Nike Pegasus Turbo 35 Shoe Review

The Nike Pegasus is most people’s first running shoe.  In fact, way back in 2011, it was my first running shoe.  It’s gone through many changes.

This year, it has divided into two, and the current models are both the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35 and the Nike Pegasus 35 Turbo. They are two completely different shoes with different fits, feels, rides, and prices.   My foot barely fits into the regular width of the Pegasus 35 so I haven’t bothered running in it.

The Nike Pegasus 35 Turbo is a lightweight weight and “faster” version of the Pegasus.  It’s essentially the fast shoe of the nike zoom Pegasus. It uses the same Nike ZoomX foam as the Vaporfly 4%.  That’s why it comes in at $180 and has a very short life.

I bought the Pegasus Turbo 35 because I was looking for a long run/faster shoe.  During previous training cycles, I would have used a less cushioned shoes like a racing flat. I wanted a fast shoe I could use for training runs but need a cushioned ride. Many people use the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo as a daily training shoe, but I prefer something with more cushion.

My only goal of this training cycle is to start and finish the marathon healthy.  Among many things, it means adding a lot more cushion into my training shoes. I’m not the type of runner that can get away minimal shoes anyway.  I did recently write about racing flats and if they are right for you.

The Nike Zoom Pegasus 35 Turbo has Nike ZoomX foam, which is lighter and provides more energy return than the regular Pegasus.  The only shoes that have the ZoomX foam are the Vaporfly Elite, Vaporfly 4%, and now the Pegasus Turbo.  You’ll know if your shoe has the foam because they are only available is certain colors and far more expensive than the traditional shoe.

Nike Pegasus Turbo 35 Fit:

The upper of the Nike Pegasus Turbo is very different than the regular Nike Pegasus. The translucent mesh is lot wider. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to try the Turbo versus the normal Pegasus. The Pegasus Turbo fits my foot better.

Of course, I want to run faster, but with the mesh upper the Nike Pegasus Turbo is just a wider shoe. I usually wear a women’s size 10-11 wide and I cannot fit my foot into the regular Pegasus. The flywire cables keep the shoe hugging your arch.

I can, however, wear a women’s 10 in the Nike Pegasus Turbo 35 with no problem.  The Nike Pegasus Turbo is one of the few shoes that a standard size 10 feels comfortable to me.

The upper of the Pegasus Turbo generally is a similar to the regular Pegasus but a little more sturdy.  One thing worth mentioning is the Racing Stripe on the shoe. It looks cool, sure, but it takes a lot of breathability out of the shoe. To me personally, it seems cheap.  It could have been screen printed onto the shoe with no issues with the material. The translucent mesh looks equally as cool but the practicality of the shoe is lacking.

Nike Pegasus Turbo 35 Ride:

Both the Pegasus and Pegasus Turbo look like aggressive shoes.  They have a curved heel almost resembling a fin with the heel counter coming up further than most shoes.  Nike Running mentions the fin is aerodynamic.  Every second matter right?

I like shoes that you can see the technology.  In any of the Turbo shoes, you can see where the two layers of react foam meet.  You can see the material crush down in both the Vaporfly and Nike Pegasus Turbo.

During long runs, it’s much softer than the regular Pegasus and resembles the squishy of the Vomero but fast…very fast.  All of my long runs have been productive in the shoe.  Is it the shoe? Is it my training? I’m able to get good leg turnover in the shoe. Nike claims it brings record breaking paces and my long runs have been raster.

Finally, unlike the Nike Vaporfly 4%, there is a rubber outsole and traction during inclement weather. I am much more likely to run in the Pegasus Turbo (versus Vaporfly) in bad weather.

Conclusion:

I think the Nike Pegasus Turbo is a good shoe, however, there are a few things that I think need to be mentioned.  I’ll continue to run in it and get faster long runs, but do I think it’s worth all of the hype? That I’m not sure.

• The shoe is not durable. Similar to the VaporFly, you aren’t going to get “a lot” of mileage in them. The foam tends to break down in the Turbo around 150 miles.  Why don’t people talk about this? The Vaporfly is only designed to last 2 or so marathons?
• The price. $180 is a lot for a neutral, low cushioned, shoe.

I don’t think it’s a bad shoe, but for me, it serves its purpose as a long, fast, run shoe. I’m not going to take it out for a leisurely jog or add additional mileage in it.

If your foot is a more narrow width, I would probably suggest getting the regular Pegasus, as it’s significantly cheaper and you get more mileage out it.  I know I’m in the minority, but I think it’s more of a social media shoe than anything.  Obviously, most people love it, since it sells out so quickly!

Current Shoe Rotation:

Long Runs: Nike Pegasus Turbo, Hoka Cavu

Easy Run/Daily Runs: Brooks Glycerin, New Balance 1080, On Cloudace 

Workouts: Nike Pegasus Turbo, Nike Zoom Streak or Saucony Type A

Questions for you:

What was your first running shoe?

What shoe do you race most often in?