Nike Pegasus 37 Performance Review

What You Need To Know

• Weighs 10.5 oz. (300 g) for our US M10.5
• Pressurized Zoom Airbags in forefoot provide a highly responsive toe-off
• Shoot that full-length React midsole straight into our veins!
• So far, this is the best do-it-all shoe for 2020

THOMAS: Everything is different, everything is the same.

Jk, it’s 2020 and everything is a traveling sideshow of carnie tricks and nobody knows what to expect anymore (I mean, you’ve seen the HOKA ONE ONE TenNine, right? It belongs in Larry David’s freak book).

Now, the Nike Pegasus has been around since Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ so it’s not exactly going to go off the rails into some uncharted territory like MJ’s personal life. That said, the Nike Pegasus 37 is a P.Y.T. if there ever was one. Nike fans, if you wanted a revamp, you got one.

In the Nike Pegasus 37, the Flywire is gone, the old Cushlon foam has been replaced by a full React midsole, and the full-length Zoom Air is now just a front unit. That said– while it is a brand new configuration, all the technologies and materials are, well, “unnew.” Okay, that isn’t a real word. But it’s 2020. There are no rules.

React foam has been around for more than three years. Zoom Air? Pop that bag and you’ll smell my grandmother’s living room, that shit is old. But wait– here is where Nike gets all David Blaine and does some real magic. Because the Pegasus 37 feels like it is from the future. The way the team put these components together sets off my shoe nerd spidey senses more than Peter Parker in an Alphafly 2 test kitchen.

However, you can have the web-slinging, the super strength, and the spidey sense, but if they’re not working together, Doc Ock’s gonna grab you by the balls (of your feet). It won’t make for a pleasant run. The truth is, if React, Zoom Air, and the shoe composition weren’t put together right, this shoe could still suck. So compliments to the shoe kitchen chefs– the shoe is a gem.

I’m gonna sit back a second as Meg leads you into one of our favorite shoes of 2020 so far.

The Good

MEAGHAN: The Nike Pegasus has been a staple in my running shoe collection. I’m always happy when the latest model arrives and I was not disappointed with the fire colorway I received (Pale Ivory/Barely Volt/Sail/Ghost).

The Pegasus 37 has some major updates, but there are a couple of qualities you will recognize from the Pegasus 36. For starters, they look similar. Nike kept the tapered heel collar (see also: elf ear design) because apparently people liked it. They’ve also kept the waffle rubber outsole.

Now onto the updates. The upper is even lighter and translucent which gives them an airy, breathable feel. There’s less padding through the tongue and collar, but it’s still plenty comfortable. Flywire lacing has been replaced with wide straps to hold the laces (similar to what we saw in the Nike Speed Rival 6 way back in 2017) and a midfoot band to lock the foot in place. It’s a comfortable fit, true to size. I have wide feet and I didn’t have any issues with rubbing or hot spots.

Okay, honestly the midsole is the shining star of this shoe. Instead of a full-length Zoom Air bag, the Pegasus 37 has one forefoot airbag (twice as thick) that’s top-loaded into React foam. The React foam is lighter and more responsive than the Cushlon foam used in the Peg 36. These shoes feel great running slow, moderate, or even picking up the pace. I took them out for an 18 miler and they felt as fresh and bouncy on mile 18 as they did at mile 1. While the shoes gained a tiny bit of weight, my W7.5 came in at 8.1 oz (vs. 7.8 with V36), they feel light out on the run.

Nike Pegasus 37 – Women’s

THOMAS: This is the shoe I was looking for and didn’t know it. A daily trainer that rolls through the stride, that isn’t too mushy but still feels cushioned, and moves fast when you want it to. The Pegasus 37 has it.

If you are a Zoomfly fan, the Pegasus 37 shares some feel, but is less bottom-heavy. Sure there isn’t a carbon plate, but you’d be surprised how well the Zoom Air pillow adds some pop to your toe-off. Speaking of the Zoom Air, they adjusted the psi (imagine a bike tire and how much air is in the tube) from 15 psi in the women’s pod to 20 psi for the men’s. From testing, women preferred a softer landing than the men, but I’m assuming most of the men weighed more than the women, so that likely played into the tuning of the pillow. The React foam does a good job of giving lighter weight cushioning. The shoe rides firm and forgiving at the same time. While the spec sheets don’t talk about updates to the rubber on the outsole, the grip is outstanding and feels different than the 36, but that might be in my head.

The Pegasus 37 fits true to size but is on the snug side and there isn’t a ton of room in the toebox. I prefer this type of fit over an overly roomy toebox. The weight is in the sweet spot for a daily trainer– my size 10.5 weighs 10.5 oz./300 grams.

The thin tongue is gusseted (attached all the way around and down the sides of the shoe), and I always like that. I have yet to find a shoe where a gusseted tongue doesn’t improve the fit.

ROBBE: It’s fitting that I got a shoe with an airbag considering the post-apocalyptic opening track to Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’ has been bouncing around my head the last month. In any case, I hadn’t worn the Pegasus since v33, and my how times have changed.

I love React like Brick Tamland loves lamp, so I was more than stoked to get that midsole under my feet. It did not disappoint. The ride is that perfect balance between soft and firm, and that pressurized Zoom airbag upfront gives a great pop to the toe-off. I did over 30 miles in the shoe, from easy daily miles to an 8-mile long run (that had trail sections). I also did a couple miles at my 5K pace and it picked up nicely. The midsole is basically what I wanted the soft Peg Turbo 2 midsole to be. Anyway, if you’re on a budget for marathon training, this can definitely be a do-it-all shoe.

My second favorite thing about the shoe is the grip. It felt slightly unstable due to the narrow midfoot, but the outsole just grabs everything in sight, like a Covid Karen in the toilet paper aisle at Target. Seriously, it was grippy, so maybe can you try and do that for your trail shoes, Nike?

Um, also this shoe just looks really, really good. Once the sun hits these babies, the bioluminescence (or whatever) really sparkles. And these are the “boring” colors, so I can’t wait to see what comes out in a few months.

The Bad

MEAGHAN: The only negative I have for this shoe is the ankle support was lacking. When I picked up the pace or turned a sharp corner — I didn’t feel that secure locked-in fit that I expect. A quick lacing trick seemed to fix the issue for the most part, but still worth noting.

THOMAS: The shoe’s upper runs warm, I found myself craving a more breathable upper. Open, That. Mesh. Up. Like Meaghan, I found the heel counter could use some help locking the foot down. I was able to get a proper fit by using the lace lock holes, but by the time I got to double knotting I was almost completely out of lace.

ROBBE: I don’t know if you need to put the elf on the shelf, or put some holler in the collar, but I’ll repeat what Thomas and Meaghan said: I was getting some heel slippage and never felt great in the ankle department. Also, the laces are way too short, which is something I never thought I’d say after the long-lace movement of 2018 (RIP). Luckily, I have tiny squirrel hands so I could tie the 1-inch of laces left after doing a heel lock technique.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I found the forefoot to be a little narrow/tight, and that’s by Nike standards, which I’ve never had a problem with. My foot’s about as wide as a #2 pencil, and even I felt a little bit cramped.

Nike Pegasus 37 Conclusion

MEAGHAN: The Nike Pegasus 37 has got to be one of my top shoes for 2020. From performance to aesthetics, Nike really nailed this one. Similar to the Saucony Kinvara, I think you could use the Pegasus for daily training to speed work and even racing. If you’re looking for a shoe that can do it all, definitely give the Pegasus 37 a try.

THOMAS: The Pegasus 37 is my front runner for 2020 daily trainer of the year. I was sad to hear the Turbo wasn’t coming back, but after running in the Pegasus 37, I am coping with the loss. The Peg stepped up. Nike nailed it in the marketing copy when they called the Pegasus 37 “a workhorse with wings.” I am sure I will be reaching for these shoes throughout the rest of the year. As long as you don’t mind a snug-fitting upper, I can safely recommend the Peg 37 as a top pick.

ROBBE: I mean, if you’ve ever loved a Pegasus, or wanted to try it, then this is the one. I already know I’ll be putting almost every mile outside of testing in this shoe. For what you get, the $120 price point is stupid cheap in comparison to any other shoe model right now. And we all know you got the stimuli coin burning a hole through your WFH sweatpants pockets (‘cause you classy like that), so get shopping.

You can pick up the Nike Pegasus 37 now for $120 at Running Warehouse (featuring free 2-day shipping and 90-day returns) by using the shop link below.