Nike

Pegasus Trail 2 GORE-TEX Running Shoe - Men's

Nike Trail 2 GORE-TEX All-Black :)

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Nike Trail 2 GORE-TEX Review. The Nike Trail 2 and the Nike Trail 2 Gore-Tex are a completely different sneaker than the Pegasus 36 Trail GTX which is low-profile and ultra-lightweight. Unfortunately, the way they are the same is that they are 3 mm wider in the forefoot than the Road version of the Pegasus, why is that? The Nike Trail 2 has a rounded toe-box which I do not like as it feels slightly sloppy. I like and require a performance fit! The toe-fang is a nice protective element and it?s not noticeable whatsoever. The Gore-Tex version comes in a Monochromatic All-Black color-way with a matching React Foam mid-sole in Black, my ONLY color scheme! The React foam is amazing and super cushy and comfortable for every-day all-day use, especially if you?re standing on your feet all day. But due to the stack height which I like, the Nike Standard Trail 2 lacked serious stability. Just walking you could roll your ankle, which is not good! And that's why I returned the Standard Trail 2 version. But I find with the Nike Trail 2 Gore-Tex version they are at least 15% more stable, which is a good thing and that's why I'm keeping them. I equate it to the three-quarter length lightweight Gore-Tex liner which adds more support to the upper portion of the shoe. I could care less about weight, I care about quality, durability, traction, and 100% Gore-Tex waterproofing. I personally expect every trail running sneaker to come in Gore-Tex. Hooray! proper treads are finally back on some Nike sneakers! The treads are perfect for concrete, tarmac, broken-up tarmac, grass, packed dirt, and gravel. I expect all my sneakers to have a mid-aggressive quality grip! I really like the rip-stop material on the back heel. I also like the durability of the soft semi gator. I would?ve liked to see the gator come up 2 more inches at least, it?s super elasticized so anyone should be able to get their foot into the sneaker with no problem. The material is also utilized in the interior heel cup which is slightly slippery. There?s also a padded heel-pad to lock your heel in, but it is 2 mm too low, so it doesn?t work the way it was designed to. That?s why some other reviewers were commenting that there?s some heel slippage. The solid neoprene tongue without Gore-Tex is decent but does not offer any waterproofing. I really like the centered climbing shoelace eyelet in the forefoot that enables low to medium volume feet to not slop around as much. It does have a wider toe-box that I'm not particularly fond of, and yes they run true-to-size in length. This is a true hybrid sneaker, which is an important category that has been totally neglected for years, and I'd like to see get way more advanced. Nike Running inner-souls are the best Nike ever made. Nike Trail inner-souls offers just medium arch support, I NEED and prefer more arch support especially in a high performance running sneaker. And the horizontal pull-tab makes it really easy to grab and slip-on than a vertical one. I would?ve preferred a mid-gator for a little bit of additional ankle support and to keep out any dust and debris. I like the drop and I also like the heel height as I prefer my sneakers tipped down for a more aggressive stance. But for a true trail sneaker, Nike really needs to add some kind of lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite (CFRP) Plate in the mid-foot midsole for better stability. Nike's Trail Sneakers which should be under the All Conditions Gear (ACG) umbrella are still not there yet. They have a long way to go to get to the next level. I hope Nike and Nike Designers put more research & development, design, and money into these projects, which I feel are a necessary category especially since weather is becoming more and more erratic and not as predictable season to season. Especially since Nike has downgraded the beloved Nike Air Max, and are now considered fashion sneakers :( and do not offer the quality and durability that they used to be known for.