After reading some blogs of runners using this kind of running shoes, I ordered a pair of the Distance-Neutral Racer model from their website at www.newtonrunning.com as there were no available shoes for sale in any sports/running specialty store in Los Angeles or website stores in the Internet last year. Finally, I got my order when it was delivered right on my door steps on the last week of August last year.
I immediately used it in my short runs around the neighborhood and along the jogging lanes of Echo Park and Silverlake Water Reservoir. I also used it during my “walkabout” activities while I was in Los Angeles last year. I guess, I only used it for about 3-4 times after it was delivered to me while I was in the United States.
After I arrived back to the Philippines last year, I think I had used it for a half-marathon race and a couple of 10K races and I finally stopped using it.
The following were my observations about the shoes:
1. The shoes will force the user to use the midfoot strike while running. If a heel-strike runner would use this shoes and goes back to his/her usual running gait and footstrike, there is a tendency that the heel portion of the shoes would easily worn-out. The heel portion is the softest part of the shoes. Although I am a mid-foot striker, I still have the tendency to go back to heel-strike when I am already tired in my long runs and marathon races.
2. The shoes is very light in weight as compared to other racing shoes available in the market last year. But lately, there are more racing shoes which are lighter than the Newton Shoes. ASICS and New Balance Racing Shoes are lighter than the Newton Shoes. My new ASICS Hyper-Speed Racer 3 weighs only 6.3 ounces.
3. If you are not an elite runner, don’t buy one. If you are a competitive runner, you must use this shoes during your tempo runs, speed runs, and long steady runs at a race pace. You should adjust with the midfoot strike which the shoes was made for and if you have a hard time adjusting to it, then it would take time for you to adjust with the shoes.
4. The price is too expensive. You can buy at least two pairs of shoes with its price—one as your training shoes and the other as your racing flat shoes. Before, you can buy this shoes by ordering direct to the company but it is already available in one of the latest running specialty stores in Metro Manila.
5. Experience Calves Tightness/Injury. If you are a newbie or intermediate runner who is planning to run his/her first half-marathon, using this kind of shoes will cause tightness in your calves and eventually cause muscle cramps on your calves. I experienced this when I used it during the 2009 Condura Half-Marathon Race where I experienced muscle cramps on my last kilometer of the race. Since then, I never used the shoes in road races.
6. Not because the shoes is being used by a Lady Senator who is a runner & triathlete and advertised as the shoes used by the 2008 Kona IRONMAN Men’s Champion, it does not mean that you would look like a “politician” and a triathlete champion. I am sure that this shoes will not make you faster in road races.
Bald Runner 
Hi BR, its unfortunate that the Newtons caused you cramps at Condura. I have been wearing newtons ( pink 😀 ) at races for awhile now and quite happy with it. Other runners would need an adjustment period to get used to the lugs. Also when I saw the heel getting worn out, I worried about its durability but happy to report that after 419kms its still got good cushioning and support. I only use for races of up to 21K. At NewBalance 25K … i didnt have good experience with the Newtons.
I noticed thought that since it become available at Runnr … I have seen people using it to lift weights in the gym and for malling. That would surely cause some discomfort if not injury.
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Dear BR – I am always watching out for your shoe reviews. On this case I guess cost would not necessarily translate to speed. But Bards has a PINK one, maybe that’s why it conforms to her. See you on Sunday.
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I did a review of the Newton stability racer shoes, see it here:
http://therunningninja.com/2009/06/24/newton-shoes-the-review/
The heel section fade out easily, I figured out after my review that I should be running forefoot which is what the shoes should be used, however I tend to heel strike from time to time kaya nagfade. I might buy a new one but for long distance.
Sam
The Running Ninja
http://www.therunningninja.com
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Sir Jovie, thanks for the honest review of the shoes.
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Hi Sir Jovie,
Thanks for this article.
I am a heel striker (i learned about it through my photos taken during runs).
I am now shifting to forefoot-midfoot strike, which actually slows me down.
I was actually contemplating of buying this one after reading the TBR (Jaymie) and TRN (Sam) review-they have good reviews just like you….what actually catches my attention is that this shoe will force you to do mid foot strike……but the price is just too much.
Thanks for giving a very practical review about this shoes.
I guess I’ll hold off buying this one and concentrate first in learning the forefoot-midfoot strike because when I get tired I have the tendency to shift back to heel strike =(
Regards
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Nice in depth personal review BR. 🙂 It seems its a tool but not an all in one solution. As with our running shoes, we have different pairs for various purposes.
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I think owning a pair is a hit-or-miss — if you are a natural forefoot/midfoot striker, it’ll be a match. 🙂 I’m still waiting for RUNNR to ship my size over though — thinking of using these for short, yet high-octane distances.
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Too expensive, absolutely.
IMHO it ranks with Nike with much of it’s overhead (advertising and endorsement) are shouldered by the consumers topped with tech hypes.
Looking forward to more no non-sense reviews.
Cheers!
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I initially read about the newton running shoes here
I agree with you that they are more pricey ( about 2 nike frees) but at the same time i think it would probably last twice as long based off the durability.
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Well I am very glad that I am not the only one. In canada these shoes go for $170 plus taxes which go to a $200 easily. I bought them at the end of February and they are already quite damaged, not sure I can still run with them, after only maybe 100 miles of running. I am a trail runner so I do a lot of runs on the trails. I am not a heavy heel striker and when I run slow I mainly land on the mid-sole so these shoes should not have wear that fast. I agree with Bald Runner, I don’t think you will run faster in these shoes. If you already have a fast turnover and shorter stride then you should already be running quite efficiently.
There is a study on the last issue of the trail runner that says that there is no difference in running efficiency between heel strikers and mid-sole strikers. 75% of elite runners are heel strikers…. Technically there is no real science behind this theory….
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