I had read a number of articles regarding Newton shoes in the weeks prior to IMAZ. At the race expo, Newton had set up a demonstartion area where you could take a pair for a run around. I gave them a spin and found them…very interesting. For more info on their history, design, and claimed benefits, visit there web site:
http://newtonrunning.com/
I read a number of different reviews and opinions of some of the very early adopters, ranging from they feel great to those who couldn’t run a mile without pain. A local triathlete friend also bought a pair at IMAZ and has been running in them for over a month. He likes them, and ran what for him was an impressive 10K for him at a race we did 2 weeks ago. My concern looking at his shoe’s was that they seemed very worn already.
So I decided to hold off buying these as the jury was clearly out, but I made the error of mentioning them to my mom, who promptly bought herself and me a pair. I purchsed the men’s Gravity Trainer:
http://www.newtonrunning.com/shoe.php?s=001
So, what do you get for $175 beans! They arrived with a nice carry bag, orange and white laces, a pair of Newton socks, and a nice headsweat cap! I will be going for an hour run tomorrow, so stay tuned!
INITIAL RUN REVIEW
“Preceptions vs. Realities”
Run Data- 1:00:00, 8.38 miles, 7:08 pace, 148HR
My run this morning in the Newtons was on a rec path along a canal her near my office. It is very flat, with a few short, steep up and downs into pedestrian tunnels to cross under a few roads. My heart rate is at the high end of my aerobic training zone, so from an effort standpoint, this is my normal exertion for a 60min run.
The first 2 miles in the Newtons felt very different, but not as I had expected. They felt much less cushioned than my Nike Haywards and somewhat stiff and flat. I did not feel any sense of forward assist from the lug system in the forefoot, although I’m not sure why I thought I would. I concentrated on maintaining a high 80-90 cadence and ran without my iPod so I could listen to my feet. When I run, I always try and land lightly and immediately scrap my foot back propelling me forward. If I can hear that slight scraping sound, I know I am imparting momentun forward and not wasting it by bouncing up. As I am not a heel striker by nature, so the running on my toe’s concept is something I always try and do, so again the shoe’s positioning wasn’t noticeabley different. My initial perception was that I wasn’t running as fast as I thought.
As the run progressed and I warmed up and lossened up, things began to change. First was when I came to the first pedestrian underpass. These shoes feel great running down hill. Suddenly the shoe geometry really kicked in for me and keeping my stride short, your turnover increases and you can really fly down a hill with less pounding caused by making the mistake of overstriding the downhills. Then when it came time to climb back up to the path…OH MY GOD! These shoe’s are a revolution in hill climbing! It has never felt so effortless climbing. Suddenly I was really up on my toes and I absolutley flew up the hill. Now, I run hills all the time and consider myself a strong hill climber but this felt profoundly different in a very good way.
As I came into the last 2 miles, I began to be able to put it all together. What I preceived as flat and less cushioned was actually me completely eliminating any bounce in my stride. Sometimes I think I can fool myself into thinking I’m moving quickly when I start to get a little bouncey when in reality, I’m wasting time and energy moving up and down and not forward. The shoes were forcing me to push myself forward with every step. They felt very efficient in providing me with the correct mechanics to maintain good form and running economy. Whereas my initial perception was that I didn’t feel that much different, the reality was that I was running very differently. Whereas before I porbably only held perfect form when I though about it, now it seemed I was doing it without the same mental effort and not slipping into old, bad habits.
Post run, my legs didn’t feel as fatigued from the normal pounding of a good hard run. Again, I attribute this to the shoes preventing me from engaging in the poor form of bouncing too much. My quads and calves feel a little more tired as they have been engaged in a different way, but nothing very noticeable. I will be very curious to get out and run a more varied elevation run.
So my first impression is very favorable. $175 worth of favorable? More testing will tell. I will continue to update this thread, so keep an eye on it!
