benefits from it.The lacing system is different. The GTX version does not use the same Flywire Cable lacing system that I loved so much on the non-GTX shoes. The Flywire Cable system adds an extra layer of flex and stretch to the upper which is something this shoe would certainly benefit from. That being said, they’re by no means uncomfortable, in fact, they are very comfortable, just not as cozy as the Pegasus 36 Trail. One of the primary criticisms of the Pegasus Trail 3 was its weight; at 321 g for a US Men’s size 9, it was one of the heaviest shoes in the maximal category. While a shoe’s weight arguably shrinks in importance as the distance it’s intended for increases, there is definitely a ceiling when weight’s concerned, and the Pegasus Trail 3 was pressed up against it. As such, most of the changes to the latest iteration involve trimming grams where possible, and the Pegasus Trail 4 will likely benefit from those efforts immensely. For context, here’s how the shoe’s stated weight compares to the stated weights for some other similar models, including the Pegasus Trail 3. All weights are based on a US Men’s Size 9.