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For about the last 10 months I have been wearing a different kind of running shoe. Traditional shoes and shoe companies promote a heel to toe foot strike as the most natural and efficient way to run. It is safe to say that a majority of runners (at least American runners) tend to buy into this because it is the way we were taught from a very young age.

I was on the “heel to toe” bandwagon until about a year ago when I attended a lecture by Bobby McGee where I was introduced to the concept of fore-foot or mid-foot strike for distance running. Having been a somewhat decent high school and collegiate sprinter the concept of the fore-foot strike was not totally foreign for short distance sprinting but the thought initially made me a bit uncomfortable for distance running.

Nonetheless I decided to give it a shot but needed some outside assistance since my shoes at the time were so padded in the heel that it made it nearly impossible to strike with the fore-foot or mid-foot without first skidding my heel on the pavement. Enter the Newton Running Shoes. After several years of development these shoes were finally released last spring and I was one of the first to order them on-line.

My first opinion was that the lugs on the forefoot were too prominent and actually caused a bit of discomfort in the form of “hot spots” after a few miles of steady running. After a month or so of breaking myself into my new shoes the “hot spots” occurred with less frequency and as my calves strengthened I was able to run longer without becoming too sore the next day.

Long story short… after settling on more of a mid-foot strike, shortening my stride, increasing my tempo, and strengthening my lower leg muscles I grew to really like my new shoes. My only current complaint? Way too expensive! The original price for my Newtons was $175 and after a quick check of the website that price remains the same. I know that the typical triathlete has some money to burn but this is a little ridiculous in my opinion.

That said, am I willing to invest in another pair of Newtons? Nope. Yes, they did revolutionize how I run but the price tag is a little too high for me right now. My plan this spring is to explore some other shoes (such as the Zoot Sports Ultra Footwear) on the market that are now catching up with the forefoot strike movement. If Newton decides to drop the price of their shoe to compete with the more “traditional” running shoe companies then sign me up but until then my search for the perfect running shoe rolls on.