Four New Running Shoes Worth Watching: Nike Zegama 2, Pegasus Trail 5, Mount to Coast R1 and Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3

Introduction

Trail and race-day silhouettes keep pulling in new ideas, and the latest wave is no exception. This roundup covers four soon-to-be-released or very recently surfaced shoes: two Nike trail models in the Zegama 2 and Pegasus Trail 5, a brand-new ultra-focused road racer from Mount to Coast, and Puma’s eagerly anticipated Deviate Nitro Elite 3. Some of these earn an easy recommendation, others come with real trade-offs to weigh before you spend your money.

Nike Zegama 2: Better Grip, Same Odd Recipe

The original Zegama was an odd shoe. The embedded ZoomX foam never really made itself apparent underfoot, and the ride did not feel meaningfully better than cheaper trail alternatives from other brands. Nike has shifted its approach a little this time, most notably in the area everyone wanted changed: a new Vibram Megagrip outsole, which should improve traction and durability. That was a genuine drawback on previous Nike trail shoes and stopped a lot of runners from trying them at all.

There are still quirks to live with. The mostly white upper with bright accents looks destined to turn dull and mucky fast, and at around £165 in the UK with a sample weight of 320g, it gets heavier fast in larger sizes. Plenty of other trail shoes are dramatically lighter, which makes the combination of top-tier ZoomX foam and a heavy build feel strange. It is a shoe that still does not deliver the full benefits you would expect from that premium foam.

If you liked the original Zegama’s fit and feel, the improved outsole makes this version more palatable. For most trail runners, especially those dealing with wet, muddy or root-strewn terrain rather than groomed dirt paths, lighter options are easier to justify.

Nike Pegasus Trail 5: The Do-Everything Middle Ground

The Pegasus Trail line sits deliberately in the middle: not a pure trail shoe, not a road shoe, but a comfortable hybrid that can handle a bit of both. Earlier versions were praised for being well cushioned, soft and forgiving, and this one continues that formula with a more beefed-up upper and a slightly more rugged outsole.

The big change is the switch to a new ReactX midsole, which should bring more energy return and lower energy loss compared to previous formulas. Do not expect a dramatic weight saving, though. There is no Vibram on the outsole here, which is a genuine limitation for the road-to-trail role this shoe plays, and it is priced at around £129. Add the oversized swoosh, extra eyelets for tuning the lockdown, and a protective rubber bumper around the toe box, and there is plenty to like. This is the easiest recommendation of the Nike pair, and a good entry point if you want a single shoe for mixed surfaces.

Mount to Coast R1: Built for the Long Haul

Mount to Coast is a new name, and the R1 is aimed squarely at road ultra running, although it could realistically cover any distance. The standout idea is the hybrid closure: normal laces at the top combined with a toggle system near the toe box, letting you fine-tune fit and lockdown separately. It is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that makes this shoe interesting on paper.

Underfoot, the midsole uses a PEBA-based super foam that is lighter than EVA with far higher energy return, and the Lightcell midsole base includes sections of Mount to Coast’s Zero Sag elements embedded in the underfoot area. The goal is a very consistent feel over long distances, so the soft foam does not start bottoming out late in a run. Specs are sensible for the mission: 240g in a US 9, a 35mm stack, an 8mm drop and a conventional road-style outsole. Mount to Coast also quotes an ideal pace range of roughly 6 to 13 minutes per mile, or 4 to 8 minutes per kilometer, so it is positioned for racing and training at nearly any speed. At $160, around £122 in the UK, it is a striking package and one well worth following if long days on the road are your thing.

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3: The Big Stack Racer

The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is the shoe many road runners have been waiting for, and the changes are considerable. The heel stack is now 40mm, and the midsole appears to use a mix of Nitro Elite foams, with a softer layer stacked larger through the midfoot and forefoot over what looks like the firmer material from the Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 below. If the ride lands between the soft Fast-R feel and the sharper Deviate Nitro Elite 2 profile, it could be a genuinely compelling racer.

Puma Grip returns on the outsole in a pattern close to the Fast-R 2, which used a slightly stickier and more malleable rubber than the previous Deviate. The upper is listed as UltraWeave but looks a touch more conventional than the Fast-R 2 version, and it appears slightly thicker in profile, mimicking its predecessor. There are fun details too, with marathon major destinations and Puma’s 1948 to 2024 milestones noted on the labels. One note suggests this shoe may not surface until autumn-winter 2024, so patience is required. As a race-day proposition from a brand whose race offerings suit a wide range of foot shapes, this is the most exciting shoe of the four, especially if Puma can trim weight back toward the lighter first version.

Buying Advice

If you need one shoe for mixed road-and-trail use, the Pegasus Trail 5 is the safest pick of this group. Pure trail runners on wet, technical ground should look elsewhere unless the new Megagrip outsole outweighs the Zegama 2’s weight penalty for them. Ultra and long-distance road runners have a genuinely interesting new option in the Mount to Coast R1, with its clever lacing and durability-focused midsole design. And for race day, the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is the one to watch, assuming the expected release window holds.

Conclusion

Four shoes, four very different missions. Nike’s trail updates show a brand tweaking rather than reinventing, with the Pegasus Trail 5 looking like the better value of the two. Mount to Coast’s R1 brings fresh ideas to the ultra category, and Puma’s stacked racer rounds out a lineup that should give runners plenty to think about as these models reach shelves.