While Nike has announced the Pegasus 41 will launch this summer and bring the biggest change for the line in several years, the brand is also calling attention to 2025 for another significant shift in its best-selling running franchise.
If the Pegasus 41 is like the iPhone, the Pegasus Premium is akin to the iPhone Pro. The higher-end running shoe will feature the series’ first-ever visible, sculpted Air Zoom unit and only the second visible Air unit overall. (The only other visible bubble came on the Pegasus 1997.)
Running from the heel to just shy of the toe end, this Air Zoom unit delivers what Nike says is the most “efficient, responsive” sensation of any Zoom cushioning system to date. The midsole also boasts both ZoomX and ReactX foam, the latter of which is targeted at the heel, to complete a sole system with the greatest energy return in the Pegasus franchise to date.
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Nike’s Thursday announcements for both the Pegasus 41 and Pegasus Premium, as well as new basketball sneakers and soccer cleats, come after the company has been widely criticized for a lag an innovation and lull in generating excitement. As well Nike’s retro models have performed commercially, there’s a sense that this has come at the cost of anything new. A recent Piper Sandler survey of teens found that Nike remains the demographic’s top choice but by a shrinking margin.
“Air is Nike’s separator in the footwear industry — no one can create cushioning innovations like we can,” Kathy Gomez, Nike VP NXT Footwear, said in a press release. “In running, when we combine Air with components like midfoot plates and with platforms like our proprietary foams, we create superior systems for performance.”
Air Zoom units have typically been rendered flat, but advancements in tools including computational design, AI engines and rapid prototyping have allowed Nike to create curvatures that better resemble a foot’s shape.
“For the Peg Premium, we wanted runners to get the most energy return possible out of the sculpted Air Zoom unit,” Gomez said. “Not only does it double as a spring-like mechanism, the Air unit is also designed to engage with the entirety of your foot, no matter your gait pattern or stride length.”
Above foot, the upper features an engineered circular knit that continues to use the Pegasus 40’s midfoot containment system and is reinforced at key areas of the forefoot for additional support.
The Nike Pegasus Premium will release in spring 2025 through Nike’s website and app, as well as select running specialty stores. Further details will come closer til next year.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
