They’ve arrived! My much anticipated, and free, Newton running shoes! After winning them nearly a month ago in the See Jane Run 5k, and not sticking around for the awards (hey, I’ve never taken 1st before), I had to wait, very patiently, for Newton to ship them to me. They took a while to get to me, they look they might have been worn previously, and they are last year’s model, BUT…they’re free, and at $175 brand new, I will gladly take them and try them.
Newton Gravity Neutral Running Shoe
Newton Running. Sir Isaac Newton. Newtonian Science. These (very smart) shoes, and this running company were inspired by the great physicist and his three laws of motion:
- Newton’s First Law of Motion-an object at rest remains at rest
- Newton’s Second Law of Motion-acceleration of an object depends on the mass of the object and the amount of force applied. Force=mass x acceleration
- Newton’s Third Law of Motion-whenever one object exerts force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first
Read more about Newton’s laws and how they inspired Newton running here.
They’re bright! And they look like they breathe really, really well, which is great for sweaty feet runners like myself.
Luckily they’re a neutral shoe, since I am a neutral runner. Running in these shoes is not as simple as lacing them up and heading out for 5 miles, or even 3 or 2, so I have yet to run in them. I am about to learn about all this hype about “minimalist” running. Minimalist is different than barefoot, right??? Not really.
Newton calls it “natural” running. Barefoot, minimalist, natural. However you call it, it is to encourage your natural running form. When you run barefoot, you don’t land on your heels, you land on your mid/forefoot. Running the “natural” way is supposed to prevent injuries and make you faster. What’s not to like about that? I’ll try it!
Even though I have been “anti” barefoot running (I think it’s mostly I just don’t like the Five Finger shoes, sorry if you like them), I am totally open to trying this new way of running. I do admit I have had some heel pain on my right foot for some time, so maybe I have been running on my heels too much? I might be running completely wrong and these new “natural” shoes will turn me into an Olympic athlete…or a Kenyan…or both!! (one can only dream)
I am glad I decided to do a little research before running in them. Because of the unique design of these shoes, and how they are pretty much going to force you to run on your mid/forefoot, you must ease into the new running style.
The first thing I noticed was the tread…or lack of tread…or one section that has a set of “lugs” while the rest of the sole is…minimalist.
The sole looks a little scary. How do I run in these? Luckily, Newton (smart physicist that he is/was) has some answers.
Note law # 5:
ADAPT SLOWLY-start with short runs (about a mile or so) a couple of times a week for the first two weeks.
And that’s not all.
I am thankful I am receiving these shoes in my “off” season. I would be cautious to try these out when I was in the heart of marathon training.
Fear aside (are my calf muscles going to explode?), I am excited to try these out. And although Lake Union 10k is not a full 2 weeks out (per Newton’s Laws of Running Better), my goal is to run the race in these shoes to see if I notice any improvement in my time.
I have read a lot of reviews on these shoes, and they get high marks across the board. The only cons: pricey, wear out fast, and run small. The last con is my only concern (they were free…I guess price could also be a concern if I absolutely fall in love with them). Already suffering from a lost toenail and deciding to go up another half size in my next pair of Brooks, I (foolishly) opted to get these in the same size as my current Ghost 5′s. I am worried the Newtons are going to be too short. I already have decided they will be used only for shorter distances (10k and under).
Should my Brooks be feeling some envy? Nah…well, not yet, at least. (they are a pretty striking pair of shoes)
Now excuse me while I head out to run ONE long mile in my flashy Newton Gravity “natural” running shoes. Stay tuned for my progress…
Do you run in a minimalist/natural/barefoot running shoe?
Great post. Are you planning to christen them (officially) in the 10K?
Thanks! That’s the plan.
@ Jenn. Good call! And thanks for tester info. I’ll have to look into that.
re: test drive–if you live near a store that sells Newtons, they usually try to have the Newton educators come by with a bunch of tester shoes to do a little natural running clinic a couple times a year. great way to test them out without investing.
Have you read, “Born to Run?”
Not yet. I need to.
Sweet shoes. Looks like they get good air flow. I’m interested to hear what you think after a run. At $175 dollars, seems like one should be able to test drive these bad boys before purchase.
Nice post.
Shawn
Keep checking back. I will let you know what I think.