Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Shoe Review: Newtons


You know when ugly people say that true beauty is on the inside? Well, they are right in this case.

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon when I decide that it is time for me to buy some new running shoes. I have been suffering from Posterior tibial shin splints for over a year now, but I refuse to give up running. I walk into this renowned running store and this clerk measures me, asks me about my runs, all that jazz. He comes back with 3 pairs of shoes- Pearl Izumi(my favorite shoe brand), Mizuno(not a bad brand either), and Newtons(wtf?). He pulls the Newtons out first, and as soon as I see them, I'm like "Next!" no way would I be jogging around with these bad boys on. They looked so loud that I would hear the colors over my Ipod. Not to mention it costs about the same as a monthly payment for my car insurance, $168. So I try on the Pearls. Eh, they feel ok, probably a good replacement for my Brooks. I jog around in 'em, and I immediately feel my shin splints. I try on the Mizunos, same thing. Since I have been running with this injury for so long, I just accept it, and I decide to go with the Mizunos.

As I'm waiting for the clerk to get them ready, I take one last glance at that monstrosity of a shoe called Newton. I'm contemplating who the hell would charge that much for a shoe that looks like it was designed by Forrest, Forrest Gump. I try them on. "Whoa." It felt like the first time you enjoyed sex. You know how sex the first time kinda sucks? Well, putting on this shoe and jogging around in it, I was thinking "this is how sex- uh, running should be." And my shins felt fine. I bought them.

Throughout high school I was a cross country runner, a wrestler, a soccer player, and did indoor track running. If you already assumed that all these have running in common, yes we ran a lot in wrestling, then you are right. I have worn many different types and styles of shoes for each of these sports. Each shoe was a big brand name- Nike, Asics, Adidas, Mizuno, and New Balance. For the past 2 years I have tried to get into triathlon training and tried Brooks and Pearl Izumi for the first time, which in my opinion are better brands than most I've tried before. Now Newtons for me are by far the best.

For the past 20 years, distance running shoe companies, like the ones I just mentioned, haven't made many significant changes to their products. Mostly a few new gimmicks, for example who hasn't seen those skinny teeny ladies strutting their non existent asses in the Reebok easy tone shoe commercials? Maybe some style changes also, such as the Nike Air Jordans can come in any color now, because technology hasn't changed much these last 2 decades and the Jordans are perfect, so all they can change are the color, right?

Newton Running is a brand new shoe company that has reinvented the foundation for how we should run. They design a shoe that mimics barefoot running. The company CLAIMS that their shoes minimizes detrimental heel striking, promotes forefoot striking, increases speed, and may prevent injury. Not to mention they are incredibly light- 11 ounces.

So, I have been on 3 different run workouts this week with Newtons- 1 mile run, 1.5 mile run, and a 3.2 mile run. I feel amazing, my shins no longer cause me pain, which sometimes caused me to slow or even end my run before I finish. I am a medium arch foot type, and that is what these Newtons are, so that hasn't changed. I believe that what the company claims may actually be true. The colors are stupid, but I don't mind standing out from the crowd as long as I can perform. I just thank the Gods that they aren't pink.

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