Today I’m going to review the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31, this iconic shoe is has been completely redesigned and inspired by gold medalist, world champion Mo Farah. An interesting fun fact is they wear tested this shoe over 16,000 miles.
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 described in three words to describe this shoe: comfortable, responsive, and neutral…
Shoe Stats
- Heel drop: 10 mm
- Weight: 13.7 oz. / 388 grams, size 14
- Largest size available: 15
- Widths: narrow (b), medium (d), wide (2E), and extra wide (4E)
Style & Appearance
It should go without saying that Nike makes good-looking shoes, they have a way with colors that is unbelievable… For men the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 comes in Hyper Cobalt/ Black/ Volt &White/Black/Volt. The colorways for women feature Pink/Black/Volt &White/Bright Pink/Grape… When I started running I use to look for subtle colors black shoes. Now I love color… The brighter the better… They make my feet happy.
Upper Construction
The upper of the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 has been completely redesigned; the upper looks different but has a similar feel. The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 touts engineered mesh, overlays on the sides, include that with an inner sock liner and the shoe hugs my feet like a baby… I feel secure in them without being over bearing.
Some things stay on the Air Zoom Pegasus, the padded tongue and the cushioning around the ankle collar are comfortable as usually. The firm heel counter means there’s a secure fit around the heel and the toe box feels just the same or even wider… Comparing the Air Zoom Pegasus 31 to the 29 and 30’s; I would say the Pegasus 31s are the best fitting Pegasus that I have worn…
Sole construction
The Air Zoom Pegasus 31 touts a redesigned sole unit… One major of the changes of the sole unit is the 10 mm drop which supposed to give a more natural and faster feel when you are running… As result of dropping the heel the soles feels a firmer under my feet. I’m having a mix feelings about this change because I fell in love with the plush, cushy feeling of the soles in the Pegasus 29s and 30s and the Air Zoom Pegasus 31s doesn’t quite have the pillowly feel that I’m use too. Don’t get me wrong it’s still an amazing shoe but it’s something that I noticed. I wonder how the other Pegasus fans feel about this change.
I don’t know if this is a result of dropping the heel but I had to ask, “Where’s the crash pad?” The Pegasus 30s had an integrated crash pad or grooves in the heel of the midsole that decouples as your foot hit the ground. However, on the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 there is no crash pad to be found… There is a small groove along the bottom that travel laterally on the shoe called a crash rail that supposed to give lateral support but nope no crash pad. Another thing that I notice about the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus is the outsole has a lower profile compared to the previous Pegasus… Being a big guy, I blow through shoes like no body’s busy. It will be interesting to see how these shoes wear as I run in them …
Conclusion
The Air Zoom Pegasus is an iconic shoe that runners love; with the 31st iteration, there have been some updates on the shoe that supposed to give a faster and more natural feel. As a big guy I don’t think the update will make me faster but it comes with that option. However, I look for a shoe that has a roomy toe box, nothing rubbing on my pinky toes when running, offer some type of support, and has nice cushioning. The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus fits all these criteria… l’m giving the Air Zoom Pegasus 31 the 300 PAR seal of approval… If you’re looking for a neutral training shoe with a fast feeling, I would give the pegs a try…
If you’re a Pegasus fan let me know what you think about the updates… Leave a comment below !
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I hope that you found this review useful. At the end of the day, I’m just a big guy who just so happens to run, sharing his perspective on a particular product. It’s important to note that we all slight differences and quirks, so “Your Millage May Vary,” with this review. However, it’s my hope to give you a perspective that’s different from the ones that’s currently out there. Therefore, you can compare different viewpoints and make the best-informed decision on your purchase. Theses reviews generally take many hours to put together. It usually consists of me : trying on the shoes with different types of socks, running in them multiple times and being aware of every little detail, playing with shoes in my hand , sniffing the new shoe smell , drafting a post, taking a lot of pictures, running in them again, reading up on the shoe to see what the company and others says about them and etc. It’s needless to say it’s quite a bit of work (and labor of love). If you’re planning on purchasing the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 do it from Road Runner Sports. Additionally, you can also purchase these shoes or anything else for that matter from this Amazon link and I will receive a small commission on your purchase. However, every little bit helps this site… I really appreciate your support no matter have big or little it is. Lastly, if you think this review would be useful for a friend please share it with them!
Disclaimer: I want to shout out to folks at Nike Sports Marketing -Athletics with a special thanks to John Capriotti and Donna Vasquez for providing me these shoes to review. As always, all views are mines.
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