Firstly, I’ve been wearing Newtons for a good few years now and I’ve tried out several of their styles (Gravity, Fate, Kismet etc…) but by far my favourites have been the Motions. I first bought these as the Motion III and now we’re on the V’s (almost the VI which are due this summer) so they’ve had a decent amount of wear and were definitely due an upgrade. Plus who doesn’t want some eye popping neon shoes?!
I should point out that I almost exclusively wear these for speed work on the treadmill or if I’m going somewhere with smooth pavements. The little platform on the bottom makes running on trails with these a bit of a no-no, unless you’re idea of a fun time is a sprained ankle! On a flat surface is where these shoes really come into their own- they’re so incredibly light and bouncy it really gives you a big boost and stops you feeling like you’ve got lead weights on your feet. Ideally these are for people who have ( or want) a midfoot strike, there’s not much padding on the heel area and very little drop from heel to toe. Personally this is exactly what I need as I find traditional shoes far to bulky and rigid- these are so comfortable and I never get any knee pain which I can be prone to in stability shoes as I have a slight tendency to supinate.
One suggestion I have is to gradually introduce these into your routine as your style will have to adapt to the shoe- you need a strong core and good posture with Newtons as they are not forgiving so probably only for the experienced runner.
It does take a bit of a leap of faith to invest in something so different from a conventional trainer, especially as these aren’t readily available in the UK so you have to purchase sight unseen/untested. But I do think they are well worth the investment if you want a dedicated speedy or racing shoe.
sprintandskedaddle 