Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX Review: All-Weather Workhorse

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX

MELISSA: A shoe so nice that I get to review it twice! I was stoked to receive the Gore-Tex version of the Pegasus Trail 5 and give this one another go. Of course, the Pegasus Trail 5 GTX is much like the normal Pegasus Trail 5 but with one major modification: a Gore-Tex Invisible Fit upper to keep you dry and protected from the elements without compromising breathability.

So, let’s get into it.

What we like about the Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX

MELISSA: The Pegasus Trail continues to surprise me when it comes to aesthetics. Nike really knows how to make a shoe look great. I received the Grand Canyon-themed colorway, which is primarily pink, and was blown away by how great it looked. I loved all the small details throughout the shoe and was genuinely bummed to have to get this one dirty.

Many of the features I love about Pegasus Trail 5 are the same here, but to summarize, there’s an upgraded rubber outsole for improved traction, a ReactX foam midsole that provides a cushioned ride, and the shoe is made with at least 20% recycled materials. I didn’t mention this in my previous review of the everyday Pegasus Trail 5, but I think the padded tongue feel and design is perfection in both versions.

I continue to be a huge fan of this midsole. Really, it’s a dream. I wore the Pegasus Trail 5 for two back-to-back long runs and it kept me comfortable throughout. The outsole performs well for road-to-trail situations and grips significantly better on wet surfaces than past versions.

Although I wasn’t able to test Pegasus Trail 5 GTX in snowy or icy conditions, I was able to try it for multiple stream crossings in which it performed pretty decently. I still had the occasional slip on a wet rock, but that’s something that no trail shoe is 100% immune to, at least in my experience.

I absolutely love the addition of the built-in gaiter. It certainly helped keep dust and dirt out, and I had the sock lines to show it. It’s currently yellow jacket season here, and a few weeks ago I had a yellow jacket get caught behind the tongue of a different shoe. It then proceeded to try to sting its way to freedom. This gaiter feature would’ve been nice to have that day, no question.

What we don’t like about the Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX

MELISSA: There were some things I noticed this go-round that I didn’t catch last time. The toe box is either too tight or the heel-to-toe drop is too steep and my toes were getting destroyed on downhills. The heel/ankle stability also continues to be an issue with too much lateral movement for my taste. It almost feels like I’m wearing wedge high heels, making ankle rolls more likely. Also, while the Pegasus Trail 5 is great on a variety of surfaces, it’s just not cut out for the more technical and rocky stuff. I don’t know why I ventured out on a technical trail in these again (didn’t I learn from the other times?) but now I have the scars to prove it.

Finally, I noticed that Nike skipped its Flywire lacing for this version. That was a bummer, but I didn’t really notice any significant change in lockdown or upper fit.

Final thoughts on the Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX

MELISSA: Nike’s Pegasus Trail 5 GTX is stylish, comfortable, and might be the perfect hybrid shoe to throw on if you’re running any combination of road and not-so-technical trails, especially in winter and wet weather situations. It’s a shoe that I continue to love for everyday running but proceed on the steeper, rockier stuff with caution.

You can pick up the Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX for $170 from Nike by using the buttons below.