newton trainers

started to see more and more people wearing newtons recently and got me interested in them and would be keen to hear others opinions on if they are any good or yet another running fad and a bloody expensive one at that.

the concept and idea behid them sounds great and i can see the attraction and if im honest if they were cheaper i'd probably give thema  try myself. but a few things i dont get, firstly if your already a mid/forefoot striker what is the point in them ? and i might be wrong but i always understood that if you mid/forefoot strike then you wouldnt have the problems of supination or overpronation as your strike and push off would naturally have you as a neutral runner. so if that is the case what is the purpose of both the guidance and motion control newton shoes ?

be interesting to hear anyones opinions who have tried them or wear them still, im a sucker for a new gimmick but these seem a astep too far even for me !  

Comments

  • I have a pair - cant say I've put a huge amount of milage on them though. Not great for offroad paths - stones can get stuck in the lugs and i find them a bit slippy in the wet ?

    That said - for smooth dry courses - they are faster than my normal shoes. YOu have to focus on running in them properly and the lugs and lack of any real heel help you do that.  It takes a while and the calfs will hurt.  I did a half marathon in them in a time that I really didnt think I was up for - so I think they work - but impossible to prove conclusively. I will get them out again after i've finished my Ironman race in July.

  • what model do you have cougie ? ive read a few reviews and others have mentioned the grip isnt great in the wet, i ddi see they now have an all weather pair that are suited to wet conditions but only in teh control model and not the neutral gravitas ones.

    you obviosuly dont wear them all the time so how do you find it feels to change from them back to running in 'normal' trainers ?

  • i tried a pair

    one of the biggest wastes of money i've yet had the misfortune to make

    they're a nightmare in the wet (to the point of dangerous), horrible over uneven ground hence increase the risk of ankle strains, and unless you're very highly experienced they're totally unsuitable for longer distances

    i sold them on eBay - no doubt to a triathlete
  • i tried some on at the outdoor show and was torn between them and another pair of VFF's the salesperson said if i was already running in the VFF's then not to bother with the Newtons (so don't tell anyone i told you this) so i went with the VFF's

    Best decision i made in a long time

  • im sensing your not a great fan then borne ?? complaint about the grip seems to be pretty common.

  • I am on my second pair.

    They do take a while to adapt to. However, since switching my times have dropped dramatically (5mins of my 5Km) but that could be a consequence of training (going from half to full marathon). Also, have not been injured.

    The wet can be a problem but only on a low grip surface. Wet tarmac is fine, getting caught in the snow was interesting. Off road is ok in the dry, but the lugs can pick up stuff but it soon drops out. Currently waiting for there off road versions to be released.

    Both my kids have also switch to them and are getting on fine. That was an expensive shopping trip, 3 pairs of Newtons,

  • Hog-mouseHog-mouse ✭✭✭

    I've had a few pairs. run marathons in them, worn them off road in the wet on ice etc. No real problems.

    The all weather have no better traction than the others, they just keep you feet dry as the others are just mesh.

    They are more slippery than all other trainers I've worn but I prefer them over everything. I found them slippery on wet tarmac. Certainly had no problem with them over uneven ground.

    Don't hold your breath for the offroad version.

    My fav trainers by far.

  • I've worn the All-weather versions and I've had no problems with grip or traction. That includes doing last years Beachy Head marathon in them and they had good grip thro' mud, slippery chalk and grass. Only problem I find with them is trying to get hold of them in the UK!
  • Not sure what model I have - its not the all weather ones though - so its pretty smooth paddles under the forefoot. Definitely slippy in the wet - and man is it wet round here at the moment. If it ever stops raining, I'll break them out again.

  • I've got 2 pairs and like them a lot. Use the Gravity for shorter stuff and the Isaac for longer.

    Asics Kayano long since consigned to history. Broke them in gently when I got the first pair and now use them most/all of the time, save for the occasional experiment with VFF's.

  • "i might be wrong but i always understood that if you mid/forefoot strike then you wouldnt have the problems of supination or overpronation as your strike and push off would naturally have you as a neutral runner. so if that is the case what is the purpose of both the guidance and motion control newton shoes ?"

    Not true actually. I mid/forefoot strike and still manage to overpronate. I may be an oddity though...
  • Hog-mouseHog-mouse ✭✭✭

    Newton call it 'late stage pronation'

    The Issacs are for pronators who want to forefoot strike but currently heel strike, so are designed to cater for both heel and mid/forefoot striking, that's if I understand all the blurb.

    I think also, forefoot strikers still heel strike at times, so I just presume its built in psychological padding or extra $$ if I'm being cynical.

  • I think that the way to look at it is to try running barefoot and see what happens. Most people would automatically land towards their mid to forefoot because otherwise you'd get very sore heels if you landed on them! There is still a degree of supination or pronation at the forefoot so if you have particularly flat arches then you'd still benefit from a degree of control. The Newtons are just designed to try and mimick this by encouraging you to land away from the heel rather than on it. That's not to say that you can't heel strike in them because I've seen people at races wearing them and heel striking. These guys have wasted alot of money!
  • If you've got a high arch then you will always supinate, same as a low or flat arch will always pronate a bit. Its actually much more complex than that really because of lower limb alignment, pelvis, etc. The important thing is to be running happy in your shoes and injury free. If not, something isn't right and the way we run / shoes are the most common reasons.
  • I'm sorry??!! Can I ask "Devoted2distance"what has led you to the conclusion that you're feet really can do two biomechanically different and opposing things at the same time?
  • Agree with D2D.

    I've got the highest arch of anyone I've ever seen (maybe due to too much point work at too young an age - but that's another story...) and I over-pronate (subtalar pronation), maybe because my feet are naturally abducted (too much first position!). I run in Brooks Adrenalines.

    If you have flat feet and are naturally 'pigeon toed', it would be almost impossible to over-pronate - you would naturally supinate.


  • When our feet land on the ground, we land along the outer side of the foot. This is a supinated position. The degree of this supination varies according to whether we land on the heel or fore-foot, type of arch, lower limb alignment and also pelvic alignment. From that point we pronate from this position. The degree of pronation is also dependent on many factors. For example, a high rigid arch (or supinated foot) will not pronate much or not at all. A flexible high arch will pronate. A flat arch will pronate or over-pronate.

    D2D states that he has "virtually flat feet" and that he supinates. I do not know how he comes to this conclusion, or if somebody told him this. Interestingly in an earlier thread D2D mentioned that he wears neutral running shoes. I therefore suspect that he has a flexible arch. However what is categoric is that apart from the initial phase of supination on heel or foot strike, we cannot supinate from a flat arch position. It would have to lift itself off the ground against gravity and inertia.
  • Luke C, I would like to ask a question. If you have flat feet and bow legs, would you not strike your feet on the outside of the shoe?

    and in case you wondering.. I don't have bow legs.

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