The Pegasus is on its 41st version and is a mid range, neutral daily trainer known for its durability and wide availability.
The Mach is only on its 6th iteration but has impressed with its light weight and high versatility.
Here we will be comparing these two popular trainers.
The midsole of the Pegasus is made of ReactX foam. It has a large forefoot Zoom Air unit which adds extra spring at toe-off and a heel Zoom Air unit for extra cushioning.
The midsole of the Mach is made of one foam: supercritical EVA. There is no air unit in the Mach but its midsole foam has plenty of energy return.
The ride of the Pegasus is more relaxed than the ride of the Mach which makes it better for easy and recovery runs. Your feet sink down into the foam more slowly than in the Mach. The Mach is the better shoe for speed runs such as tempo, intervals and threshold runs because it has much more responsiveness with a bouncier midsole.
Ride transitions are smoother in the Mach than in the Pegasus because its forefoot and its midfoot are the same density. In the Pegasus, the forefoot is firmer because of the Zoom Air unit.
The Mach is more flexible and it has a more natural ride than the Pegasus with its stiffer forefoot. The air unit in the forefoot of the Pegasus is what makes its forefoot less flexible than the Mach.
The outsole of the Pegasus uses hard, thick rubber which is super tough and abrasion resistant. The outsole of the Mach uses a softer type of rubber than the Pegasus. The Pegasus has a much more durable outsole and will last much longer than the Mach.
The upper of the Pegasus is a thick sandwich mesh with a comfortable fit. It doesn’t breathe very well but it has great durability because of its thickness. The heel tab and collar are lightly padded and foot lockdown is excellent. It fits true to size but is available in standard, narrow, wide and extra wide versions.
The upper of the Mach is made of engineered mesh which is thinner and more breathable than the Pegasus’ upper. It’s not as durable but it conforms to the foot more and is more comfortable. The tongue of the Mach is flat and gusseted so there is also no tongue slide. It also has a lightly padded heel tab and collar with great foot lockdown. The fit of the Mach is a half size too small so you need to size up or get the wide version.
If you prefer a tougher workhorse for slow-paced runs, the Pegasus is better for you. The Pegasus is the more durable shoe because of its thick outsole rubber and its thick sandwich mesh. It has a Zoom Air forefoot unit which adds responsiveness and an additional unit in the heel for cushioning. It has a very comfortable fit. The Pegasus is cheaper than the Mach and it is more widely available.
If you prefer a lighter, more flexible trainer for faster-paced runs, the Mach is your shoe. The Mach has a more lively ride with more energy return that makes it much easier to pick up the pace. It also has a more flexible forefoot with a natural ride. The Mach is more versatile than the Pegasus and it weighs much less.
