Nike Air Pegasus 31

At heart of the new Pegasus 31 update is a brand new, lower profile midsole which sits at a 10 mm heel-to-toe offset, and lower than the outgoing Pegasus 30. It uses a Zoom Air bag under the heel, same as last year, no change there. The midsole is Nike’s responsive Cushlon foam with a very clean profile, sans the deep side grooves seen on the Pegasus 30. It is common knowledge that a high degree of midsole deformation or compression leads to a heightened feel of cushioning, but sacrifices on speed.

The forefoot is quite pliable, and flexes and flattens during forefoot weight transfer.So toe-offs happen in good old fashion, with the big toe propelling the push-offs. There is no Zoom Air bag in the forefoot, hence no stiffness either. But slightly less bendable than the Pegasus 30 due to one missing exposed forefoot flex groove.

Regardless, stability is not an issue in the Pegasus 31, in much part helped by the lowered midsole, a wider under-arch base and a prominent midsole flare in the heel which helps guide foot strike. The shoe will do well for forefoot strikers too; there is ample padding underfoot, with protection and grip coming from the generous cladding of outsole rubber.

The Nike Air Pegasus 31 is a neutral running shoe of high caliber, and ticks all the boxes on overall ride experience. It comes across as very balanced, taking things like a cushioned ride, smooth transition, great upper fit and stitching all of them up perfectly well together. It is also happy to note that Nike hasn’t taken up the price for this one – at $100, it is good value.