The Newton Running Shoe
A friend of mine just sent me a link to Newton Running Shoes. It’s not the first time I’ve seen the site, but it’s the first time I’ve really looked into it. They’re not cheap, but if they deliver on everything they claim then it’s a good investment.
Aside from their patents on new running shoe technology, they’ve got some interesting things to say about running form. From my discussions with other experts, I’ve always understood that proper running form brings you down on your heel first, which is why they emphasize the cushion in the crash pad. In contrast, Newton running suggests that the best way to run is with a shorter stride and by landing on the ball or your foot.
I’ll post a video below that shows what I’m talking about. It’s compelling enough that I’m going to pay close attention to my form for the next few runs and try the shorter stride. I’m interested to see how this affects the muscles and impact/stability of my stride.
If you’ve tried Newton running shoes leave a comment below and let me know what you think of them. I’m really tempted to buy a pair.
April 16th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
[...] Newton Running Shoes I just did a quick write up on my blog about a new running shoe by Newton. I’d seen their site before, but this time I actually looked at their stuff and they have a great video about both running form and their shoes. What was so interesting to me is that they have a unique take on running form. Rather than a traditional heel strike, they suggest landing on the ball of your foot. I put the video and a quick write up on my website here: Newton Running Shoes. [...]
May 1st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I bought Newtons abotu 2 years ago – then within a few months I had lots of knee problems. I did some PT, and saw a sport med doc, and they all thought I shouldn’t run in those shoes and that they could be contributing to my knee problems. I tossed them, and haven’t had knee problems since, so maybe it was related.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:15 pm
That’s very interesting. I know that I’ve had bad experiences with shoes before that cleared up when I went back to an old trusted shoe.
When you ran in a newton running shoe, did you try to follow their suggested running form, landing more on the ball of your foot than on your heel?
September 13th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Love the newtons! WIll never run in anything else.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I’m an ironman triathlete, just been to Kona for world champs…love Newtons and would be hard to convince me into anything else. Everyones gait is differant though so if you’ve had years of running in a certain way in a certain shoe, it can take a long time to get use to. I’ve always been a mid foot runner with relatively short stride and fast turnover so I adjusted really quickly to them.
October 27th, 2009 at 2:56 am
Love this stuff really cool.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Hiya!. Thanks a bunch for the info. I’ve been digging around looking some info up for shool, but i think i’m getting lost!. Yahoo lead me here – good for you i suppose! Keep up the great information. I will be popping back over in a couple of days to see if there is any more info.
December 16th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I am a midsole/forefoot runner and with the normal 12/24 ratio in normal shoes where companies put their tech and cushin(12 in the forefoot and 24 in the heel) I was never having real issues until long distance days; ex 25+miles my knees would act up but I was just under the impression it was just from the normal impact of being a 6′3 205lb guy. After doing some research and reading a few books, which included some on barefoot running and proper form, I bought a set of Newtons. Within the first week I felt so great wearing them that by day 8 I had logged 106 miles going strong. Newtons concept of forefoot running is spot on in my opinion, if you run barefoot, you may run the first 5 min heeel to toe form until your body will naturally tell you “hey this kinda hurts!” and your body will compensate and run with proper mechanics; ie forefoot stricking, with shorter strides etc. The Newtons with more tech and cushin up front force you to land.level and lift which is great. For me someone that was already stricking correctly and had good mechanics it just ment more support and better feel. I have also increased the pace at which I run. The calf workout for the first few times running can be intense but I love iot knowing its just making me a stronger faster and more efficently profound runner.
January 25th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
I love the Newton Running shoes. I have a wide foot so this was the best fit for my foot. Yeah no more blisters. Just ran a 1/2 marathon in them and my legs and feet felt great. I will not run in anything else!
March 16th, 2010 at 9:52 am
I have struggle with IT band issues, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis after training for and running 2 marathons in 13 days (my first and second). I bought these shoes on a whim because I was looking for any way to bring the enjoyment back to running (sick of the pain). I slowly worked my way up to 17.1 miles in them this week and my recovery is amazing. I have absolutely zero pain during the run (although I do tire more quickly due to the change in form) and no pain days after. I’m amazed, this isn’t hype. These shoes are a miracle cure.
March 27th, 2010 at 2:11 am
Was experiencing patello-femoral pain during & after running. Decided to change my stride/foot strike. After reading several articles about proper forefoot strike, bought a pair of Newton Motion trainers. Almost threw them out after 3 short runs due to arch discomfort but stuck w/ them. Been injury & pain free ever since (includes training for & completing an Ironman). Will not run in anything else. Absolutely worth the $175. Follow Newton’s stride instructions.
“Land-Lever-Lift” is very important.
March 29th, 2010 at 8:45 am
I initially read about the shoe here when being compared with nike frees: http://barefootrunningshoes.org/2010/02/02/newton-running-shoes-versus-nike-free-runners/
I think they too expensive as well but isn’t it worth the price if it last twice or MORe as long as other similar types of minamalist shoes?
May 15th, 2010 at 9:10 am
I bought a pair of Newton’s (Gravitas) to see how they compare to Nike Free 3.0v2. I have retrained myself to run with a mid/forefoot strike and have been doing this since mid-2009. In 2010, I have run a full marathon plus a 50K ultra, plus over 1000 km training, in Nike Free 3 without any issues. None. I put in 60 km in 5 different training sessions with the Newtons (progressing up in distance: 5/10/15/20/20 km runs) and started to develop Plantar Fasciitis. Since the only thing different was the shoe, this is the likely culprit. So beward of this shoe. It is not for everyone. For me, I have gone back to the NF3 and the Plantar Fasciitis is already subsiding. Lesson learned.
May 26th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
I’m currently injured with a metatarsal stress fracture. I have been running in Newtons for a couple of months. Started out running short runs of 2 miles. I’ve been running for 6 years. I did not make any drastic increases in my running distances. No other changes. My ortho doc and physical therapist feel my Newtons contributed to the stress fracture. I did not have any pain up until a run where I had immediate and severe pain & had to stop running. I contacted Newton w/an email to show my displeasure w/their shoes & this is what I got in return:
A stress fracture is commonly described as an over use injury and happens gradually. It is a result of too much force being applied to something repeatedly, in your case a bone (in your leg or foot?) A gradual break like this is a progressive separation of the bone with associated progressive increase in pain. Unlike a traumatic break, stress fractures occur gradually and are extremely painful for a considerable time before the actual break. Consequently you have a lot of warning (pain being the warning) and have to ignore this for quite some time to realize the fracture.
Risk factors for stress fractures are:
Gender – being female
Amenorrhea – common in female athletes
Reduce bone density – also common in female athletes
Poor muscle strength or flexibility
Over or under weight
Inappropriate adaptation to new conditions (running surface, shoes, etc.)
Do any of these apply to you?
Adaptation is a key to any conditional change. If you decided to change nothing about your running except to run barefoot, would you expect to be able to run the same as with your regular shoes and not feel anything? Would you blame the ground if you got injured? I’m guessing you would get extremely sore feet and if you ignored this warning sign you would suffer stress fractures considerably faster than in other minimalist shoes.
You could no sooner head to the gym for the very first time and do a set of maximal effort bench presses to failure without suffering than run in a completely different shoe and expect nothing to happen.
Ultimately you are responsible for reading and understanding the adaptation literature, making changes to your equipment, training, form, etc. and listening to your body (and backing off as appropriate.)
I understand your desire to lay blame on Newton Shoes for your problems, however you are the one who chose to run, and decided how much to run despite the available information. You wrote “… and did not increase my running” which implies you did not gradually adapt to the shoes. Adaptation, as you should know form your reading, is necessary to allow strengthening of your tissue and structure.
As a triathlete I’m sure you would not buy a new bike with a new aero position and expect to train exactly as you had with your old set up. Or decide to do a rough water swim without ever having been out of a pool, or run a technical mountain trail after training only on smooth roads. Adapting to anything (Newton Shoes included) takes time, patience and intelligence.
Good luck with your running,
Ian
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Ian Adamson
Newton Running
If these shoes didn’t piss me off enough, so did the lack of professionalism from their staff. Thanks for insulting me.
June 8th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Bought my Newtons in February after months of knee and hip injuries. I eased back into running and adapting to the Newtons as well. After several months, I was comfortable enough to go about four miles without any calf pain. There was some definite improvement in my speed and almost no pain in my knees or hips. The problem? Plantar Fascitis and in a huge way. I’ve battled with plantar before. But it’d been awhile. Of course, you can’t be a forefront runner and be susceptible to plantar – the mechanics of it pretty much demand stress to the achilles. What pisses me off is that I bought the shoes after meeting with a Newton representative at the store and telling him that I’d had plantar issues. Well, I’m off to the podiatrist next week and I have no idea what to do with my Newtons as I’m pretty certain that I won’t wear them again.
July 1st, 2010 at 12:41 pm
I own a pair of them – the Motus. For years I’ve run in motion control shoes and have always ended up with IT band issues. Last year I went to see a physical therapist who was also an avid runner and he said that IT band issues – pretty common among runners – are a result of the leg extending then bending. The IT band, which runs alongside the leg, snaps back and forth like a tendon in and out of a groove. We spent three months in running form class conditioning me to run barefoot, and eventually sold me on a pair of Newtons. I love ‘em and haven’t had any injuries since using them.
Interesting tidbit here… try running barefoot through your kitchen. You’ll notice that heel-to-toe kinda hurts and that you’ll naturally want to run mid-strike. This is because there isn’t any padding on the heel. Also, take a look at the marathoners who win Boston and watch how they run – very efficient forefront striking.
@kbfromhoho Do you wear flip-flops? I’ve heard that they can contribute to plantars because your toes strain to grip, especially on hills. Try switching to “Jesus” sandals (with straps), rest up, and try the Newtons again.
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:26 am
Chris:
I know it about the flip flops and plantar fascitis. PF has struck me on occasion over my running history, but never ever this bad. The podiatrist grimmaced when I told him about the Newtons and said that an overpronator has no business wearing them or running barefoot. (He did tell me to stick to Merrills and impressed upon me the need for super feet inserts.) The MD isn’t the only one. I’ve been to a couple of running shoe stores in recent weeks buying the Strasburg sock and accompanying Mrs KB when she was training for a 1/2 marathon. The running shoe gurus also grimmaced when I explained the dilemna. (Interesting, both stores were selling the Newtons, but marked way down.) So, I bought a pair of good old addidas. But, alas, they must sit as I await the healing of the PF, which I give another week or two. The MD told me to give it a couple of months or so before getting the cortisone shot. The Newtons will collect dust until I give them to Goodwill.
August 15th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
After running for so many years and so many problems, I dont see my self running in other thing that in Newtons. For me, the best so far.
Get used to them in small steps!!!!