March 2010 - Space Coast Runners

RUNNERS’ REVIEW
Newton Running Shoes
By Ed and Kara Springer
For many years I based my athletic shoe purchases solely on name brand and appearance. It wasn’t until
pervasive knee aches, shin splints and a fellow runner’s recommendation that I shelved my running
shoe expert persona and had a trained specialist analyze my running gait. In my mind I was confident
the gait analysis would reveal an instinctively efficient and ideal gait. The verdict was quite to the contrary.
Turned out I was a flat-footed, heel striking, over-pronator who required stability shoes.
I was introduced to new shoes and a new concept… trying on multiple brands of shoes to determine
which one FELT the best, not necessarily looked the best. My previous running shoes weren’t even displayed
on the walls of running shoe stores and come to find out they weren’t even proper running shoes.
I left the shoe store feeling like a patient leaving a doctor’s office with an unfavorable diagnosis but
medication to make things better. Within a relatively short amount of time running on the road I felt
noticeable improvements and the aches slowly faded away. I started to wonder that, if in addition to
proper shoes, was there anything I could do to improve my running gait.
Jumping forward a couple of years, there seemed to be an emergence or mini-reemergence of “natural
running” techniques gaining attention in running periodicals. I started reading about chi running and
even watched a video demonstrating the chi running philosophy and technique in detail. My technically
-inclined brain cells became energized as I viewed applied force diagrams, which accentuated the inefficiencies
of heel striking. Many shoes are designed for heel striking with built-up, bulky heel sections full
of air sacks, gel, shocks, ooze, etc… Natural runners criticize running shoes with bulky heels for compensating
gait inefficiencies instead of promoting what they believe to be a more efficient gait (forefoot
striking). All of this new information was intriguing but how was I going to implement a change?
Four ‘actuator lugs’ below the metatarsals
are touted to provide impact absorption
and energy return in Newton’s
shoes.
I came across a relatively small shoe company out of Boulder, CO
called Newton. Yes, named after the father of calculus and the three
laws of motion, Sir Isaac Newton. After reading all of the information
on their website I decided to order a pair of Newton Stability
Racers. Proceeding with the checkout process was a bit unsettling
since the shoes were expensive ($155) and, because they are not sold
locally, I’d never even tried on a pair.
The shoe is structured with unique rubber protrusions integrated
into the soles, strategically below the foot’s metatarsals. These four
‘actuator lugs’ are touted to provide impact absorption and energy
return. I would later learn that their wear patterns are essentially a
running efficiency report card.
When they arrived in the mail I was anxious to try them out. I remembered
reading something about slowly transitioning into the
shoe. Start with a few miles - one or two - and gradually increase
run duration. This strategy was especially recommended for runners
that were not already forefoot strikers. After six miles with the
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