I’m looking forward to racking up some miles in the Nike Pegasus 38.
This time last year I was trying to decide whether to replace my Brooks Ghost 11 with the Brooks Ghost 12 or the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 37. In the end, I didn’t choose either of those, and went with the Asics Novablast instead. I’ve loved running in that shoe, but it’s going to be retired soon and I was back on the hunt for a new daily trainer.
This time around I was considering the Nike Pegasus 38, Saucony Ride 13 and Brooks Glycerin 19. I dropped the Ghost from my choices because I’m trying to keep the drop to 10mm or less. After comparing those three choices I decided to go with the Pegasus 38 for my daily running, and so far I couldn’t be happier. In addition to an upper that feels more plush, here are some of my high points:
Bouncy feel that propels up and forward
Good lockdown that doesn’t take a lot of fiddling with the laces
Average stack height that makes for a stable ride underfoot
And my lone low point so far?
It is a bit heavier than other choices
Holding the Pegasus 38 up against my other daily trainers, the Novablast and the Reebok Floatride Forever Energy 2.0, I’m very pleased with how it’s performed so far. Honestly, I had hoped that the Novablast 2 would have a redesigned upper more like the Pegasus 38’s, but it looks like that might not be the case. I am a bit surprised that my Reebok FFE 2 has a higher stack height because it actually feels slightly lower to the ground. I can also push the pace in that shoe a little more than I’ve been able to in the Pegasus thus far.
Yet, if you’re looking for a running shoe that’s a reliable daily trainer to pile up miles in, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Pegasus 38. Its feel underfoot and good lockdown out of the box outweigh any minor concerns I had about its weight versus the other options I was considering. If you’re in the market for a new workhorse, I would certainly take a look at the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38.
The Asics Novablast has been a welcome surprise. Courtesy Asics
You may remember my post from back in May where I was on the hunt for my next pair of running shoes. At that point, I thought I was going to be choosing between the Nike Pegasus 37 and the Brooks Ghost 12. Then, I started digging deeper into the daily trainer category and came across the Reebok Floatride Forever Energy 2.0 at a nice price. I have to say, I’ve been very surprised by its performance.
The first thing I noticed is its bounciness. It was my first experience with the Floatride Energy Foam, and the “pop” caught me offguard, in a good way. The upper isn’t super plush, but the ride is really good. One thing to consider with this shoe is that it runs a little long for some people. I typically wear a size 9.5, and I ordered both a 9 and a 9.5 to try. The 9 was pretty tight on my left foot, but felt fine on my right. The 9.5 felt good on my left, but just slightly large on my right. Ultimately, I went with the 9.5, and I just have to be sure to tighten the right shoe enough before heading out. A size 9.25 would have been perfect.
Another Option Emerges
Just when I thought I had my daily trainer situation squared away I came across another good deal. This time it was on the Asics Novablast. The tall stack height, 37mm in the heel and 27mm in forefoot, appealed to me for use on longer runs, and so far it’s seemed to keep me from feeling too beat up as I increase my base mileage. I will say, that stack height can feel ever so slightly unstable at first. After I put about 30 miles on the shoes it felt like they compressed just slightly and that my foot was sitting more “in” the insole rather than “on top” of it. If that makes any sense. The Novablast also has a nice “pop” or “push” that makes running in them quite fun. It’s a different shoe, but in a good way.
Rookie Running Mistake
With the running shoe updates out of the way, it’s time to talk about my Trials of Miles 5K time trial mistake. First off, huge thanks to that entire team for putting on such a cool event. I had a blast putting up a time even though I was nowhere near race shape, and it’s motivated me to put together a serious training plan. Now, about that rookie mistake. I went out way too fast. I figured that to advance in the Masters bracket I would have to run sub-20:00, and I was right. My first mile should’ve been around 6:25-6:30 pace. Instead, I was closer to 6:15 and the wheels ended up coming off. What can I say, the adrenaline got the best of me. That combined with no interval or tempo training to get used to “feeling” what that pace felt like doomed me. No worries though, I’m looking forward to building out my base, throwing in some speedwork and seeing how much I improve in the next eight weeks.
I’m quickly approaching the point where I need to replace my current (main) pair of running shoes with something new. The Brooks Ghost 11 I currently run in has proven to be a more than capable workhorse, but the new Nike Pegasus 37 has definitely piqued my interest. Why would I possibly select that over moving into the Ghost 12? Let’s find out!
First off, I used to be a Pegasus fanboy. It was the first pair of serious running shoes that I owned. I think it was the Pegasus 10. Those were amazing shoes, and I put many miles on them from tracks to trails. I continued to buy the newest iteration whenever I was in the market for running shoes, but that ceased after owning the Pegasus 30.
To me, the 30 felt clunky and awkward. I felt like it wasn’t terribly smooth, and I didn’t really enjoy running in it. I searched for something else in the Nike lineup, and settled on the Flyknit Lunar 2. Which was great for shorter runs or speed work, but it just didn’t have quite the cushioning I needed for longer runs. The search was on again. This time I looked outside the Nike sphere.
Brooks Helps Me “Run Happy”
That’s how I found Brooks. I had always been aware of the brand, but didn’t really know anyone, at the time, who ran in them. My first foray into “Running Happy” was with their Launch line. It’s a no-frills neutral trainer, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Enough cushioning to get you through runs and workouts without feeling too beat up the next day. I’m still using a pair of Launch 3 shoes (I stockpiled a few from a sale) for tempo runs and mild speed work. The only problem was I got into playing more basketball and devoted less time to longer runs. Then, when I decided to ramp up my running I found that I needed some extra cushioning. That’s where the Ghost 11 comes in.
I discovered a friend was running in the Ghost 10 and loved them. The Ghost 11 had recently come out so I decided to give them a shot. Within a few runs I knew I was going to love the shoe. It’s got just the right amount of cushioning, but without translating that into feeling heavy or awkward. I can rack up mile after mile without worrying too much about dead legs. It also has great impact protection in the heel which I needed early on because I found that I would start to heel strike as my legs got tired. All in all, it’s been a wonderful and reliable daily running shoe. So why the Pegasus 37?
Pegasus 37 On the Short List
Well, as I’ve increased my mileage and rounded back into running form I’ve been looking for something a little more svelte. Like I said, the Ghost 11 doesn’t feel bulky, and it isn’t all that heavy, probably just under 11 oz. for my size. However, the new Pegasus 37 is closer to 10 oz. and appears to be more streamlined. Though, I will say I heard some complaints of a narrow toe box in the 36 so I’m curious to find out if that carried over to the 37.
I would also like to try getting back into shoes with a lower drop. The Ghost series is typically around 12mm whereas the Pegasus 37 is 10mm. Not a huge difference, but it’s been my experience that those lower drop shoes just “feel” faster. I did enjoy having that higher drop in the Ghost 11 as I battled some Achilles issues. However, I feel like I’ve worked those out, and am ready for something a little lower.
There are two reasons I might stick with Brooks, though. The first is that the Pegasus 37 looks like a really low cut. I know photos can be deceiving, but the space between the top of the midsole and the bottom of the ankle cutout looks quite a bit narrower on the Peg versus the Ghost. It might not be a huge deal if the shoe really locks your foot in.
The second reason would be heel cushioning. I know this sort of runs counter to my desire to move into a shoe with a lower drop, but it seems like the Pegasus 37 has focused more on forefoot cushioning with the new airbag than heel cushioning. I’ve never (knock on wood) had much issue with forefoot pain, but I have had heel pain that radiated up into my knees and back. It wasn’t fun, and while I’m certainly a stronger runner now than when that happened, I would like to take precautions to prevent it from happening again.
Ghost 12 or Pegasus 37?
So where does that leave me? Honestly, I’m going to try both of them. I’m fairly confident the Ghost 12 will fit like my Ghost 11. It could easily become my next 400+ mile workhorse of a running shoe. Yet, there’s just something about the Pegasus 37 that speaks to me. At least as much as it can through a computer screen. I almost picked up the Pegasus 36 at various times when it went on sale, but never did. It looked nice. The reviews were mostly favorable. However, it just didn’t capture my attention the way the 37 has. I didn’t look at it and think about how fun it might be to run in.
Ultimately, that’s the main of the goal of a good running shoe, right? Sure, you want impact protection, a solid fit and durability. Hopefully, all of those combine just right to give you a shoe that you look forward to putting on when you’re heading out the door, and you don’t think twice about as the miles pile up.
These running shoes from Enko claim to reduce joint stress.
I’ve seen some interesting running shoes over the years. Nike’s Zoom Fly Vaporfly 4% with its carbon fiber plate is one of the more recent ones promising performance gains. Yet, that shoe seems rather pedestrian when you check out this offering from Enko. Here’s how the company’s press release describes it:
True innovations are scarce. Even though running is a highly traumatic sport for joints, innovation in design has been limited for a long time. No steps forward to improve stride shock absorption and preserve runner’s health have been taken. No breakthroughs until ENKO arrived on the market.
I don’t know that no advancements have been made regarding cushioning in running shoes. You can easily find ones with varying levels of cushioning to suit whatever gait and mileage requirements you may have. Though, there are very few (none?) companies using materials other than foam or air bladders.
Exactly who is this for?
I haven’t been able to track down the weight which I imagine might be somewhat hefty. I also wonder how much it will affect stride length, leg turnover, etc. because right out of the gate they’ll probably be a little awkward to run in. However, when I showed my wife, who’s been involved in two car accidents (neither being her fault) and has the back and knee pain that comes with that, she was intrigued. She used to be a casual runner, but her knee joints just can’t do it any longer. I do wonder if something like this would help her be able to put down even a mile or two.
At $372 it’s a somewhat expensive experiment. Though, the company does say you have 30 days to try them, and if you’re not satisfied, you can return them for a 100% refund. I’m thinking about taking a closer look at them, and will report my findings if I do.
