Athlete’s Review: Newton Running Shoes: Do They Work?

Created On: 05 May 2010

I have been thinking about buying a pair of Newton running shoes for some time and have been trying to justify the price tag.  However after a friend persuaded me to give them a go, I decided to spend £120 on a pair of Newton 'Distance' which is their light weight racing shoe. 

Design: 8/10

When I opened the box the first thing I noticed was the colour (no worries about not being seen as I cross the finish line!), but for me I liked them.  They came with the laces done up and when I put my size 8.5 on the scales it came in at 200g which is a good race weight.  When it came to fit, straight out of the box they fit just as well as my previous Asics.

Cushioning/Comfort: 9/10

I was advised that you should just do a three or four mile run to start with when wearing them in because you can get stiff calves, but being a natural forefoot runner, I found they suited me and I went out and ran 13 miles!

When I started running the first thing I felt were the lugs under foot but after about 6 miles the shoes loosened and I got a fast response from the kick back and being a toe runner it was nice to have some good cushioning under foot.

Durability: 9/10

I have since gone on to do about 150 miles in the shoe and have found the shoe just gets better and better and surprisingly the durability is very good.  Most racing flats will be dead in about 250 miles but the Newton's look and feel just as good as the day I opened the box.

Value: 7/10

Although the Newton's are a great racing trainer, and definitely do deliver what they promise, £120 is still a lot of money for a pair or trainers. It really comes down to how much value you place on a potentially unknown gain in pace. Therefore you need to be sure you will gain some benefit from them before handing over your cash.

Overall 8/10

During my first run, the shoe straightaway felt fast and when I looked at my watch I was going faster in the Newton's than any of my old trainers. By the end of the run my time was 1.21 for 13 miles which was my personal best by 5 minutes for that training run.  When I looked at the data from the run and compared it to the same run with other trainers my heart rate was identical.

So the question is do they work? I would say yes, but remember if you are a heel or mid-foot runner then this shoe may not be for you. However if you are a forefoot runner, like me, then this shoe is excellent and really could help make you faster.  I have been competing in triathlons for 22 years and I have seen a lot of new things come and go but after several years on the market the Newton's still do what they promise and are definitely here to stay!

About the Athlete: Dave races for the Phil Corley Pro Tri Team and is a previous World Age Group Medal winner and multiple 70.3 and Ironman finisher including the 2009 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater. Dave is sponsored by Phil Corley Cycles www.philcorleycycles.co.uk/, Blue Bikes www.rideblue.com/ and Fusion Clothing www.fusionsportsuk.co.uk/

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