So one of the local running stores that I found, I apparently found a little too late.
The store is called Run Franklin and unfortunately they're going out of business. Bummer, but... it does mean discounted shoe prices!
The store is called Run Franklin and unfortunately they're going out of business. Bummer, but... it does mean discounted shoe prices!
I went to the store to check out what they had. I've been looking for new shoes, although not with any serious effort. They had some Altras as well as some Pearl Izumis and some Newtons...
I spent some time trying on some different shoes. All the brands were fairly familiar since I started getting involved with the running, so I figured I would try them all on.
So I tried on the other shoes there and they all felt a little... "off." The big thing with some of the other brands is that they offer a larger toe box. And that's all well and good...
Except I'm pretty sure I have tiny toes. So the larger toe boxes made me feel as if I was wearing clown shoes. Must be all those years of wearing high heels and cheer shoes that cutoff circulation to my toes. They're now permanently accustomed to taking up the least amount of space possible.
ANYWAYS, enough casual chit chat about my toes.
So I put on the Newton's and immediately they felt more natural than the other shoes. Plus, while I know that as a "serious runner" (Which I'm still not sure I qualify as) I shouldn't be distracted by flashy colors... but seriously. They are pretty damned cute.
I spent some time trying on some different shoes. All the brands were fairly familiar since I started getting involved with the running, so I figured I would try them all on.
So I tried on the other shoes there and they all felt a little... "off." The big thing with some of the other brands is that they offer a larger toe box. And that's all well and good...
Except I'm pretty sure I have tiny toes. So the larger toe boxes made me feel as if I was wearing clown shoes. Must be all those years of wearing high heels and cheer shoes that cutoff circulation to my toes. They're now permanently accustomed to taking up the least amount of space possible.
ANYWAYS, enough casual chit chat about my toes.
So I put on the Newton's and immediately they felt more natural than the other shoes. Plus, while I know that as a "serious runner" (Which I'm still not sure I qualify as) I shouldn't be distracted by flashy colors... but seriously. They are pretty damned cute.
The pair I ended up with are Newton Gravity. They're what Newton calls a "Neutral Performance Trainer." They're a lightweight shoe, suitable for wearing regularly, but also light enough to allow for some speed work. The one thing that struck me as off was that the shoes have this additional cushioning under the forefoot. You can see it in the picture to the right, and these are called the "actuator lugs."
These are designed to help with a) providing some additional cushion underneath the ball of the foot, providing for a softer run without adding weight throughout the entire shoe, and b) helping to reduce the drop in the shoe. As a result, despite the cushion in the heel, the actual drop is only 3mm. I had been running in a 4mm drop, but they were also a pretty low-cushion shoe and I think that may have been part of my problem.
I'm not gonna lie, you can definitely feel the actuator lugs when you're running. Everyone who's written reviews of the shoes says that you get used to the additional cushion after a few runs and won't even know them. Since I haven't even had the shoes for a week, I figure I'll give them a little more time.
Anyways, I'm excited to keep running in them and to see how they work out! They're definitely a big change for me in terms of running shoes... They're probably the most "runner-y" pair of shoes I've ever bought - and definitely the most expensive!
What about you all? Anyone running in a pair of Newton's that they love? Or some other shoe?
SHARE! SHARE! SHARE!
#runlove, y'all!
These are designed to help with a) providing some additional cushion underneath the ball of the foot, providing for a softer run without adding weight throughout the entire shoe, and b) helping to reduce the drop in the shoe. As a result, despite the cushion in the heel, the actual drop is only 3mm. I had been running in a 4mm drop, but they were also a pretty low-cushion shoe and I think that may have been part of my problem.
I'm not gonna lie, you can definitely feel the actuator lugs when you're running. Everyone who's written reviews of the shoes says that you get used to the additional cushion after a few runs and won't even know them. Since I haven't even had the shoes for a week, I figure I'll give them a little more time.
Anyways, I'm excited to keep running in them and to see how they work out! They're definitely a big change for me in terms of running shoes... They're probably the most "runner-y" pair of shoes I've ever bought - and definitely the most expensive!
What about you all? Anyone running in a pair of Newton's that they love? Or some other shoe?
SHARE! SHARE! SHARE!
#runlove, y'all!