NIKE’s Most Popular Running Shoe is Now A Golf Shoe

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised. 

What We Tried:

The NIKE Air Pegasus ‘89 G. NIKE’s popular running shoe has been retro-ed and transformed into a shoe that’s ready for the course. 

Who Tried It:

Connor. Director of Soft Goods Testing and resident sneakerhead. The next time I bring home a pair of golf shoes, my wife might make me eat them. Seriously, I have a shopping problem. 

Storied History

It’s impossible to walk into a NIKE store these days without finding a shoe from the Pegasus line. It’s perhaps one of the brand’s most iconic shoe lines, outside of the Air Jordan stuff. 

The proof is in the pudding. Now nearly four decades old, the NIKE Pegasus was created as an affordable performance running shoe. That was in 1983. After a brief hiatus in the late ‘90s, NIKE reintroduced the Pegasus in 2000 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now on the 40th iteration of this storied model, NIKE felt it appropriate to reach deep into the archives to bring back one of the more popular styles, the Air Pegasus from 1989. This popular runner has been retooled for the golf course and, man, does it have me excited!

If ever there was an iconic running shoe, it would be the Pegasus. NIKE actually refers to it as its “most popular running shoe of all time.” However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll translate well to golf. That’s what I’m here to find out. 

The Good

Perhaps my favorite thing about the NIKE Air Pegasus ‘89 G is the construction. While the shoe is made up of a host of synthetics, the synthetic suede/leather overlays are actually quite nice. 

I’m a sucker for good, hairy suede. NIKE made the Air Pegasus ‘89 G feel more elevated and premium without sacrificing the durability and waterproof properties of its synthetic materials. I noticed this right after my first wear test when I was able to wipe the shoes clean of the fresh mud I’d been forced to play in.

Speaking of mud, that brings me to the next positive: Traction.

Color me surprised (and impressed) that the traction was as good as it was. I played in some absolutely poor conditions and had no traction issues at all. Is it the most aggressive spikeless sole I’ve ever seen? Definitely not. But it gets the job done. Period. 

Keep in mind that, due to the pattern of the sole, mud can easily start to cake and gather in the gaps between lugs. 

The Average

Perhaps the most disappointing (but still decent) part of the Air Pegasus ‘89 G was the cushion. NIKE bills the Peg G as having two foams, including an AIR unit in the heel. 

While it definitely didn’t feel bad or uncomfortable, it didn’t provide the immediate step-in comfort I’ve become accustomed to with some of their mainline foams like REACT. 

Think of the Peg G as a more firm, stable cushion setup rather than one that feels plush or overly bouncy. 

The Bad

Where does the Peg G fall short? Stability. It was always stability that was the main concern and this is absolutely where the Peg G can either be right or wrong for your game. 

If you’re bigger, more powerful, etc., you’ll find this shoe too easy to twist—it’s too flexible to keep you contained and stable. 

However, someone who’s not quite as explosive should have no problem. In this regard, it makes a pretty good warmup and range shoe. 

This was to be expected, however. The Air Pegasus ‘89 was always intended to be a running shoe … for running in a straight line. It is not (and never was) tooled in a way that it can handle the intense lateral stress of the golf swing.

The Verdict

Will I keep rocking the NIKE Air Pegasus ‘89 G? Maybe. I’m not ready to give up on it. With good spikeless traction and comfort that makes it wearable for 18 holes, I can deal with the lack of stability. As a big fan of the Pegasus line overall, it’s more of a sentimental thing, anyways. 

As for you? If you want a comfortable, casual spikeless golf shoe, it’s plenty serviceable. But those seeking utmost performance and tour-level stability should look elsewhere.