Discontinued · trail · Trail · $160
Nike Pegasus Trail 5 GTX: 37 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 281 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for trail, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on trail.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Nike ACG Pegasus Trail GORE-TEX.
The midsole is React, tuned balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 37 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
A rock plate sits between the foam and the outsole to spread the load of sharp stones and roots. It is protection, not propulsion — it does not add pop, but it keeps the underfoot bruising out of long days on technical ground.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It runs small; most runners size up a half. Expect roughly 450 miles from the outsole, about $0.36 per mile at $160.
For the foams and plates Nike uses across its line, read the Nike brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
300 g / 10.6 oz
25 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
37 mm
1 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$160
Level with the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~450 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Nike line it is heavier than the brand's median (295 g / 10.4 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Asics Gel Excite Trail 2
296 g / 10.4 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · Rock · $90
Asics Gel Excite Trail 2: 36 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 292 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Mizuno Wave Daichi 8
300 g / 10.6 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · Rock · $145
Michelin-outsoled trail trainer built for grip and wet-rock security.
Asics Gel Venture 11
320 g / 11.3 oz · 36 mm · 10 mm drop · Rock · $80
Asics Gel Venture 11: 36 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 320 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Hoka Speedgoat 6 GTX
295 g / 10.4 oz · 37 mm · 5 mm drop · Rock · $180
Hoka Speedgoat 6 GTX: 37 mm heel stack, 5 mm drop, 289 g — specs from independent lab testing.