Nike’s Zegama 2 is a trail running shoe with a not-so-secret weapon: style

Nike Zegama 2: two-minute review

The Nike Zegama 2 is a high-mileage trail shoe designed to handle pretty much anything you can throw at it. Nike put nearly two years of testing into the model, which is designed to offer supreme comfort and support over uneven, changing terrain.

Launched alongside the Pegasus Trail 5, it stands out against the latter as a more dedicated trail shoe rather than a road-to-trail offering.

While the first Zegama was cool, it fell down because of its limited grip. The Zegama 2 offers more traction, plenty of cushioning, and a really responsive ride. After a few weeks with it I’ve been really impressed. I’m not a trail runner by trade and find most trail shoes look a little too much like walking shoes. The Zegama 2 got me out on the trail and looked brilliant in the process.

Out of the box, the Zegama Trail 2 features a really striking design. Its large heel stack complete with shelf gives the shoe an imposing silhouette reflective of its rugged durability and exceptional support.

This is the Khaki/Hyper Crimson/Burgundy Crush/White option, a special design inspired by the Donghai Yunding trail in China. In all honesty, I love the design. The lighter jade color is also a real head-turner, as is the special Two Bays Trail blue version. Essentially, it’s impossible to find a dull or disappointing colorway.

Not that you’ll be keeping these clean, the Zegama Trail 2 is one of the best running shoes for the great outdoors. At its heart, Nike has adopted the extremely responsive and cushioned ZoomX foam midsole. In trials across tarmac, concrete, grass, and dirt trails I found the Zegama 2 to be very comfortable.

You wouldn’t buy the Zegama 2 for road running, but we all need to get to the trail before the fun begins. These trainers will deliver you to your trail in style and won’t put paid to your feet on the way. The ZoomX midsole felt responsive and springy, combined with a pronounced rocker motion that really helps propel you along.

Once you get to the rugged stuff and the bumps, jumps, ridges, and roots, the Zegama 2 brushes them all off with ease as you navigate your way along uneven terrain. I’ve never been much of a trail runner but the Zegama 2 instills a real sense of confidence and almost challenges you to seek out more treacherous and adverse terrain. I’ve no doubt these would also easily double as a durable hiking shoe, thanks to their extremely forgiving underfoot experience.

Stability is another big plus here, and crucial to the trail shoe experience. With uneven terrain all around, the last thing you want is movement and rotation. The fit of the entire upper is very comfortable. I found there was plenty of room upfront in the toe box, although I’ve seen a couple of complaints about the vertical space being more limited in this year’s model. The snug upper combines with the ankle gaiter to give a supremely secure fit that also limits ingress of the great outdoors into your shoe.

Across all manner of uneven ground that I tried, there was never any sense of rolling an ankle or losing my balance.

The original Zegamas lost out big time because of its poor traction. For the Zegama 2, Nike has added the Vibram Megagrip and the effect is obvious. Living in Scotland I do all my running in the wet, and I couldn’t believe how much traction the Zegama 2 delivered on wet grass, mud, and slippery concrete. Of course, the Megagrip does cake up with mud pretty quickly, so there’s a little bit of slip-and-slide when the going gets really soft, but that’s to be expected of any shoe in the conditions. By and large, the traction is excellent, and generally, this is regarded as the biggest upgrade Nike has made to the Zegama 2.

The Zegama 2 displays extremely good build quality and exudes durability. I have absolutely no concerns that this is a shoe built to last, with its chunkier features and rugged design lending themselves to hundreds of miles getting battered by the great outdoors.

If you like a more neutral feel to your run, then this might not be the shoe for you. Generally the Zegama 2 is excellent, and gives you a sense of being nudged along as you travel, which I really appreciated.

While there are a couple of overlays on the toes for extra durability, these shoes aren’t waterproof. If you land yourself in a large enough puddle, your feet will get wet. If you do want a waterproof trail shoe, options from the likes of Saucony available.

Across my testing and research, the other drawbacks I’ve come across are few. They are on the heavier side, so if you want a lighter trail shoe you might want to look elsewhere. There are some concerns about how hot the shoe runs given how substantial it is. Again, as a resident of Scotland I’d chalk this up as a bonus, but it’s definitely true and something to watch out for if you run in warmer climes.

Nike Zegama 2: price & availability

• $180/£165/AU$250
• Men’s and women’s options, 11 total colors

The Nike Zegama 2 is available from Nike.com and the usual array of third-party resellers. Its hefty and rugged build means it’s a little pricier than your average running shoe at $180/£165/$250 AUD, although we have seen it discounted, including on Nike’s website.

There are versions for men and women, with five or six colors respectively.

Nike Zegama 2: specifications

Nike Zegama 2: scorecard

Should I buy the Nike Zegama 2?

Buy if it…

Don’t buy it if…

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How I tested

I used the Nike Zegama 2 across a multitude of terrain including concrete, grass, mud, as well as incline and declines during a series of runs.

First reviewed: February 2025