Shoe Review: Air Pegasus 2005

Background
My last pair of Nikes was years ago. Before I lost faith in the brand, I was a very satisfied user of the Air Max, the flourescent yellow and red Air Pegasus Racer and the glove-like Air Huarache (my all-time favourite). A combination of poor workmanship (horror stories of soles coming apart and midsoles disintegrating) and escalating prices made me stay away from them for many years until now.

While they've always made excellent running apparels, I'm still approaching Nike shoes with some caution. I went with the Pegasus because they've been very reliable since 2000. They're proven workhorses with durability one of their main strengths. The Pegasus has been around for over 20 years, so that says a lot for this venerable shoe.

The 2005 model see a departure from the boring and tadpole-like look but will it stand up to my needs? Read on.



Visual Rundown and Features
The version I purchased, incidentally from Singapore, was the one with the red trimmings. The upper is completely revamped from previous years'. There are reflective panels in front and back and on the tongue, somewhat lesser than the 2004 model. The red synthetic leather trimmings connected to the lace eyelets appear to function to provide a snugger fit when laced up. Mesh construction all round with padded tongue, small swoosh logos near the toe and heel collar areas.

This shoe is definitely built for comfort for the long runs. There's an inner sleeve which connects to the tongue to provide a sock-like fit. A notable addition is a thin layer of EVA foam placed directly underneath the removable insole (sockliner), so I'm not able to determine whether the shoe is built on a combination or slip last.

The midsole is made of Phylon (Nike's proprietory EVA) suggests a softer ride. A bit of PU (polyurethane) material is plugged into the medial area for durability. Some Pegasus faithfuls have railed Nike to this addition as well as the inclusion of a plastic arch support for midfoot integrity. Their grouse is that Nike has sold out on keeping the Pegasus as a basic shoe minus the whizzbangs.

A full length Air sole unit and the carbon rubber waffle with something called Sticky Rubber outsole complete the setup.

Fit
My usual shoe size is US9.5 but I found that US10 suits me best for this model. The 10 provides a snug midfoot, airy forefoot and adequate heel fit which doesn't slip. The 9.5 provides too close a fit, not conducive for marathons. To my surprise the laces provided are just too short. I'm not able to decently tie it much less double knot it. In the end I swapped them with my old NB753's knotty laces. A friend told me that the laces for his Air Max Moto is also rather short.

First Run
Firm! I was shocked when I took it for its first outing at the KLCC track. It certainly didn't feel that way in the stores and on tarred roads. Typical of Nikes, some breaking in is necessary. Because of the inner sleeve, the tongue doesn't slip sideways. The heel to toe transition is smooth - the irritating break felt on toe-off (so apparent in models such as the previous Pegasus, present Air Moto and the new Air Huarache) has been completely eliminated, to my delight. Another positive is that the Sticky Rubber inserts provide good grip on the wet and slippery surface, so I was running confidently on wet conditions.

Subsequent Runs
I've since taken the shoes on a few runs ranging from 5 to 13Ks. Over those distances, there was no heat buildup though I must admit that the runs were made in cool conditions. The instep side was especially airy, providing fantastic ventilation. The rides have became smoother and softer and I'm beginning to like this shoe more and more. This weekend's 35K should provide a sterner test before December 4th.

For my review of another shoe, the K4, click here.