Newton Running Shoes: Run Faster and Better

I got my pair of Newton runners in the mail yesterday!

I would say I'm a skilled amateur runner, knocking off marathons in the sub 3:30 range. I'm looking to improve so that I can qualify for the Boston Marathon at 3:10. One of the points that I'm trying to improve is stride technique, specifically to become an efficient mid-foot striker. I have practiced mid-foot running with regular shoes for a while and have become reasonably good, noticing a definite speed improvement after a couple of months. With some success under my belt I thought it was time to try a pair of Newtons, which are supposed to help develop the mid-foot stride and make it even more efficient.

Newton running shoes have a different sole profile than other runners. They don't have very much cushioning in the heel area and they have protruding lugs at the mid-foot landing position. These lugs are the main innovation, providing an energy rebound and extra leverage to help runners go faster with less effort when using a mid-foot stride. This contrasts with traditional running shoes that have cushioning and extra height in the heel area.

Newtons are also very light. All that sole cushioning in other running shoes must add a lot of weight because Newtons feel more like slippers. The upper is a see-through mesh except for some structural components and light padding in the back. Very breathable and very flexible. The thin sole really let me feel the earth as I walked around in them. It wasn't like walking bare-foot but it was closer to that than walking in regular shoes where I generally feel like I'm on a trampoline.

The shoes practically force you to run with a mid-foot strike. It feels like running in stilts. The idea is to land straight down on the stilts (the lugs) and then let gravity tip you over forwards generating motion. As you tip you drop the other foot straight down to land on the stilts again and tip over that foot. Each footfall occurs directly under your center of gravity and to keep forward motion you lean just slightly so that it feels a like you are continually stepping to keep from falling over. The lean is only just large enough for gravity to grab you a bit, but not enough to break your posture.

The Newton web site calls this style of running "land-lever-lift" and it is supposed to be much more efficient. I find that this is the case and I find the running to be much softer, healthier and more pleasurable. I used to be a heel striker but if I heel strike now, after learning mid-foot stride, it feels like I am putting on the brakes and sending shock waves through my muscles and bones.

The heel strike stride I used to have consisted of landing on my heel a few inches in front of my body. The foot would then move back and be pushed by my leg muscles propelling my body forward into the next step. Each step feels like a mini jump with definite muscular power being applied.

At the same time, each landing put on the brakes a little as I thrust my heel out in front. That heel landing did not give me any opportunity to apply forward thrust until my body caught up to it. All it did was slow me down for that fraction of a second. Each step was like a pole-vault because my leg was extended in front of me. Energy is wasted to get over the top of that leg. A mid-foot straight-under stride starts with the leg or pole straight up and down lets it simply fall forward instead of having to climb it first.

The mid-foot stride seems much better for the body too. The shock absorption is handled by the calf muscles, which admittedly screamed for the first couple of weeks as I learned the stride. In heel-striking, the shock absorption is handled by either the shoe alone, or by the large leg and hip muscles. In my case, by the end of a long run my dead tired legs would pound the ground and conduct the impacts right into my knees, hip and lower back. Mid-foot striking with a calf muscle shock absorber makes the step feel very alive and soft in comparison.

The only downside to Newtons is that they are quite expensive. At $165 US they are definitely higher than I would have paid for a decent pair of regular runners. That said, they are a real pleasure to run in and the money is paying for real innovation that can help you materially improve your running. You can even carry the mid-foot technique back to traditional runners once you perfect it with Newtons. Highly recommended if you want to increase speed and efficiency especially for long distances.