newton trainers

started to see more and more people wearing newtons recently and got me interested in them and would be keen to hear others opinions on if they are any good or yet another running fad and a bloody expensive one at that.

the concept and idea behid them sounds great and i can see the attraction and if im honest if they were cheaper i'd probably give thema  try myself. but a few things i dont get, firstly if your already a mid/forefoot striker what is the point in them ? and i might be wrong but i always understood that if you mid/forefoot strike then you wouldnt have the problems of supination or overpronation as your strike and push off would naturally have you as a neutral runner. so if that is the case what is the purpose of both the guidance and motion control newton shoes ?

be interesting to hear anyones opinions who have tried them or wear them still, im a sucker for a new gimmick but these seem a astep too far even for me !  

I have a pair - cant say I've put a huge amount of milage on them though. Not great for offroad paths - stones can get stuck in the lugs and i find them a bit slippy in the wet ?

That said - for smooth dry courses - they are faster than my normal shoes. YOu have to focus on running in them properly and the lugs and lack of any real heel help you do that.  It takes a while and the calfs will hurt.  I did a half marathon in them in a time that I really didnt think I was up for - so I think they work - but impossible to prove conclusively. I will get them out again after i've finished my Ironman race in July.

what model do you have cougie ? ive read a few reviews and others have mentioned the grip isnt great in the wet, i ddi see they now have an all weather pair that are suited to wet conditions but only in teh control model and not the neutral gravitas ones.

you obviosuly dont wear them all the time so how do you find it feels to change from them back to running in 'normal' trainers ?

i tried some on at the outdoor show and was torn between them and another pair of VFF's the salesperson said if i was already running in the VFF's then not to bother with the Newtons (so don't tell anyone i told you this) so i went with the VFF's

Best decision i made in a long time

im sensing your not a great fan then borne ?? complaint about the grip seems to be pretty common.

I am on my second pair.

They do take a while to adapt to. However, since switching my times have dropped dramatically (5mins of my 5Km) but that could be a consequence of training (going from half to full marathon). Also, have not been injured.

The wet can be a problem but only on a low grip surface. Wet tarmac is fine, getting caught in the snow was interesting. Off road is ok in the dry, but the lugs can pick up stuff but it soon drops out. Currently waiting for there off road versions to be released.

Both my kids have also switch to them and are getting on fine. That was an expensive shopping trip, 3 pairs of Newtons,

I've had a few pairs. run marathons in them, worn them off road in the wet on ice etc. No real problems.

The all weather have no better traction than the others, they just keep you feet dry as the others are just mesh.

They are more slippery than all other trainers I've worn but I prefer them over everything. I found them slippery on wet tarmac. Certainly had no problem with them over uneven ground.

Don't hold your breath for the offroad version.

My fav trainers by far.

Not sure what model I have - its not the all weather ones though - so its pretty smooth paddles under the forefoot. Definitely slippy in the wet - and man is it wet round here at the moment. If it ever stops raining, I'll break them out again.

I've got 2 pairs and like them a lot. Use the Gravity for shorter stuff and the Isaac for longer.

Asics Kayano long since consigned to history. Broke them in gently when I got the first pair and now use them most/all of the time, save for the occasional experiment with VFF's.

Newton call it 'late stage pronation'

The Issacs are for pronators who want to forefoot strike but currently heel strike, so are designed to cater for both heel and mid/forefoot striking, that's if I understand all the blurb.

I think also, forefoot strikers still heel strike at times, so I just presume its built in psychological padding or extra $$ if I'm being cynical.

mr sj wrote (see)

 i always understood that if you mid/forefoot strike then you wouldnt have the problems of supination or overpronation as your strike and push off would naturally have you as a neutral runner.

I'm a natural fore/mid-foot striker, wear a neutral shoe but still supinate heavily.

Riddle me this!

That's crap!

I've got virtually flat feet and I supinate.

Explain that.