Nike ACG Zegama Trail Review

The ACG Zegama is intended to be comfortable and capable for long miles on technical terrain, and it does exactly that. We feel well-seated down into the shoe, stable, and confident taking on any trail. The foam felt good for climbing and running across the trails. The top midsole layer is pleasantly soft but not quite bouncy enough to feel assistive, so you do sink in for a slight moment before getting back out of the shoe—for this reason, it doesn’t seem as well-suited for faster paces.

The burly Megagrip outsole gave us plenty of traction to feel sure in our footing, even on steep inclines and declines. After a full immersion creek crossing, it drained quickly and dried reasonably well.

Something to note is the weight of this shoe. It doesn’t feel too heavy on foot, but we have experienced similar shoes for long, technical trails that are lighter than these. That said, it’s an enjoyable shoe for its core purpose–longer outings in burlier terrain when steady comfort is more important than pure pace. This shoe won’t exactly spark joy on highly runnable smooth sections or paved stretches, but it’s not intended to.

The Zegama nails a really good balance of an overall comfortable ride, while giving you a hint of connection to the trail in this crucial forefoot area. The midsole cushioning is on the softer side but does not feel over-cushioned underfoot, thanks to the Cushlon foam layer that prevents too much of that sink-in feeling.

The padding in the tongue is excellent, and the sock-like ankle construction fits comfortably. The flexible and perforated upper material feels inviting, though it's not quite as breathable as other comparable shoes.

On Loucas’ first run out of the box—a steady, relaxed 5-hour cruise in the mountains—he started to feel a potential hotspot after about an hour, near the ball of each foot. Thankfully, that faded after awhile and he emerged with no issues. He attributes the temporary discomfort to the textured surface of the insole, which he typically experiences in Nike trail shoes. Although the insole is glued in, it’s easy to pull out and replace with one from another shoe, if necessary.

While the Zegama fits true to length, and we agreed that the fit in the heel and midfoot is comfortable, our experiences varied when it came to how we perceived width, particularly in the toe box.

Loucas was quite impressed with how roomy the toe box felt for him. While he was slightly aware of a taper on the toe tips, he found it to be flexible and not rigid or restrictive. The overall volume of the shoe was a little too much for him to get an ideal lockdown on his narrow C-width foot, but was able to achieve a comfortable and functional fit by cinching dow his laces.

Kaitlyn felt that these shoes ran a bit narrower in width. She had some slight discomfort along her pinky toes when going downhill and on flatter ground. The fit in the heel and midfoot was comfortable and didn’t cause any discomfort, but the toe box felt narrower than she would prefer.

We really like the deep-seated feeling of the heel, which must be partially due to the integrated gaiter. The padded tongue offered plenty of protection from lacebite when cinching down those laces, but was not so voluminous as to obstruct the fit or cause any discomfort. Overall, the fit is fairly adaptive for a range of foot types, but may not be as suitable for those who prefer a wider toe box.

"The Xodus 4 feels a little taller throughout, most noticeably under the forefoot. The Xodus is also a little firmer and has a moderately more noticeable rocker. It has a 'slimmer' or normal footprint base width, as opposed to the Zegama’s broader 4-corners base design. The Saucony is slightly more tapered at the toe tips and my heel doesn’t feel as securely seated down into the shoe. Both shoes have some superfoam that’s stabilized by standard foam. They’re the same weight and both use Vibram Megagrip traction lugs." -Loucas

"I would recommend the Nike Zegama over the HOKA Speedgoat 7 for those who prefer a lower profile shoe but still want sticky traction and want to feel secure over different terrains. The Nike Zegama also has a narrower toe box that may be better suited for those with narrower feel. A distinguishing characteristic that the Nike ACG Zegama has over other shoes is that it provides a better fit for those with a higher volume foot. I’ve found this is more difficult to find in trail shoes compared to road shoes." -Kaitlyn

"Oooh, close call! The Zegama feels more luxurious with its plusher tongue and ankle collar padding, as well as its softer, more flexible mesh. The Speedgoat’s main material is tighter-woven, a little stiffer, and less “natural” seeming, so it really grips your foot securely. The Zegama’s ZoomX feels a bit softer underfoot than the Goat’s supercritical EVA, and I like the Zegama’s space around my toe tips better, even though the Goat’s toe box is significantly better for me than before. Again, both give you Vibram Megagrip traction lugs." -Loucas