The neutral cushioned daily trainer category is the bread and butter of every shoe company. ASICS have their Nimbus and Cumulus, adidas have their Ultra Boost and Solar Boost, Brooks’ Glycerin, Ghost and Launch, Saucony’s Triumph ISO and Ride ISO. And Nike, of course, have the Vomero and Pegasus. I’ve worn a few versions of the Pegasus intermittently since I took up running in the ’80s. ’92 (heavy, very firm, thick, stiff) ’06 and ’07 (cushier and dialed back on the stiffness, but still heavy) but my favourite then was the 2005 which I went through 2 pairs. They got progressively firmer and stiffer, not to mention more expensive, from that point on. Check out some of the early Peg models as featured by Complex here, Sneaker Freaker here and Nike here.

The Pegasus 35, launched May 2018, sees a complete overhaul in the silhouette, with it taking after some elements of the stupendously popular Vapor Fly 4% in the way the full-length Zoom Air bag is shaped to mimic the curve of the 4%’s carbon fiber plate. The Peg 35’s upper also does away with the multiple overlays seen on the earlier versions. A swept-back heel tab was incorporated, taking the cues from Mo Farah’s preference for a non-intrusive construction – not that this part of a shoe has ever bothered me. The engineered mesh upper has a tighter weave this time around and this is complemented with an internal bootie which connects to a slimmer yet extended tongue. The laces go through Flywire cords to secure the shoe as do the internal toe and heel cups. Then there’s the pointy heel seen the 4% and Zoom Fly. The Peg 35 has a stack height of 28/18 for an overall 10mm drop, within the 8-12mm standard for shoes on this segment.

This setup accords the Peg 35 a decidedly sleeker look and naturally piqued my interest as well. However, with a shoe cabinet that was already too well-stocked, I reminded myself that I would only part with my cash should I achieve my marathon goal time on the Gold Coast. As it turned out, I did (race report here), and a little reward in the form of a customized Peg was in order. The Nike iD custom took 3.5 weeks to arrive and when they did, I thought they were too nice to run in, albeit imbued with a Chinese New Year vibe! I opted for a red upper, metallic gold swoosh, speckled midsole and gum-rubber design, complete with my PR printed on both shoes and a self-reminder inscribed on the tongue.

Despite the sleeker appearance, the Peg 35 still weighs in at 9.5oz a shoe for a US10. Now, if the midsole was React instead of Cushlon, and the upper wasn’t made of such tight weave, they would perhaps lose a few more ounces. Doesn’t really matter that much to me since my use would be strictly for training.

The fit of the shoes are snug. As mentioned, I stayed true to size and if you’re one to run in thin socks, that will not matter much but I’d advice testing the Pegs out in the stores prior to purchase. Moving the first row of the laces back also frees up the forefoot area. Now less restrictive, flexing during the toe-off phase is also a pleasant experience without anything pressing down on the toes or feet. Moving to the rear, the swept-back heel tab didn’t enhance nor mess up the fit of the shoes for me. Heel lock down is secure as it is.

Now comes the most important question – how do the Peg 35s feel? If you are not the least interested in the specs, you’d be forgiven for thinking they ride lower, as in the midsoles are thinner, than the Epic React. In reality both the Peg 35 and Epic React share the same stack height and offset! The Pegs’ use of durable rubber outsole and Cushlon midsole combine to give the wearer a certain firmness and road feel, unlike the softer and bouncier experience of the Epic. The differences are especially palpable for me coming off the retirement of the Epic. Here’s the interesting thing – I’m more susceptible to heel striking in the Epic than the Pegasus despite the latter being a full ounce heavier.

I did mention that the Peg is firm. But that doesn’t mean an absence of cushioning. It’s there and provides just enough of it and quickly send you off to your next stride. There’s very little sinking feeling with easy stride, so there’s no Hoka-type of feel here. The Peg is a little warm to run in in Malaysia’s tropical climate but not uncomfortably so. I’ve yet to finish a run in soggy socks but I’ll have to confirm that once I resume my longer runs.

Since I’m already so far behind, I thought this post would be more relevant if I work it as a 100-mile review. So while the photos were taken when the shoes were new, the video below will show the close up of the wear of the Peg after 160km. Overall, the wear and tear, or the lack of it, have been astounding. Other than a very slight wear on the left shoe along the outer edge of the heel (the usual wear spot in all my shoes due to a weaker left leg), both the left and right shoes have seen very little degradation. Even the thin grooves on the pentagonal lugs in the forefoot landing and push-off areas are still visible.

This is one shoe that will take you through the entire marathon training cycle. While advances in technology have brought us racing flats we can train and race in, you still won’t get anywhere near the miles and durability you can put into these traditional daily trainers. Dependable and durable, there’s great ROI you can derive from them. And as I’m now approaching the big Five-O, I need to be looking after myself so that I can continue chasing my running goals. These shoes offer that. Besides, “Train heavy, race light” seems like a great idea!

The Nike Pegasus 35 remains a good buy for those seeking a durable daily trainer. The latest iteration is sleeker, simpler in construction and, by golly, still the durable shoe that we know. Cushioning remains on the firmer side but still delivers a smooth ride. What I’d like to see in a future release is React foam replacing the Cushlon (although that would certainly result in price increase) and the use of a more breathable upper. The earlier colorways are already on sale under RM400 (US$100), so go check them out!

I reviewed the Epic React Flyknit back in March 2018. You can read about it here.

Back then, it sold for RM589 (US$143) but now, the RRP had gone up to RM608 (US$148) not much difference if you’re in the US, but that’s making the purchase decision very much harder for us Malaysians. Thus, the casual shopper may be interested to know if the shoes do indeed stand up to some serious use.

I’m almost exclusively a road runner, so the Epic React hasn’t gone off the tarmac. But I can say that the shoes have stood up admiringly up to the test. As you can see, the upper still looks fantastic, a testament to Nike’s Flyknit construction. The translucent rubber reinforcement wears very well. The React foam looks battered but still has a bit of life left, possibly 80K. That said, at 550K, I reckon it’s time to retire them and really push the Peg 35 and Zoom Fly Flyknit into the heavy rotation. They’re both logged approximately 100K by the way, so they’re definitely seasoned for daily use.

Check out the video I shot for a better look at the condition of the shoes!

Here I’d like to point out that I’ve liberally applied Shoe Goo to the foam where the high wear. Shoe Goo, if you’re a shoe geek, is a well known (and long time go-to solution to fix and/or reinforce a shoe’s durability). Just RM38 from ACE Hardware, it’s a great buy and I’ve used it on the Epic React and the Vaporfly 4%. Now, I’m not the most efficient runner but I’d say the wear on the shoes have been excellent and defied my doubts.

The price appears prohibitive and for much less, as of this post, there are so many options out there. From New Balance Beacon (which I snagged from Rakuten Japan for RM240), Fuel Core 5000 (RM262 from RunnerInn), Brooks Launch 5 (RM370 from RunnerInn) just to name a few. Because of that, I won’t be getting myself a second pair, unless they pop up at the premium outlets for under RM350.

Did I like the Epic? I love it the more I wear it. Mostly between 6:00 to 6:45/km pace, which meant they were great for easy to recovery runs for me. The React foam feels a little dull and uninvolving at paces quicker than that but as I logged 70-95K weeks for GCM18 and recently Macao, they were what I reached out nearly all the time for the easy days.

So, that’s that!

Note: The Epic React 2 is slated to be released Q1 2019. So v1 will surely see greater discounts.

Disclaimer: I drafted this post way back in March but since I had so many work deadlines to meet on top of marathon training, blogging was of the least importance to me. Certain sections of the post have been updated following further experiences in the shoes.

By definition, racing flats are running shoes that are designed to go fast. Stripped down, lightweight, often made of premium materials and rides low to the ground. Think Ferraris, Porsches and Lambos. They would also be less supportive than conventional trainers, possessing a firmer ride due to their greater ground feel.

The lightest racing flats that I’ve worn in my years of running have been Nike’s Lunaracer series. Sub-7oz (under 198 grams) for US10 and cushioned enough for the marathon, the Lunaracer was one of my all-time favorites. Versions 1 and 2 didn’t have particularly roomy toe boxes and I had plenty of blistering issues those days, but version 3 corrected all that through minor tweaks. Version 4, however, was by far the best. I’ll save my review of the Lunaracer 4 for another post because this one is all about the Vaporfly 4% (VF).

In case you’ve been living in an alternate universe and wondering what the circus about the VF is all about, this short RunnersWorld video summed it up nicely. With that much hype and marketing power channeled into the product, the US$250 shoes are pretty much sold out the instant they hit the online stores. They were not even available in this part of the world until a full 6 months after Kipchoge and his posse of extraordinary marathoners took a tour around the Monza track. The shoes were so in demand and production so limited (and controlled) that getting a pair meant extreme patience or paying online scalpers through the nose. Now that the marathon World Record has been broken in the elite version of the VF, you can bet the demand for the shoes amongst runners pursuing their own records have just ramped up another notch, if that’s even possible. Note (Dec ’18): It is more possible than ever to snag the latest version, the Vapor Fly Flyknit, with constant stock replenishments at the U.S. retailers. Stock in Malaysia, however, remains non-existent.

Nevertheless, through no small amounts of patience and endless monitoring of online marketplace, I got my hands on not 1 but 2 pairs late in 2017 from the U.S. – a pair used and at a substantial discount, and another pair at full retail. Luckily for me, both the sellers were honest folks because used pairs were still fetching over the RRP on eBay! The VFs were the most expensive pieces of sporting gear I’ve ever paid for by far. And I used to laugh at the price tag of the Ultra Boost! I reckoned at that time, that if the first pair didn’t work out for me, I could always join the eBay scalpers and hawk them off online🙄.  But there’s no need for all that now. After 3 races – a 15K, GCM18 and Macao Marathon – in the OG, I won’t be parting ways with either of my VFs, and the latest Flyknit version (the cat’s out of the bag now I guess!) anytime soon! I’ve since relegated the OGs to long training runs and will finally be debuting the crimson at the Twincity Half in January. There’s plenty of life yet for the OG despite nearly 400K logged. The Zoom X midsole have compressed a bit and the shoes have lost a little bounce but the rubber outsole’s durability, with the liberal application of Shoe Goo, have been outstanding. There’s hardly any wear and tear! A point to note: The photos of the OG in this post were taken way before their retirement.

With that little bit of backstory and no small measure of digression, let’s get going with the shoes.

There’s little of the shoes that the Internet hasn’t yet covered. Even the NY Times chipped in with a fascinating article on the VFs’ seeming influence on runners’ race outcomes. If you’re a geek, you’ll totally dig the article. For tech specs and detailed review, these reviews written by runners for runners will have you covered: Sam Winebaum’s RoadTrailRun | Fellrnr (with extensive photos of the shoes’ durability at 300 miles)| Running Shoes Guru | Believe In The Run YouTube Channel | Jamison Michael’s YouTube Channel | Wired

With all the hard work taken cared of by those good folks, I won’t be rehashing the same stuff but instead focus more on my wear experience. And the easiest way to do that would be to do that in point form. So here are the facts, my observations and experience running in the VFs, in no particular order:

1. VFs are racing shoes and not your daily trainer, so they’re not something you reach out for on a daily or even weekly basis. The VFs’ exorbitant price and rarity pretty much limit their use to just A races – races you’ve put your absolute everything into. If you’ve invested so much in time, energy and waking hours into priming yourself to that race readiness, the VF is that final variable in your arsenal. The thing that completes you, leaving nothing to chance. Think of it this way – after months of training, you don’t sit in a VW at the starting grid of a car race. Every component of your very self, inside and out, should be optimized to yield the very best results for the day. Forgive the hyperbole, but I’m listening to Max Richter’s poignantly epic War Anthem as I’m typing this!
2. At 7.65 oz for US10, they’re light; in fact very light for their built-up look and levels of cushioning they offer. While the 6.7 oz Lunaracers beat the VFs for weight, the VFs offer far greater returns in terms of ride, bounce and cushioning albeit at a price that’s unattainable for most. In comparison, the Vapor Street weighs 7.9 oz and the Epic React 8.6 oz.
3. The VF v1 is true to size, while the latest Flyknit version is a tad small. I upsized by half for the Flyknit version.
4. It’s been reported that the OG edition is the softest and the shoes was tuned progressively firmer from there, albeit still soft and bouncy overall.
5. They may be soft and cushy but they’re hardly mushy. They certainly ride differently than Clayton 2. The step-in feel is soft and yet you get that springy feel as you move around. No other foam comes close to the feel of Zoom X except for adidas’ much heavier and firmer BASF Boost. The softness of Zoom X is complemented by the carbon fibre plate that runs the entire length of the midsole, lending precious stability to the shoes.
6. The VFs also ride differently from the just-launched Pegasus Turbo. In fact, the only similarity between these 2 shoes is the use of Nike’s Zoom X foam – 100% Zoom X for the VF, approximately 50% for the Turbo. The Turbo wasn’t my favorite – too soft and wobbly – and I sold them off after 120K.
7. Without the embedded carbon plate, the VFs would’ve been too unstable to wear like in the case of the Pegasus Turbo, just like the case of the Turbo. Even with the plate, there’s a degree of pronation of my right foot. See point #13 below.
8. The unique shape of the plate allows the quick roll off for the wearer.
9. The VFs fit and feel are different from that of its cousin, the Zoom Fly Flyknit (ZFF), even if both share some similarities in looks. The ZFF is heavier and firmer, possessing a narrower plate sandwiched in a React midsole.
10. Excellent breathability. Extensive cuts in the vamp area of the mesh upper ensure the feet stay cool.
11. I’ve not ran in wet conditions but reports noted that they get slightly bogged down when soaked.
12. Traction so far hasn’t been an issue despite the thin threading on the outsole but I’ve been rather careful taking sharp corners and haven’t yet run in very wet conditions. Also see next point.
13. The VFs aren’t the most stable of shoes. Due to their stack heights and the softer properties of the Zoom X foam, they only have the carbon plate as any semblance of structure. There are no external heel counters, no medial posts, no external trusstic plates. I’ve found that the mild late-stage pronation of my right foot is exaggerated in the VFs. On some of the cambered roads of GCM18, I noticeably struggled to keep my foot plants stable.
14. The VF v1 fits true to size while the VF Flyknit (VFF) has a much snugger fit. Depending on your preference, you might want to go up 1/2 size which I did. The VFF has an improved and secure midfoot fit which is great for racing. The knit upper stretches.

In my opinion, shoes themselves or for that matter any piece of gear alone, will not make one a faster runner. However if you’ve had a great training cycle and have an aggressive goal time to chase for, toeing the start line with everything taken care of right down to gear can’t hurt. I bought the VFs to run my best and they delivered. My legs felt fresh right after the marathon, with just minor soreness setting in 2 days after. Even after race-retired, the OGs still have plenty to offer in training runs. They’re worth every cent I’ve put into justifying their purchase.

The VFs are truly incomparable to any racers out there. Admittedly, the price tag is prohibitive and unless Reebok, adidas, Saucony, or Skechers (with the promising Razor 3) come out with their version of lightweight TPU that offers superb cushioning, responsiveness and durability, Nike pretty much has this niche cornered. If your races are important for you, I’d say just get these and get on with training to run your best!

There’s probably not a more innovative shoe company out there right now than Nike. As a shoe geek who has been following the trends since the ‘80s and wearing many of the brands out there, I can say for a fact that there’s never been a been a more exciting time to be a runner-shoe geek. I’ve had a mixed relationship with Nike shoes in the past. Other than the Free series, I’ve found that they tend to be narrow and pointy around the toebox section. We Asians who spend our time unshod at home, typically have wider feet than our Western counterparts. It was almost a certainty that I finish a marathon with a medal and bruised toenails!

Sometime in the past 3 years, things changed. Perhaps it was due to the introduction of Flyknit and the engineered mesh upper that gave the shoe uppers more give and “stretch-ability”. Perhaps there was really an update to the shoe lasts. Shoes like the Flyknit Lunar series, Lunar Tempo, Zoom Span and even the later versions of the Lunaracers were fantastic shoes to run in. They had forgiving uppers, light and cushioned. So were the performance oriented models like the Streak 6, Zoom Elite 9 and Speed Rival 6, which became favorites not only of the super-efficient elites but also weekend warriors. They were still based on various forms of traditional foam like Cushlon, Lunarlon and old fashioned EVA.

Then hot on the heels of the Breaking2 Project (watch the videos here – link 1 | link 2 | NatGeo feature,  came the release of the Zoom Fly and Vapor Fly 4% into the wild. The runners-shoe geek population and sneakerheads everywhere went wild literally. Since this review is not on the Flys, let’s move on.

The Epic React Flyknit (ERF) was released in the States end January 2018 and a month later, they landed in Malaysia. To the uninitiated, React refers to Nike’s new midsole material, much like how Adidas affixed the Boost name to nearly all their running line of shoes. I won’t be regurgitating what React is but Nike has it covered here. Now, if you’re familiar with Boost (or for that matter any of the BASF’s Boost derivative such as Saucony’s EVERUN or Reebok’s Floatride) shoes, you’ll know that that they can range between soft and bouncy (such as the Ultra Boost) to firm (such as Freedom ISO) depending on how they’re “tuned”. They’re undoubtedly durable and pretty temperature resistant, meaning they’ll retain their wear properties in cold and warm temperatures. However, the TPU material is heavy, resulting in heavy shoes. The Ultra Boost weighs in around 10oz, the Reebok Floatride Run comes in at 9.7oz and even Adidas very own racing and performance oriented Boston Boost and Adios weigh between 7.8 to 8.6oz. TPU usage often meant shoe companies will need to be creative in the design of the upper and outsole so that they don’t add on to the already heavy (relatively speaking, of course) shoes.

So Nike decided to go their own way. Instead of putting out another BASF-based TPU, they developed React and slapped it on the Epic. Now, in case you’re wondering, the Epic name isn’t used for the first time by Nike. In fact, the very shoe that the ERF replaces – Flyknit Lunar Epic Low 2 – is still being sold at a premium price of RM629 in Nike stores around here. Going further back, the Epic Low was a replacement for the Flyknit Lunar 3.  That’s history for you.

If you’ve clicked on the link to the React page, you’d see the many numbers put forth by Nike in terms of durability, softness, bounce and weight. So how do they measure up on the feet of a marathoner deep-in-training? Pretty good. In fact, I’m downright impressed! The hype may be from the collectors and sneakerheads but I’m here to state that the ERF is a totally legit running shoe. So let’s get on with the review.

Compared to the Boston Boost 5, the ERF has a more forgiving forefoot due to the absence of hard Continental rubber. I also find it softer than the Freedom ISO but firmer than the FloatRide Run. The ERF offers a different ride experience at different speeds. Firm when things heat up, smooth and cushy without any of the mushiness of the Hoka Clayton 2 when taken at a slower pace. It’s over long and easy runs (between 5:50 to 6:30/km pace) that I like them the most. They’re surprisingly stable and responsive, a sentiment concurred by my fellow running mates. There’s some ground feel but minus the harshness of the Boston or the NB Zante.

I’ve logged 77km in total in the ER and have very little to complain. The longest single run in them was a fast-finish 24km in clammy conditions, and there were no blisters, no chafing, no heat build-up. The superbly engineered one piece Flyknit upper provided a snug midfoot fit that’s just nice without the overly constricting feel of the Vapor Street’s. You can see for yourself the quality of the weave in the photo.

The toe box is accommodating enough, no complains there. Flat laces are used but there were no pressure on top of the feet. They never got undone either, unlike those used for the Zoom Elite 9. Even with the external piece of plastic to help stabilize the shoe and a thin heel counter to further lock in the foot, the shoe only weighs in at 8.6oz for my US10. And yes, the Epic React Flyknit fits true to size.

The uniquely designed React midsole has the appearance of ant farm tunneling. Flip the shoe over and you’ll see that most of the outsole is exposed React foam. Only the heel and toe sections have translucent-like rubber placements. I thought the placements were a little too minimal and durability will take a hit. That’s true to a certain extent. There were already visible wear signs from the very first get go (they’re exposed foam anyway, so that’s a given) but the wear seem to ease off and became less noticeable after I heaped more miles on them. The ERF’s outsole won’t return you 600km – you’ll probably see around 350 to 400km tops. Nike has since released a lower priced light stability React model which has more rubber on its outsole – the Odyssey React (OR). So if you’re looking to get more miles for your hard-earned cash, the OR may be the option for you.

Nike’s recent releases are certainly bringing plenty of new tech to the roads and that’s exciting for us runners. The Epic React Flyknit remains the most readily available model right now and it retails at RM589. If you’d like a bit more durability, and mild stability at a lower price point (engineered mesh instead of Flyknit), consider the Odyssey React. The Odyssey (also a carried over name from a discontinued stability model) feels slightly different from the Epic, so give both a try first. The Nike Epic React has my recommendation.

Other reviews of the Epic React Flyknit:

Running Shoes Guru | Believe In The Run | Road Trail Run | T3