The Nike Pegasus 40 Texas is Available Now

The start of fall-camp, over-100° temperatures, and the release of the annual “Week Zero” sneaker are all signs that college football will soon be upon us. It is a ritual that Texas fans have been observing since 2014; the purchase of a new pair of Longhorn-branded shoes that will guide them through the ups and downs of the next 4 months. This year’s edition, the Nike Pegasus 40 Texas, looks to carry on that legacy as the 10th UT “Week Zero” shoe released near the start of football season. These burnt orange kicks are available now at a variety of retailers, a list of which you can find near the end of this article.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange Week Zero Texas Sneakers Pic 16

Colorway Description

The Swoosh seemed keen to stick with what worked on previous editions with this year’s Pegasus 40 Texas, as the shoe features a burnt orange upper similar to last year’s Peg 39s. Longhorn fans will likely be excited by the decision to stick with this traditional hue, as the UT 39s were one of best selling Texas shoes in recent memory. However, while last year’s shoe matched the school’s signature color with light grey accents, the Longhorn Pegasus 40s instead opt for black paired with a more prominent display of white. This slight switch up helps give the shoe a unique identity when compared to its predecessor.

School related branding is an essential component of any good UT shoe, and the Pegasus 40 Texas does not disappoint in this area. The word “Longhorns” is prominently featured on the tongue tag of each shoe, and a white Longhorn logo can be found on the lateral side of the heel. Each of the previous four UT Pegasus sported the steerhead in this same spot, so it is unsurprising to see this trend continue on the 40s. While they do not feature as much UT branding as some of the older Longhorn shoes, the Texas Pegasus 40s look to be a solid offering that fans everywhere will be proud to wear.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange Week Zero Texas Sneakers Pic 3

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange Week Zero Texas Sneakers Pic 17

Author Opinion: The Burnt Orange Conspiracy

I’m a big fan of how these Pegasus 40s turned out. Perhaps most notably, I was especially surprised to see Nike go with a burnt orange upper for the second year in a row. Historically, the Swoosh seems avoid using the same color on a UT shoe multiple seasons in succession, instead opting to switch the color scheme up each year.

It should be noted that last year’s Texas Pegasus 39s (which also heavily featured UT’s famous hue) appeared to sell extremely well. The shoes were difficult to find less than 3 months after their initial release date, and currently sell for about $50 above their original MSRP on sites like eBay and GOAT. I’m guessing that this massive success forced Nike to finally acknowledge that burnt orange sneakers are popular amongst the UT fan base, and this piece of data likely influenced their decision to use the color again on the 40s.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange Week Zero Texas Sneakers Pic 5 — Last year’s Pegasus 39 on the left, this year’s Pegasus 40 on the right

Perhaps even more unusual is the fact that every other pair of college Pegasus 40s released this year sport a white upper, rather than a primary color. UT is the only school that received special treatment in this area, which makes the 40s certainly stand out when compared to rival teams. This also makes the decision to use burnt orange on the 40s seem like a more conscious effort by Nike to give the Longhorn faithful a product that they’ve historically shown they will purchase.

I’m also glad that Nike decided to switch up the color scheme a bit on these 40s when compared to the 39s. The black and extra use of white give these new Pegasus a little bit more of a distinct look when compared to their predecessors, and I think it works well on this model. The design team very easily could have just copied and pasted last year’s exact color scheme onto this year’s Peg, so it’s great to see that they avoided this trap. While using the same primary color multiple years in a row has potential risks (such as consumer fatigue), I expect these Pegasus 40s to sell just as well as the 39s did, especially if Longhorn Football has a good season.

The Future of the “Week Zero” Release

However, while I do like this shoe, I must acknowledge that I’ve started to grow tired of Nike using the Pegasus line as the go-to UT sneaker each season. The Pegasus has been the flagship shoe release for Texas (and other Nike-sponsored schools) for the last 5 years, so it’s understandable that a bit of fatigue would set in. A few other Longhorn fans I’ve interacted with recently seem to agree, and would also like to see Nike switch it up for future releases.

While I would consider myself a Pegasus fan and regularly wear the model (I probably wear Pegs 3-4 times a week, in both regular and UT colorways), I do miss the days when Nike would switch up the model/line used for each “Week Zero” release. From 2014-2018, Nike would routinely alternate between various training models, such as the Free Trainer 5.0, Train Speed 4, and the beloved Lunar TR1. This made each shoe feel unique from one another, and helped keep “Week Zero” fresh and exciting year after year. These earlier drops also featured more UT specific branding, which gave them a special, almost PE-esque mystique when compared to other sneakers.

Nike Lunar TR1 Week Zero University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange White Top 10 — Some of the earlier “Week Zero” models released in the mid-2010s

Nike Free Trainer 5.0 V6 Week Zero University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange White Top 10 — Some of the earlier “Week Zero” models released in the mid-2010s

Given that Nike Training doesn’t seem to be as strong as it was in the mid-2010s, I think it’s unlikely that we see the Swoosh return to releasing Texas-branded training shoes anytime soon. Trainers often lack the widespread appeal of a runner like the Pegasus, and in general are not as comfortable to wear as running shoes. These factors would likely hamper mass-adoption from fans and would make Nike hesitant to go in such a direction.

If the Swoosh was to switch up the “Week Zero” release, they would likely swap out the Pegs for a more retro or retro-inspired sportwear shoe. Given the rise of these types of models in the last half-decade, it seems plausible that a UT colorway in a shoe of this nature would sell well. While sales numbers will ultimately determine the direction that “Week Zero” takes, hopefully the upcoming release of the UT Air Max SYSTMs is a sign that Nike is willing to take a stab at change.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 University of Texas Longhorns UT Burnt Orange Week Zero Texas Sneakers Pic 19

Available Now for Purchase

The Nike Pegasus 40 Texas is available now for $140 from most retailers, many of which can be found below.

What are your thoughts on the newest pair of Texas Pegasus? Will you be grabbing a pair for yourself, or saving your money for the upcoming UT Air Max SYSTMs?

Images via Nike and Texas Sports