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The Pegasus Trail 4 is a popular road-to-trail running shoe that’s based on Nike’s similarly named road running line.

The question is, has Nike done a good-enough job of reimagining it for the trails? Or does it retain too much of the road shoe to make it an out-and-out trail masterpiece?

Note that there’s also a waterproof option with a Gore-Tex lining and a higher ankle cuff, but we’re testing the non-waterproof version here.

First impressions

Pulling the shoe out of the box, it’s immediately apparent that this is a good-looking shoe, with very similar aesthetics to a road shoe.

A range of great men’s colourways include blue, green, red and black, though Nike will also allow you to design your own style.

There are similar women’s colourways, plus a few extra options.

Aside from style, the shoe feels reasonably light in the hands, though I wouldn’t quite put them in the ‘lightweight’ category, and particularly flexible. The mesh upper also feels lightweight and breathable.

Will they fit me?

In my experience, fit was true to size and I went for my usual, which is a UK 11.

There was adequate room for toe splay up front and the flexible upper held my foot in place well.

That being said, I’m aware that some consumers have found the Pegasus Trail 4 to be slightly on the narrow side, which is something to consider if you have wide or high volume feet.

What’s the grip like?

Honestly, it’s not too bad, but it didn’t set my world alight, either. The shoe’s designed to take you from door to trail, and that feels about right.

The outsole features several different lug patterns, but none are particularly aggressive, and that’s certainly noticeable at the rear.

They felt fine on tarmac and grip was decent on well-maintained, dry or hard-packed trails, but the shoe does start to come a little unstuck in sloppy mud, and the rear section of tread doesn’t dig in all that well on downhills.

How’s the ride?

The shoe feels relatively nimble and responsive, while underfoot the ride is smooth and soft.

Nike’s React midsole foam feels spongy, yet there’s still a lot of ground feel, meaning you can feel a lot of the terrain underneath. That may or may not be a bad thing, depending on your preference.

The Pegasus Trail 4 comes with a huge amount of flex, both fore and aft and laterally, which means it’s not the most supportive on uneven ground.

That flexibility and lack of rigidity feels comfortable initially, but does mean your feet are likely to fatigue quicker over longer runs.

Best for…

The Pegasus Trail 4 is well suited to easy, dry or hard-packed trails and tarmac.

Unless you’re used to such flexible shoes, I’d suggest using these for short to medium distances.

If you’re after a shoe to take you into rugged mountainous terrain, you may want to consider an option with more protection and stability.

Ready to buy?