I have always been a neutral runner, but found myself getting sloppy & landing very hard on my heels, giving me some hamstring problems. I had heard people talking about the new Newton shoes & inquired alot about them. I then decided I would give them a try.
I decided to go with the “Guidance” shoe, the Sir Isaac. These shoes are almost an introduction to forefoot running. I didn’t feel like it would be that hard to make the transition to forefoot running with this shoe. I felt like it would help me to run more efficiently by keeping me from heel striking.
These shoes come with beveled lugs that helps to keep your foot in position to run on your forefoot.
They also come with a beveled heel toe, to help make it easier to transition to the midfoot/forefoot running.
These shoes have great support & stability with a “midfoot chassis/shank”.
They are very durable shoes because the outersole is made of carbon rubber.
These shoes have a wider forefoot/midfoot & lugs to help you feel more stable when your foot lands.
These shoes are very breathable with the upper shoe being made of closed mesh. This also helps to keep those annoying little stones out of your shoes.
There is an adjustment period with these shoes. I was told to start with running one mile at a time & build up slowly. If you are a very heavy heel striker, then it may take some time to adjust to these shoes. You will probably be using muscles & tendons in your feet & legs that you didn’t use in your other shoes, so a slow build up is necessary. I felt like I was running more comfortably with my feet directly beneath me & with shorter strides. I do have to concentrate more wearing these shoes, so that I constantly think about my running form.
I started out wearing these shoes only on the treadmill, until I felt comfortable enough to wear them outside. Plus the runs at the beginning were so short, I felt it easier to just run on the treadmill, until I had built up enough distance to run outside with my friends.
If you are looking for a new running experience, then I would recommend trying out the Newton shoes. There is a wide range of shoes, so there should be one to fit you.
Call any of the Running Free stores to see if they have a Newton Shoe for you.
