Are the Nike Pegasus Premium Running Shoes Worth the Hype?

William Goodman

The out-of-this-world nature is heightened by the fact that Nike’s packed this thing full of bleeding-edge technology. As mentioned, the sole is likely what will draw attention first, especially depending on the colorway, as it extends the length of the shoe. On my pair, the orange-red hue of the bubble naturally drew my eye line to it when compared to the nighttime hues of the upper.

The upper doesn’t look radically different than mesh uppers on most other running shoes. Still, the textured portion around the midfoot is accented by Nike’s swoosh, which features a bit of metallic-esque detailing that pops rather nicely.

Snug Like a Bug

Despite having feet that I would describe as near flipper-like (I’m a 13), I felt that the Premium felt good. The shoe certainly runs on the narrow side of things, but I felt quite comfortable in them. The feeling is snug, a reassuring grip around the arch and through the heel. Upon first wear, I didn’t feel a need or desire to lace up a runner’s knot, as the stability of my foot throughout the shoe was secure.

What also stood out to me was the tongue, which was the perfect length. I sometimes get annoyed with ones that are overly long. This one goes right up to the eyelets and no further. For some, it might not be quite long enough, but I appreciated that it was otherwise out of my way. Plus, the way the laces lock down across the top didn’t feel like they dug into my feet at all, so it’s not like I needed the extra length to accommodate accordingly.

Bouncing to the Finish Line

The week after I rocked the Premiums at run club, notched up a few other runs, and then came back to the crew, having dubbed them the Tiggers. Stick with me. Remember how in Winnie the Pooh, Tigger the Tiger is always bouncing on his tail? That’s how wearing the Premiums felt across both long and short runs. There was always a nice pop and bounce on return, almost as if I were Christopher Robin’s favorite tiger, just bouncing my way through DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Naturally, the orange and black colorway reminded me of dear old Tigger, too.