Experience Flow 2 vs Pegasus 42

The Experience Flow 2 is Altra's answer to runners who love the brand's roomy, natural feel but want a bit more snap. It is a lightweight daily training shoe that trades Altra's signature zero drop for a low 4mm, which nudges you onto your forefoot and helps the ride feel quick. At 238g it is genuinely light for a cushioned trainer, so it handles easy miles and picks up the pace for a tempo or progression run without feeling like a chore. Think of it as a do-most-things road shoe rather than a specialist. It is not a max-cushion recovery slab and it is not a carbon racer, but for daily running, faster sessions and the odd 10k it hits a sweet spot. If you have been curious about Altra's foot-shaped fit but found true zero drop a step too far, this is the easiest way in. In our view it is one of the more versatile shoes in the range.

The Pegasus 42 is Nike's do-everything daily training shoe, and the 42nd version of the longest-running name in running. It is not a racer and it is not trying to be. This is the shoe you reach for on the easy miles, the steady runs and the commute jogs, the one that just works. The big change for this version is the cushioning: a full-length Air Zoom unit paired with ReactX foam, which Nike claims gives around 15% more energy return than the Pegasus 41. In practice that means a daily running shoe that feels a touch livelier underfoot without losing the dependable, planted feel the Pegasus is known for. It sits in the busiest part of the market, up against the Brooks Ghost and Asics Cumulus, and at £130 it is priced right where most daily trainers land. If you want one road shoe to log the bulk of your weekly mileage, the Pegasus 42 is a safe, sensible pick that rarely puts a foot wrong.