Reporting by Peter Stuart, Sally Reiley and Renee Krusemark
Nike Trail 2024: Zegama 2 and Pegasus Trail 5
Update:
The big story at Nike Trail at The Running Event was the promise of improved outsoles. Notorious for less than ideal wet grip, Nike has been working hard on this over the last year. The Peg Trail 4 GTX saw an improved wet grip rubber and miracle of miracles the flagship Ultrafly got a Vibram Megagrip outsole.
For 2024 Nike continues that trend with the Zegama also getting MegaGrip and the Pegasus Trail 5 getting a new Nike Trail All Terrain Compound (ATC) high abrasion rubber whose performance remains to be seen. We hope it is the same basic rubber as the Peg Trail GTX has which
had distinctly better grip than the regular Peg 4 Trail's.
The Zegama, Nike's long distance max cushion trail runner, beyond the outsole and a clear lymore pronounced rocker continues with Nike’s Zoom X supercritical foam and has essentially the same weight and stack height.
Pegasus Trail 5 gets a new React X midsole foam which is injected rather than compression molded and has reduces the midsole’s manufacturing footprint by 43%. We first experienced React X in the road InfinityRN 4 and it was a soft and kind of spongy foam with claimed 13% increased energy return. It increases in stack height and somewhat in weight.
Nike Zegama 2
Weight: M10 (320g/ 11.29 oz ), W8 (264g / 9.3 oz )
Stack Height: Forefoot: W8 (31mm); M10 (32mm); Heel: W8 (35mm); M10 (36mm)
Offset/drop: 4mm
Lug Height: 4mm
Available May 2024. $160
The Zegama is Nike’s heavier duty longer run trail shoe with the carbon plated Zoom X Ultrafly (RTR Review) which is also a long distance racer but one focused for most on smoother trails such as Western States. The first Zegama was a strong entry (RTR Review) but in particular called for improvements in traction.
The big news for Zegama is the Vibram MegaGrip outsole with Traction Lug (small mini lugs on the sides of the main lugs). This new outsole will certainly improve on the so so traction of the prior Zegama which for many relegated it to more mellow trails and door to trail.
Here Nike clearly seeks to position the new Zegama as the high mileage, long distance max cushion, more technical terrain focused shoe in their line up. As with the rest of the shoe, the outsole went through many iterations in testing by Nike Trail elites.
Nike’s booth at The Running Event strongly highlighted the testing of the Zegama 2.
It went through many iterations over 2 years by Nike Trail elites and testers clocking "35,000 total miles (more than 56,000 total kilometers) throughout the development of the Zegama 2.
This is the highest cumulative wear-tested mileage ever for a Nike Trail shoe —on trails and in Nike’s labs."
The upper is a single layer engineered mesh with a vamp liner focused on breathability and drainability. It also sees a wider footbed.
The Zegama also gets a new thin stiff outer carrier foam to protect the soft central Zoom X foam and to also provide stability to the platform. It remains to be seen if this new approach helps give the shoe more agility than the first and more of a rolling rocker.
Comparing Zegama 2 to the Zegama 1 below, one can clearly see much more pronounced front and rear rockers, a good thing as the v1 was a bit ponderous and flat to turn over at less than fast paces and for sure not all trail runs are fast paced given terrain!
All signs point to the Zegama being a strong (and stronger than v1) long distance, more technical terrain choice to compete with the likes of the Salomon Genesis, Saucony Xodus Ultra, and while plated, Hoka Tecton X. Its weight at 10.5 oz in a US9 is comparatively heavier than its competitors but its stack and especially 32mm forefoot of cushion and protection and big 4mm lug outsole is to be kind of to be expected, even with super light Zoom X foam as the main midsole.
Pegasus Trail 5
Weight: W8 (243g / 8.57 oz); M10 (300g / 10.58 oz)
Stack Height (M10): 37m
Offset/drop: 9.5m
Lug height depth: 3.5mm
Available May 2024. Price TBD
The Pegasus Trail is Nike’s door to trail focused model. Over its versions it has gone through many swings with the lower (than Peg Trail 3) stack Peg Trail 4 one of our favorites and especially the GTX version (RTR Review) with its improved wet grip rubber over the regular.
For the Peg Trail 5, we move back up in stack height from the 4’s 30-32 mm heel (measured) / 20.5 mm forefoot (spec. 9.5 mm drop men, 8.5mm drop women) to 37mm at the heel with the same drops with the weight also increasing 11g in a US10.
The Pegasus Trail 5 gets a new React X midsole foam which is injected rather than compression molded and which has reduced the midsole’s manufacturing carbon footprint by 43%. We first experienced React X in the road InfinityRN 4 and it was a soft and kind of spongy foam with claimed 13% increased energy return.
The outsole, designed for all surfaces including some pavement, is a new Nike Trail All Terrain Compound (ATC) high abrasion rubber whose performance remains to be seen. We suspect it is similar to the improved rubber the Peg Trail 4 GTX had.
The upper is a engineered mesh with zonal breathability, denser knit in high wear areas at the big toe and midfoot and an updated midfoot containment with Flywire.
With a move back towards more stack height (and somewhat more weight) and a softer more energy returning foam, we expect the Peg Trail 5 to distinguish itself more clearly from the Kiger whose newest version we have yet to see with a mellow given its React X foam. So an easy going easier terrain door to trail type shoe. As before any future GTX version should be a great winter run option. Available May 2024. $140
Update:
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