Nike ACG Zegama Trail GTX review

The Nike ACG Zegama Trail GTX works best for runners who:

• Love the standard ACG Zegama Trail but need real waterproof protection.
• Have a generous budget and want a GORE-TEX trail shoe that performs best on easy and moderate terrain.
• Land on their midfoot and prefer a more responsive ride than most waterproof trail shoes offer.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the ACG Zegama Trail GTX is its high weight. If that's a concern for you, we strongly recommend considering the HOKA Speedgoat 6 GTX instead, which offers a lighter alternative.

We also believe that runners who need GORE-TEX protection but spend most of their time on roads would be better off with a road-focused option like the adidas Hyperboost GTX or Nike Vomero 18 GTX.

The ACG Zegama Trail GTX delivered 132 SA in the heel and 108 SA.

We appreciate that the impact protection extends beyond the heel thanks to the moderate drop of the Zegama. Runners who land farther forward also get above-average cushioning beneath their landing area, a useful quality for longer trail outings.

Nike pairs ZoomX with a Cushlon 3.0 carrier, and we found plenty to like in the rebound results. Energy return reached 65.5% in the forefoot and 62.0% in the heel.

The front has a small edge, but the rear doesn't lag far behind. We see a more balanced distribution of energy return than in running shoes that use more EVA in the heel area.

Those tall sidewalls make the shoe look more elevated than our cutaway reveals.

We measured 34.0 mm beneath the heel, a slightly above-average stack that includes the insole and outsole. It's a moderate amount of material by modern trail standards, keeping this GTX version away from the towering platforms found in some maximum-cushioning models like the ASICS Trabuco Max 4.

At the front, we found 28.4 mm of material between the foot and the ground. It's noticeably less than the 34 mm advertised by Nike, but still plenty of foam.

Nike advertises a 4 mm drop, but our heel and forefoot measurements produced 5.6 mm. We discovered a slightly steeper platform than the official specification describes, although it remains below average for a trail shoe.

In our experience, the Zegama works best for midfoot strikers, although we believe it can also accommodate forefoot and heel strikers.

Cutting through the midsole exposed the white ZoomX core inside an orange Cushlon 3.0 carrier. We measured a soft 28.1 AC in the ZoomX and a much firmer 55.2 AC in the surrounding EVA foam that works mainly to protect ZoomX from damage.

The freezer test brought another positive result: after 20 minutes, the main foam became just 1% firmer. Its softness barely changed, a standout result for a shoe intended for wet and cold conditions.

Looking at the side profile, we found a moderate rise toward the toe and a visible heel bevel.

Nike hasn't given this model the deeply curved shape seen in some trail racers like the ASICS Metafuji Trail 2, and we see a more gradual curvature from heel to toe.

Our gel replica measured 98.3 mm at its widest point, giving this waterproof Nike more interior space than average.

We found more room here than in the standard ACG Zegama Trail, which was a real surprise. However, this measurement describes overall forefoot width, as the shape around the toes deserves its own look below.

The extra space doesn't disappear completely as the upper narrows toward the big toe. We measured 75.1 mm in this area, slightly above average and, again, roomier than the standard version we tested.

You might find it surprising that the GORE-TEX version is significantly roomier than the standard model, but that's exactly what we found. We were puzzled too, so we made multiple gel molds of both shoes to double-check our findings. However, every attempt led us to the same conclusion.

The ACG Zegama Trail GTX also offers above-average vertical toe room, with a toebox height of 29.0 mm. We believe this extra space is ideal for runners who prefer wearing thicker socks with waterproof shoes.

Vibram certainly earns its place on this rain-ready shoe. We recorded an impressive 0.79 on wet concrete in our traction test, confirming its excellent grip.

However, we can't say we're surprised, as we've tested dozens of Vibram Megagrip outsoles in our lab, and they consistently deliver outstanding results.

We measured the lugs at 4.0 mm, making them slightly deeper than average. In our view, this is a sensible middle ground for a trail shoe designed to handle a wide variety of surfaces.

We believe this depth favors versatility on mixed terrain rather than maximum grip on deep, soft ground. In fact, after heavy rain, we think the Zegama GTX works best on easier trails or gravel roads.

Flipping the shoe over, there are broad, chevron-shaped lugs around the perimeter and smaller, angular lugs across the center. The forefoot and heel patterns point in opposite directions, while tiny Vibram Traction Lug nodules surround the edges of the larger lugs to enhance grip.

It's worth noting that Nike sometimes changes the rubber compound or outsole design for its GORE-TEX models, but that's not the case here. We found that the ACG Zegama Trail GTX retains essentially the same outsole as the standard version.

If you thought the upper had little influence on longitudinal stiffness, our lab tests prove otherwise. We found that the standard ACG Zegama Trail needed just 9.9N to bend, whereas the GTX version jumped to 15.5N, making it a whooping 56.6% stiffer... and they share the same midsole and outsole.

So we've confirmed that GORE-TEX Invisible Fit adds stiffness, but what about weight?

At 11.5 oz (326g), this is undoubtedly a heavy trail shoe. Our scale also revealed a 7% increase over the standard ACG Zegama Trail, which was already far from being a lightweight option.

Just 1/5. That's what the Nike ACG Zegama Trail GTX managed when we pumped smoke into its upper, with almost none of it finding a way out.

It's the lowest possible score, but the result didn't catch us off guard: this is the expected result for a rain-ready trail shoe with a GORE-TEX Invisible Fit layer.

We found several design features that deliver good lateral stability, including a broad forefoot platform, raised Cushlon 3.0 sidewalls, and a structured rearfoot. However, the soft ZoomX layer adds some instability, slightly reducing the support provided by these features.

Even so, we believe the Zegama offers enough stability for neutral runners, and we think those with very mild overpronation can also enjoy its ride.

Twisting the shoe required 19.0 Nm of torque, an exceptionally high result.

Therefore, we found that the GTX version has a much more twist-resistant chassis than the standard ACG Zegama Trail, adding another clear difference between the two models and helping explain its more stable feel.

We squeezed the heel counter and rated its stiffness at 4/5, being ideal for runners who prefer a supportive shell around the heel.

There's no shortage of platform beneath the forefoot. Our calipers opened to 123.1 mm, revealing a base that's substantially wider than the average trail running shoe. 

This provides a broad foundation for landings and helps explain the shoe's bulky outline.

The heel is less dramatically flared than the forefoot. We measured 93.9 mm across its base.

One of the biggest weaknesses of the standard ACG Zegama Trail was its poor toebox durability, but the GORE-TEX upper addresses this issue.

In our abrasion test, we recorded a much-improved score of 3/5. That's still far from outstanding, but it's a significant upgrade over the disappointing 1/5 we measured in the regular version.

The heel lining handled our abrasion test better, earning 4/5. We found only limited damage after applying the Dremel, putting this result above average compared to other rivals.

After our final Dremel test, we measured a 1.0 mm dent in the rubber. We've seen Vibram outsoles deliver better abrasion resistance, but this result is more or less par for the course, and we don't expect it to cause any major durability issues.

Beneath the lugs, we measured a rubber base of 2.2 mm.

This is thicker than average and gives the outsole serious protection before reaching the foam.

We removed the insole and measured its thickness at 3.9 mm, so there's not much to say here.

We appreciate how easily the insole comes out, especially in a waterproof trail shoe. This removable design allows you to clean it, swap it for a different insert, or quickly replace it if it gets wet.

We confirmed that Nike kept the same reflective elements found on the standard version, but this time they also added reflective laces.

Nike uses flat, braided laces routed through reinforced punched eyelets and four textile loops around the midfoot.

We measured the tongue at 6.7 mm thick, close to average. That's 34% less padding than the standard version we tested, although Nike still places a generous cushion between the laces and the instep.

Lifting the tongue revealed a semi-gusseted design with attachments on both sides. However, we would've preferred a fully gusseted tongue extending all the way to the top, especially on a waterproof trail shoe like this one.

There's a generous finger loop that sits behind the stretchy collar, giving us a clear place to grip when pulling the shoe on.

Discounts aside, the ACG Zegama Trail GTX costs $20 more than the standard version, which already sits firmly in the premium segment of the trail running market.

For runners who need waterproofing, we believe the upgrade is a no-brainer. However, those still on the fence may find Nike's asking price a bit too steep, even considering the premium technologies from Vibram and GORE-TEX.