Newton sent us a pair of their new Motus = Motion performance trainers to put some miles on. I've been curious about Newtons since a colleague bought a pair last summer and has been in love with the technicolor kicks ever since.
Newtons are different from most running shoes in that they have 4 "lugs" under the balls of your feet to lever off from, which encourage you to move away from heel striking. Here's the Newton action/reaction technology gospel, according to their website:
When your midfoot/forefoot lands on the ground, the technology's four external actuator lugs are pressed into hollow chambers inside the shoe's midsole via an elastic membrane (action). This movement absorbs shock.
As you lever inside the shoe, the lugs release their stored energy and propel you forward through a burst of energetic return (reaction) from the Action/Reaction Technology™. You then lift your knee and begin a new stride.
Intrigued? I sure was. I wanted to lace up these citrus sneakers and run away.
But before putting serious miles on these oh-so-bright shoes, most runners will need a few weeks to get used to the lower-profile heel and natural stride that Newtons encourage.
Like switching to most minimalist shoes, the Newton site warns that, "you may need time to lengthen the muscles and tendons on the back of your leg and under your foot back to its natural (level footed) length because running in the one-half to 1-inch heel lift tends to shorten this connective tissue."
Newtons have heel drop heights from 7mm all the way down to zero. The Motus has a 3mm drop, which means the difference between the height of the toe and the height of the heel is only 3mm. Traditional running shoes typically have a heel drop of about 12mm. Your Vibrams? Those would be zero.
I've been running in the Sacony Guide 5s -- 8mm drop -- for a little over 3 months and felt comfortable enough to (slowly) step into the Newtons. But I was still a little worried about how to make the switch from an 8mm drop to the Motus' 3mm. Transition too quickly and your Achilles will explode ... well ... not really, but this is my irrational fear.
For advice, I turned to Lt. Col. (Dr.) Mark Cucuzzella -- a reservist in the Air Force -- and owner of Two Rivers Treads in Shepherdstown, W.Va. Cucuzzella sells plenty of Newtons in his store, and knows a thing or two about running himself. He's got a 2:24 marathon PR and is the race directer of the Freedom's Run marathon.
Cucuzzella's advice lines up closely with general common sense: Make the change gradually, listen to your body and back off if things start to hurt.
"Soreness is different than structural pain," he told me.
Kicking off your clunky shoes and walking around barefoot, he said, will help the adjustment process. He also recommends -- initially -- wearing the Newtons every other run by rotating them with your usual running shoes.
Cucuzzella stresses that the traditional-to-minimalist switch is less about the shoe than it is about learning an efficient running form. Shoes like the Newtons, he told me, will help you run more naturally.
[We talked a lot about running gait and form, but that is a lesson for another day. If you want extra credit, you can read up on Cucuzzella's blog.]
Newton's don't come cheap. Prices range from $125 to $175 -- the Motus model is $175 -- but Newton offers a 35 percent military discount. Check out details and register for the program on the Newton website.
By this point, I've done two weeks of short runs in the Newtowns. The verdict? Running in them makes me feel like running around as a little kid again. And I kind of love it.
We'll have a full review of the Motus = Motions in a few months. And if you're a Newton convert, we'd love to hear from you (pt365@militarytimes.com).
Sara Davidson is the lead editor at PT365, an ultrarunner and our resident women's gear destroyer.
