Newton Running

I noticed on the flash player, that the lower stick figure has a much longer stride length, telling me that stride length is more important than what shoes your wearing. Did these shoes shave any time off a known distance in your speed workouts?

Based on your initial review, I’m wondering if you are still running in these shoes? What gives? Are they worth the cost? Have they made you faster? Have they increased your running efficiency? Do tell.

I am still running in the Newtons. No sign of turning back. They do seem to make you faster, as you’re always on the balls of your feet. Your heel rarely strikes the ground first. Durability-wise, the rubber lugs underfoot show almost no sign of wear, and I’ve put probably 150 road miles on them. I plan to write a detailed column on the shoes in Aug. after a couple more weeks of testing.

I spent quite a bit of time at the Newton tent at the Lake Placid NY Ironman…I had miniscus surgery a few years ago and can do everything but run on pavement..the Newton people assured me that the Newton and the style of running it promotes significantly reduces the pounding on the knee…so far I’m 100% satisfied….while you might be able to run more on the forefront with a traditional shoe, the Newtons definitely assist…

How do these compare to the Nike Frees? I’ve been running in them for several months and they also (but don’t force) you to run on the forefoot. Let me know if these are that great I’m willing to switch.

I have actually seen tons of wear on my Newtons (~70 miles on them). The site says that wear is normal as you adjust, but my left heel has already worn through the first layer of colored rubber. This may be partially due to using an orthotic which I have since removed, since it seemed to contribute to knee tendonitis. That said, I like these shoes a lot, but they may be expensive to keep as a habit.

I am running in the women’s stability trainers.

Just received my Newtons . . . .They really work. I am 6’ 2” and 205 lbs and they made my running more efficient. I am a neutral runner and have used the Nike Free for some of my running, so the break in period was no issue, as I tend to land mid-foot. In any event, I could feel the propulsion technology and ran with less effort. I hope the company makes it and sells ALOT of shes so the price comes down ($175.00 ouch)!

The full column is now up: http://thegearjunkie.com/newton-running-gravity-shoes-column

Living in New Mexico at about 6,000 ft altitude, I run 48 miles a week on 80% dirt and 20% pavement. The problem with running on dirt – any dirt in NM – is that there are little thorns called goat-heads that make tiny punctures in the soles of running shoes. This has resulted in leaks from air soled running shoes and the shoe going flat. I contacted the maker of the Newtons and asked if the goat-heads punctures would be a problem what with the membrane that is built into the Newtons and was told “Yes, that would be a problem and that they are not recommended for off paved road running”. Therefore I chose not to spend $175 on a shoe with this sort of weakness. Hope others like them.

Just got my first pair (cushioned racers recommended by the reps at Newton since I’m already a mid-foot striker) to try out. My first run, a standard 5 mile tempo run, went extremely well, though I noted some calf stress around mile 4, but it cleared within a day. I had to actually slow myself down, as the shoes naturally made me want to accelerate (my first mile split was over 20 seconds faster than usual, with the same perceived effort). As everyone else has said, price is steep so I’ll plan on rotating the Newts and using them only on tempos and interval sessions. The CD video they sent showed a worn pair, still apparently working, with 640 miles written on the sole! If that’s the case, then the 2x cost factor won’t be so bad.

I just purchased my first pair of Newton Motion running shoes and so far I AM IN LOVE. My husband has been doing a ton of research on barefoot running and read review after review, research article after article and came across the Newton shoe. When he saw the price he immediately clicked off the site. He then found the Nike Free and was CONVINCED these were the shoe for him. While at the Peachtree Road Race Expo – we saw the Newton Shoe exhibit from Run City. Out of curiosity I tried on a pair – he refused, again because of the price. IMMEDIATELY I was in love. They felt so good they felt like nothing at all!! I took a quick jog indoors (and a very quick one on pavement) and did not want to take them off. We walked away… and went to Nike Town to try on the Nike Free that hubby was ready to buy before we got in there. After trying on the 5.0 (and HATING them) and trying the 3.0 (and trying to convince himself he liked them because of the $85 price) and then even trying on the new Lunar (or something like that) and hating those – we decided that they were not worth the $85 at all. They felt cheaply made, ironically the insoles had arch support which is surprising for a minimalistic shoe, and just felt lumpy. I could buy a pair of yoga shoes that would do the same as the 3.0’s for half the cost. We walked away from Nike (hubby disappointed after all the hype they got on the internet) and back to the Expo we went. After trying on the Newtons for a 2nd time we were both sold – even at the $175 price (happy birthday, merry christmas, happy anniversary hahaha).

We are going for our first full run tomorrow – but so far what we have seen and felt on our mini runs we are impressed!!! I’ll report back after about a month or so.

I am a late stage pronator and heel striker, and I had no trouble adjusting to the Newtons. I have very flexible achilles, so that probably helped. My first run was 5miles, the second 6 miles, and I have been using them for up to 8 mile runs ever since, including treadmill speed workouts. I have been wearing them for over 3 weeks. No obvious wear. My gait feels much steadier and straighter, and my times have decreased by about 20 sec/mile with same perceived exertion. I love them. I am running the Miami half marathon this weekend in them.

Hoping I could add a little more value to your discussion group, I run a popular video gait analysis company down in South if England, we specialise in improving runners performance by filming them at 360 degrees, with high speed cameras to identify how their own body deals with ground force reaction and resistance. I am a great believe that there’s a whole bag of other cataysts within the body that restrict / hinder performance, thus create potential ‘wear and tear’ injuries. Footware is only half of the issue… However, at last, a trainer manufacturer have put their head on the line by creating a running shoe that pretty much opposes most other trainers. Most trainers are built over enginnered and designed for most average runners. (Sorry!) Newton however have created a trainer, that does much less than most other trainers, yet delivers more. It’s rocker system enables you to have less ground reaction time, and the reduction of extra rear foot cushioning provides you with an overall lighter shoe, closer to the ground, less resistance, more control. But unlike ‘the breaking in’ time to a pair of usual trainers, Newtons require you to break into them! Stengthen calf muscles, plenty of eccentric calf exercises, stretch out glutes and quads and take your time. Don’t ever be scared to go slower to go faster!! Full stars to Newton. Mitchell@Strideuk.com

I’ve used the shoes for approximately 2 weeks and run more comfortably and faster. The shoes make me want to run faster; I’m not sure if that’s good or bad yet.

the newtons are great but they wear out VERY quickly. I have found that I no longer have shin splint pain or knee pain when running since I switched to newtons; and this is after doing treadmill tests and buying only shoes that were supposedly correct for my gait. the main, albeit huge, drawback is that they last half as long as my other running shoes have (asics or mizunos). after a couple of months of running 30ish miles a week they feel less supportive like my feet are actually on melting marshmallows and they feel like they are sliding from side to side. the lugs are noticeably worn down. I am on my 3rd pair and since they are so expensive I am loathe to purchase my 4th but they really are great when they are new. sigh.

I bought a pair of Newton Gravitys mainly out of curiosity, even though they were $200 Canadian (the store owner was a little embarrassed that he couldn’t sell them for less). Even though the Gravity is the trainer, it feels more like a racing flat, and runs like one too. The compression blocks across the ball of the foot feel funny at first, as if you have a crease in your sock that is mildly bothersome, but you do get used to it. I found that rather than concentrate hard on midfoot running, the shoe itself seemed to train me into just picking my leg up and placing it straight down. Because of the price I only race in my Newtons, so I hope to get at least a couple of years out of them. If there is a weakness so far, it seems to be the laces. I ran the New York City Marathon in them and the left lace came undone at the 40 km marker. I was so far into the race that I didn’t dare stop and bend over to tie them for fear of cramping up, so I ran the last mile with a flapping lace. Then last week at the Haney 2 Harrison Relay in Vancouver both laces came undone, even though I’d double-knotted them. Aside from that, I still love the shoes. I ran a 1:33 half marathon in them in October when my two previous half-marathons were 1:39, so that was a surprise to me, and I’d used Adidas racing flats in the two 1:39 races. It’s hard to say what’s going on down there, but whatever it is it works. I’ll also say that I’ve had bad Achilles tendonitis over the past year but the Newton’s don’t cause any significant post-race pain. At New York I barely felt any calf- cramping which has always been my problem at the marathon distance. Great shoes. They just need to be used sparingly to mitigate the price.

I am new to street running, about a month now. I had been running on the beach barefoot 5-10 miles/day…7 days/week for a year; and due to a knee injury reduced that to 5-10 miles/day twice/week. In order to challenge myself I decided to start alternating running on the street and beach. I just bought my first pair of Newtons and cannot explain how excited I am to go for my first run. The way this shoe is designed makes me use the same technique as beach running…not landing on my heel but more towrds the middle/balls of feet. I haven’t ran in these yet, but I can say these are not for the average runner. These are for those of us that want to be better runners. I will never go back to over engineered super cushioned shoes.

So, after much deliberation, I wanted to look at changing my running shoes, I currently run in 2140s, but I wasn’t sure if they were too heavy and stiff for me. I live miles away from a descent running shoe store, I therefore have to rely on buying online, especially for anything half descent. I found a company StrideUK (via a Newton running shoe link) that offer an online video gait analysis service. Based in England, but that didn’t concern me. I submitted two movie files, running barefoot and in my current trainers, it cost me under $70, the reports I received were amazing. I found out that my Asics were too stiff and over engineered, I was in fact a neutral runner, I ran midfoot, therefore didn’t need a trainer with a big cushioned heel. They also noticed that I had a tight hip flexor on my right hand side! how clever is that!! I was given a breakdown of the most suitable trainers, (they don’t sell trainers, they just advise) I ended up buying Newton Gravities, based on their recommendation, what a result! A great pair of running shoes that have taken me through 1 Ironman and a 10k PB. The moral of the story, don’t buy trainers without getting your gait analysed, if you don’t live near to a reputable video gait analysis store, try online. Look at www.strideuk.com, great company, great value, great service.

The Newton site said that the shoes should match current shoe size, however, they also say that the lugs should be in the middle of the balls of the feet. I am a size 11 and a half normally, and the lugs are more front middle, while a size 11 the lugs are middle back (I think more back) and were really snug.

I would like to find out if there is a problem with inbetween size people. I want to get the bigger shoe since they are more comfortable, but am afraid they might cause injury or force me into an unnatural stride if the lugs are positioned incorrectly.

I would love to hear about where the lugs are positioned on others’ shoes compared to their balls of the feet.

Newtons and never looked back. I had the trainer first, which I wore out and then the Universal racer in I love these shoes! In spite of the fact that they’re pink!!! I was having all sorts of problems with various injuries running with many different ‘Good quality’ shoes and the $600 custom orthotics the PT told me I needed. A kind friend lent me a pair to try because I didn’t want to fork out $175 just to have another useless pair of shoes to give to my cleaning lady ( she looks good in’em though and is very sprightly!). I tried thewhich I ran my first full Marathon extremely comfortably, injury free and smiling all the way to a steady 4hr38 min finish. I plan to kick it up a notch in London in April and will reort back. I will DEFINITELY buy more and am looking at the all weather version and anxiously awaiting the trail shoe. ( I didn’t like the current Newton on the trail) I certainly don’t have money to throw around right now,like most people but my running shoes are something I will not skimp on. $175 dollars on a pair of shoes every few months is certainly a lot less money and a lot more fun than three visits a week to the shrink’s office, interminable and expensive PT and doubling up on the ol’Prozac! If ur worried about not liking them, buy them on line form RoadRunner sports. They have a 90 day return policy on running shoes and if u join their VIP program you can get a discount! Besides, everyone should have pink running shoes! Serena