Daniel HuggettDeath, taxes, and burnt orange Pegasus. Nike has released a UT edition of their celebrated Air Pegasus line each year since 2019. That trend continues in 2024, with the release of the Nike Air Pegasus 41 Texas. This latest pair of UT kicks will join the heralded “Week Zero” lineage, which has seen the Swoosh drop at least one pair of Longhorn shoes near the start of football season each year since 2014. Between these new Pegasus and the upcoming UT Air Max Solos, Texas fans have a few footwear options to pick for the 2024 football campaign.
Colorway Description
The Pegasus 41 Texas sport a burnt orange upper set against a white midsole. Both white and light grey accents give the shoe a bit of pop, and help to break up the monotony that a one color upper can sometimes have. A burnt orange to grey gradient can also be found on the upper part of the midsole, which is a design choice that we don’t often see on Longhorn sneakers. The grey is a very nice touch here, and I feel that it pairs well with UT’s colors without being off-brand.
I was skeptical that Nike would use burnt orange as the primary color on the Pegasus for the third year in a row, but I’m glad my suspicions were unfounded. While some might be starting to get tired of this repetitive color choice, burnt orange is (understandably) by far the best shade a UT shoe can have.
For branding, the Pegasus 41 Texas feature the standard fare we’ve come to expect from Longhorn sneakers over the last few years. However, these Pegasus do buck the pattern set by the previous 5 models, and feature the Longhorn logo on the top of the toebox, rather than the heel. A font “Longhorns” in white can also be be found on the lateral side of the midsole, towards the center of the shoe. These marks do their job of establishing that this is a certified Texas shoe. However, they do feel a bit underwhelming compared to the UT kicks of the mid-2010s.
Author Opinion
Consistency: the Bad
Last year, I called out Nike for getting complacent with the annual “Week Zero” UT sneaker release. To summarize, in the early years of “Week Zero” (2014 – 2018) the brand was keen to release Texas colorways in all sorts of different training models, such as Free Trainers and Lunar TR1s. However, this variety has been notably lacking since 2019, as almost every general release Longhorn shoe has been a Nike Air Pegasus.
It feels as though the Swoosh has gotten overly formulaic in the last five years. Seemingly, when the time comes to design the newest “Week Zero” shoe, they merely take the latest Pegasus model, slap on a Longhorn logo, and call it a day. Although they switched things up a bit last year with the release of the Air Max SYSTM “Texas”, overall the “Week Zero” release has started feel less and less special as time goes on. The days when the annual Texas sneaker would feature complex and unique branding are seemingly behind us.
Consistency: the Good
That being said, I have to admit that the last three UT Pegasus (38, 39, and 40) are currently some of my most worn Longhorn sneakers. They’re easy to wear in a variety of settings and are also very comfortable (the 39s especially). As cool as many of the older Texas trainers and basketball shoes are, I rarely find myself reaching for them over something as versatile as the Pegasus.
The 41s in particular looks to be one of the best Pegasus to date. Many of the early reviews I’ve seen have praised the shoe for its comfort and quality, and I also think they look sharp as well. While I’m excited to be able to add them to my collection, I’ll admit that a good amount of eagerness is for the model, not necessarily that it is a Texas sneaker.
Price and Positioning
Another key factor that should be considered for these is price. I’m presuming that these will retail for $150, given that the price of the base 41 is $140 and UT sneakers usually receive a $10 upcharge from the standard MSRP. This is a $10 increase from last year’s UT Pegasus 40s, and puts the shoe halfway between the $100 and $200 mark. While I understand that prices on everything have been creeping up over the last few years, this still feels expensive for what is at its core, the entry level shoe of Nike’s performance running line.
When you consider price, the idea of releasing two separate UT shoes each year starts to make more sense. This was a tactic that Nike utilized last year with the Pegasus 40 and the Air Max SYSTM, and it appears that they’ll be doing it again in 2024 with the 41s and the Air Max Solo. This strategy allows the brand to service two different budgets and consumer types: premium and performance with the 41s, as well as casual and budget friendly with the Solos. I’m a huge fan of this tactic, as it means that most people should be able to afford a pair of UT kicks regardless of their budget.
Final Thoughts
So what’s the verdict here? Overall, this looks to be a great shoe, but it might not be for everyone. I really like the Pegasus 41 model, and as such I’m very excited to grab a UT pair to add to my regular rotation. However, I can understand the fatigue from three straight years of burnt orange Pegasus colorways, so it makes sense that some who purchased the 39s and the 40s would be disinterested in the 41s. The $150 pricepoint is also concerning, and given the current economic climate is a tough pill to swallow.
The 41s look to be a good offering, and I’d recommend purchasing a pair if you passed on previous UT Pegasus, really like the model, or want to own a shoe that Texas athletes and coaches will be wearing the during 2024-25 athletic year. If you’ve purchased previous Longhorn Pegasus and/or aren’t a major fan of the line, I can understand this being a pass.
Additionally, the Pegasus is no longer the only Texas-themed shoe in town anymore. As mentioned before, a Longhorn branded colorway of the Air Max Solo is also on the way, with this silhouette also boasting a much lower retail price that will likely be close to $100. Nike has also done a great job of releasing sneakers that, while not exactly burnt orange, are close enough to the shade to be worn with UT gear. The Nike Dunk “Reverse Curry” that released earlier this year, as well as many of the shoes with the “Monarch” orange color are also great options for fans that want to rep the Longhorns on gameday without any of the UT branding.
Release Info
These shoes are now available at a myriad of retailers (see below). Price is $150, which is a $10 upcharge from the standard colorways of the model (an increase that previous official UT shoes have almost always commanded).
What are your thoughts on the Nike Pegasus 41 Texas? Are you as big of a fan of the model as I am, or are you tired of Nike using Pegasus line for Longhorn colorways?
Images via “Paul” on Offerup
Nike Zoom Pegasus 41 Texas
Release Date: 8/29/24
Color: Desert Orange/White-White
Style Code: FZ5145-800
Price: $150
Nike.com
University Co-op
Texas Sports
Dicks Sporting Goods
Academy Sports
I admittedly haven’t bought a pair of sneakers in 16 years and only wore them a few times. Boots are and have been my daily footwear since I can remember for over two decades now. For my lifestyle, personal and when it comes to work, boots are the only thing that fit what I do in both regards. I was seriously debating buying a pair of the Pegasus 40 Texas sneakers and told my wife just recently I was going to hold off until I knew what the 41 was going to look like, more than likely waiting for the 41 to be released and buying them if I liked the look of them more. I’m definitely going to pay the $10 more for the 41 pair after seeing it in your article. I’m not in the worst physical shape possible, thanks in part to my job, but a pair of sneakers so I finally get back in a gym with free weights and running a couple miles most days weather permitting is something I want and honestly need to do. Wearing them on game days with any of my usual Saturday game day UT apparel justifies the purchase even more to me. I would think about waiting until I have my shoulder surgery done soon hopefully after putting it off for way too long since I’ll be in a sling for at least 4 weeks before physical therapy etc knowing I won’t be in the gym during that time frame but I know my luck and I would never be able to find a pair in my size if I wait.
Nice! Glad my article was able to help you make a decision.
I’m also expecting the 41s to be a better shoe than the 40s, so hopefully that ends up being the case. I’m very interested to see how they sell, and with the presumed price increase and the current state of the economy I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get some serious discounts. That might not come until after football season, however, so it might be worth biting the bullet and grabbing a pair early so that you have them for the year.