Well, my new Newton Running shoes are here.  For the last couple of years (basically, since I got serious about running) I have been interested in becoming more of a mid-to-forefoot striker as I have heard it is less injury prone and actually results in better (i.e. faster) running.  I have tried in the past to adapt my stride with some success.  I used to be a big “plodder”, always landing on my heels, but was able to change that to some extent by increasing my cadence to about 180 strides per minute (versus the 160 spm before) but at best was a mid-to-heel striker.   So, when I heard about the Newton’s in Men’s Health, I was intrigued, but unsure.  Then, a good friend of mine bought some and really liked them.  The idea does make sense to me from what I understand of proper running form, I am just not yet sure about the execution of it.  I know the Nike Free was meant to help in this area too, but I never did try them.  The other thing I have noticed that also resonates with me is, when running barefoot, I naturally land on the forefoot without even thinking about it.  So, a shoe that helps me run naturally, in theory, makes sense.  Of course, I never run barefoot for very long, so I don’t know how sustainable that form is for me.  The other positive I have noticed is, when wearing racing flats, I tend to be a mid-to-forefoot striker as well.

Thus, I plunked down $160 and got a pair.  Either I am going to be really happy because I am running better and am less injury prone, or I am going to have bought a very expensive pair of really ugly shoes (orange just ain’t my color) that aren’t much better than my current Asics.  Time will tell and I will let you all know what happens.

Anyone else who has actually used them have any thoughts?  And yes, I know they are expensive.  It took me a while to convince myself (and my wife) that $160 is worth it for shoes (not that I can’t afford it, just not sure it is worth it.)  The real question is, are they worth it?  If you are serious about running (or any sport) you know that something is worth it if it makes a noticeable difference in how you perform.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pm and is filed under Newton Running, Running, Training, Triathlon, shoes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.