Three Running Shoes Worth Watching: Nike Pegasus Plus, Air Max 180 and Asics Super Blast 2

Introduction

A fresh wave of releases has made this an unusually interesting stretch for running shoes. Three models in particular stand out: a repositioned premium version of Nike’s workhorse Pegasus, a full comeback for one of the most beloved silhouettes of 1991, and a second version of the Asics Super Blast, a shoe that already earned a reputation as one of the best all-round trainers of recent years.

Here is how they differ, what has changed, and who each pair makes sense for.

Nike Pegasus Plus: The Premium Pegasus

The shoe once expected to arrive as the Pegasus Turbo 4 has instead been named the Pegasus Plus, and the positioning is clear: this is the Pegasus, but more. It sits above the standard model as a higher-tempo trainer rather than a race shoe, with a separate Pegasus Premium also on the way above it.

Design cues echo the Pegasus 35 Turbo, including the familiar toebox stripe that keeps the front of the shoe slightly lower in height and gives it a speedier feel. The heel flare looks a little less pronounced this time around, and the midsole appears to feature ZoomX foam. A full-length exposed ZoomX layer seems unlikely; a carrier foam around it, similar in spirit to other premium trainers, would make more sense for durability, especially given the fragile nature of ZoomX and the midsole separation issues that affected earlier Turbo versions.

No pricing or release date has been confirmed yet, but the expectation is a price around the £145 mark, likely landing a few weeks after the Pegasus 41.

Nike Air Max 180: A 1991 Classic Returns

The Air Max 180 is coming back, and for anyone who remembers the original, that is big news. This was the first shoe where the air unit could be seen all the way around, and it made a genuine impression as a running shoe, not just a lifestyle piece.

The comeback keeps the details that made the original: beautiful suede panelling, a striking ultramarine ’90s colourway, that unmistakable silvery mesh, and the longer tongue. It is a faithful dose of nostalgia for anyone who collected running shoe brochures the first time around.

The UK release was slated for May 24 at around £135. Whether it works as a serious running shoe today is debatable, but as a retro pickup it has obvious appeal.

Asics Super Blast 2: The Big Upgrade

The original Super Blast was one of the best shoes of its release window, handling everything from easy miles to faster paces with ease. Its main drawbacks were the price, patchy availability, and a few design niggles. The Super Blast 2 sets out to fix them.

The Flightfoam Blast Plus layer remains on the underside, but the small cutouts in the outsole are gone, replaced with similar rubber areas plus a heel cutout into the foam. That is a genuine quality-of-life improvement: stones and grit getting lodged in the original’s outsole holes was a real irritation on gravel paths and road edges. The rubber sections also gain more texture, which should improve grip, an area that could feel lacking in wet conditions on version one.

The bigger news is the switch of the main midsole foam to Flightfoam Turbo Plus, the same superbly implemented, super-light foam used in the Metaspeed Sky Paris. That elevates the shoe from top trainer to a possible race option for some runners. The upper appears largely untouched, which is no bad thing given how well it worked before.

Reports suggest a July 2024 release window, though nothing has been confirmed by Asics yet.

Which One Should You Wait For?

If you want a premium daily-to-tempo trainer from Nike and can live with unconfirmed details, the Pegasus Plus is the intriguing unknown. If your motivation is nostalgia, the Air Max 180 is an easy decision, with the caveat that it is more of a lifestyle buy. For most runners, though, the Super Blast 2 is the one with the highest ceiling: a proven favourite with a better midsole, improved outsole coverage and better grip.

Whichever direction you lean, keeping an eye on official release announcements before buying is the smartest move, since dates and pricing for at least two of these are still fluid.

Conclusion

Three very different shoes, three very different reasons to care. The Pegasus Plus aims at runners who want more from their Pegasus, the Air Max 180 trades on one of the great ’90s designs, and the Super Blast 2 takes an already excellent all-rounder and fixes nearly every complaint levelled at it. For performance-focused buyers, the Asics looks like the standout; for everyone else, it depends on whether you are shopping for speed or nostalgia.