1983. Nike introduces Pegasus, its first mid-priced running shoe featuring pressurized Air technology, focused on performance and affordability. It was immediately popular, a clear sign that Nike hit all the right notes for the everyday runner.
1996
Known for innovation, Nike tries to iterate on Pegasus without radically changing its core offering. But when visible Air is introduced, runners resist the new technology, and Nike drops the line in 1998.
2000
For many nostalgic runners, feelings toward the original Pegaus have never faltered. So, the Nike Running team completely reimagines Pegasus. They eliminate the visible Air component, the team “bakes” the Air console inside the shoe—a notable innovation—making it light and well cushioned. Pegasus is ready to run again.
2004
The sneaker has a runner’s high when it’s adapted specifically for women. Two years later, the women’s Pegasus becomes completely gender specific with its own design and innovations.
2018
After about 25 months of development, a heightened level of scrutiny and 47,000 cumulative miles of wear testing, the Air Zoom Pegasus 35 is released in 12 colorways. It’s the most successful Pegasus in history, selling 12 million pairs in 12 months. The comprehensive testing of Pegasus 35 completely resets the legacy of the line.
Inspired by the future of Pegasus, sculptor Fabian Oefner created a piece called Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39: Innovation Artifact. In this work, Oefner deconstructs the latest Pegasus model, fills the shoe with resin, and slices the shoe apart to rearrange it, representing the iterative history and comprehensive process behind the shoe's design.
