Nike Pegasus Trail 4

The Pegasus Trail 4 saga has been given a total redesign. That was my hunch when I saw the Pegasus Trail 4 for the first time, and my assumption was confirmed after trying them on. Was this change for better or worse? Did Nike make the right choice by changing this already legendary model? For me, yes. That's the short and concise answer. But I won't stop there, since in the following I will explain the pros and cons to the radical change in the philosophy of this model.

What kind of users are the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 intended for?

Let's be clear: with or without the redesign, the Pegasus Trail line of trail running shoes has always been aimed at runners who are not known for stratospheric times or running on overly technical terrain. However, with the new sole, I have found that their performance in rough terrain has improved, so perhaps we are at the beginning of a broadening of the range of use of these shoes.

In general it is still a model designed for beginners, but both the structure and the very essence of the model have changed. As I mentioned before, its performance on terrains far away from tracks and compact trails (the optimal surface for this model and its predecessors), has improved, which opens the possibility for more experienced trail runners or those who are used to running in steeper, wetter or, in general, more complex environments, to do so without any problems.

Why did we like the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 so much?

What I liked most about Nike's approach to this new version of Nike's trail shoes is their willingness to take risks and make substantial changes. First and foremost is the change in the outsole, which I had already demanded some time ago with the Nike Pegasus Trail 3 and its Gore-Tex version. The outsole is one of the most important determinants a trail running shoe's quality, and in this case, a more than necessary change.

And yes, when getting wet, the new outsole was a success. Why? Because it solved, at least in part, the big problem of the Pegasus mountain saga, which was the lack of grip, traction and security. With the old outsole I experienced multiple slips and feelings of insecurity. The new version now has a more marked geometry in the front part of the shoe and transversal grooves in the heel, to improve its grip in all types of terrain.

What else is new? The fit of the model has been modified in general. It has become a trail shoe with maximum comfort, something that perhaps its predecessor also lacked to some extent. It achieves this by implementing a lacing system that allows you to better fit the entire structure to your foot. This, combined with a slightly thicker and more comfortable yet breathable mesh, makes for a totally different feel.

As if that was not enough, the midsole is "resized". I put this in quotation marks because although at the bottom its drop is similar, it barely varies half a millimeter. The difference is that the Nike React foam offers a softer and less rigid support than in previous versions, taking its profile outwards. In short, it has given me the feeling that they have taken the essence of what could be a Vomero, to the structure of the Pegasus. I personally like this combination.

What kind of trail shoes can we compare the Nike Pegasus Trail 4 to?

After a more than obvious redesign, these Nike trail shoes stand as a safe competitor in the multipurpose model category, with very good cushioning. Competitors include:

• Salomon Sense Ride 4
• ASICS Gel Trabuco 10
• HOKA Zinal
• Merrell Agility Peak 4

What we liked least about the Nike Pegasus Trail 4

Every redesign also has its "buts", and in this case, as happy as I was with the changes, there are a couple of big features missing that could have been included for a perfect redesign.

One of these features is the protective toe cap area. This element had been included in the past several models, but disappears in this design. In this case, and although it would cause a small increase in weight, I think it is a feature that deserved to remain in order to protect the toe, which suffers so much in descents.

Another area I was left wanting was the finish of the ankle ring. While its sock-like composition disappeared from the Pegasus Trail 2 to 3 version, it came back for the Gore-Tex edition of the predecessor version and is one of the elements I liked the most. It improves comfort and above all, protection and safety while running by preventing annoying foreign elements from creeping in. It will be missed.

Conclusions

The conclusions of this radical change are mostly positive. While it would have been nice to take the best of the new model and the old and create an almost perfect version, the simple fact of taking a leap of faith and solving problems that many runners had noticed is to be commended.

This is a relatively young trail shoe, and one that I predict after many more tweaks will become the brand's most sought after model. I'm sure they've already taken the first step to take it to the next level.