I ran 35 miles in the Nike Pegasus 41 and it’s my favorite Pegasus in years

The Nike Pegasus 41 has been a popular pick with runners for over 40 years, and many of the past generations of the shoe have stood out as one of the best running shoes available when they launched.

That proud heritage is secure with the Nike Pegasus 41, which is a shoe that’s likely to please existing fans of the line and convert a few more as well. It’s a comfortable daily trainer with a balanced ride that will work for most runners, and the new midsole foam makes the shoe an improvement on the Nike Pegasus 40. 

It's one of the best Nike running shoes, especially for newer runners, and in my Nike Pegasus 41 review I'll explain why I think it's the most impressive version of the Pegasus in several years.

Nike Pegasus 41 review: Price and availability

The Nike Pegasus 41 launched in June 2024 it’s available from Nike direct and third-party retailers like Sportsshoes.com. It costs $140 in the US and £130 in the UK, which is more expensive in the US than the Pegasus 40, which is $130 / £130. It’s still good value for a daily trainer, though there are cheaper options like the Puma Velocity Nitro 3.

Nike Pegasus 41 review: Design and fit

The Nike Pegasus 41 is available in 16 colors, with more designs likely to follow, and you can also design your own shoe using Nike’s By You option. The shoe has a 10mm drop, and has a 4mm higher midsole stack than the Pegasus 40, standing 37mm tall at the heel and 27mm at the forefoot. Nike lists the weight as 8.8 oz in a women’s US 8 and 10.4 oz in a men's US 10.

I tested the White/Dusty Cactus/Glacier Blue/Black color of the shoe, and found that the fit was perfect for me in my normal running shoe size — the same size I’ve worn for all previous versions of the Pegasus I’ve tested along with other Nike shoes. I have enough room around the toes and a secure hold at the heel and midfoot.

Upper

The engineered mesh upper on the Pegasus 41 has been updated slightly to be lighter and more breathable than the material on the Pegasus 40. It’s still well padded around the tongue and collar, and there’s an internal heel counter to add some extra support at the back of the shoe.

I ran in warm conditions in the Pegasus 41 and it still can get a bit hot around the tongue because of the padding there, but it wasn’t a major problem, and overall the upper is a comfortable and supportive one.

Midsole

The biggest update to the Nike Pegasus 41 is found in the midsole, which is now mostly made from ReactX foam. This is softer and gives more energy return than the React foam used in past Pegasus shoes, and also more environmentally-friendly — Nike says using ReactX reduces the carbon footprint of a pair of midsoles by 43%.

There are also two Air Zoom pods encased in the ReactX foam, one under the heel and one under the forefoot. These make the midsole lighter and a bit more responsive for faster runs than using the ReactX foam alone.

Outsole

There is a thick layer of rubber on the outsole of the Pegasus 41, which has Nike’s waffle pattern. I’ve been impressed with the grip on the past few versions of the Pegasus and that remains the case with the Pegasus 41, which gives good traction on wet pavements and light trails.

Nike Pegasus 41 review: Running performance

I've been testing the Nike Pegasus each year since the Pegasus 33. Usually the updates to the shoe are fairly small, with Nike understandably afraid of alienating a huge fanbase by making sweeping changes. However, the Pegasus 41 is a big update on the Pegasus 40.

The new ReactX midsole and higher stack on the Pegasus 41 gives it a softer ride that its predecessors, but it’s not so squishy underfoot as to be unstable in any way. It’s a balanced midsole that is comfortable for easy and long runs, but has a little bounce to it when you want to up the pace. 

The combination of the ReactX foam with the Air Zoom pods creates a better ride than I experienced with the ReactX foam alone in the Nike Infinity Run 4, which was heavier and didn’t have as much pop as the Pegasus 41.

At 10mm, it has a higher drop than the majority of shoes these days, and the ride has more of a snap to it as you move from heel to toe, which contrasts to the smoother, rockered designs of shoes like the Hoka Clifton 9. It feels like a very neutral shoe in many ways though, and one that will work well for lots of different runners — if you’re not sure what kind of shoe you like, the Pegasus 41 will be a safe bet.

I found the Pegasus 41 more comfortable under the forefoot in particular when compared to its predecessors, which sometimes felt a bit thin in that area on long or fast runs. The foam has a high level of resilience to it as well, so feels the same at the end of a long run as it did at the start, whereas sometimes soft materials can compress during a run.

It’s not the lightest shoe, which I found did make it less suitable for very fast training sessions, and if you have a shoe rotation then I’d recommend pairing it with lighter, more speed-focused shoes. Most runners who stick to one shoe for everything will find it a capable all-rounder, however, and I think the Pegasus 41 is a particularly good option for those new to the sport who want a protective shoe.

As with past versions of the Pegasus the thick outsole gripped well for me in wet conditions, and it’s a durable material that held up well on light trail runs too, with no signs of wear and tear yet. The Pegasus has always been a long-lasting shoe for me in the past and the Pegasus 41 looks set to continue this fine tradition.

Should you buy the Nike Pegasus 41?

The Nike Pegasus 41 is an easy shoe to recommend to lots of different runners. It’s good value, has a balanced and comfortable ride that can handle different types of run, and it even looks good, so you can wear it outside your training as well.

As ever with the Pegasus line, there might be more value in seeking a deal on the older Pegasus 40, which is also a good shoe, but I do prefer the ride of the Pegasus 41 and it will probably start appearing in sales itself from the second half of 2024, especially around Black Friday.

If you want a softer ride then the New Balance 1080v13 and Nike Invincible 3 are good options, and as much as I like the Pegasus 41, I still prefer the Puma Velocity Nitro 3 for the same kind of runs myself, because it has a livelier ride for fast running and it’s cheaper than the Nike shoe, but the Pegasus 41 is a bit more stable.

There are also some slightly more versatile shoes available at the Pegasus 41’s price, most notably the Asics Novablast 4 and Hoka Mach 6. Both of these shoes have a more rockered feel if you prefer that, and are lighter than the Pegasus 41, but don’t have as impressive an outsole as the Nike shoe.