Disclaimer: I’m a slow runner, averaging a 9:30 mile during my shorter runs and around 11:00 on our 13.1′s.  So, my shoe choices are not based on performance in a speed or race-winning capacity.

After wearing the hell out of my New Balance 1400′s and starting a training cycle for another half marathon, I needed new shoes.

Ginger and I had tried the Newton Distance U’s on at the expo prior to the Women’s Half Marathon, and we’d both fallen in love.  We decided they’d be our next shoe – and they were. She bought them first; I followed a week later when we started ramping up our longer runs again.

That isn’t before I read every single review I could find of these shoes though.  I’m obsessive like that.

Yes, we’re dorks.  But we’re proud of it.

I’m a supporter of the minimal shoe movement.  I have no idea why.  Yes, I’ve read all the literature on both sides. I just love the idea of feeling a little more in tune with the surface on which I’m running. Not barefoot in-tune, mind you, but a little more natural.

The Newton’s fit the bill, but with a few caveats.

First of all, I love the colors.  The Distance U comes in both fluorescent greenish yellow and this bright pink color. We both chose pink, which resulted in more comments from passing runners that we liked, I think.

The unique thing about these shoes is that the forefoot has Newton’s patented forefoot lugs – little rectangles of rubber that help you spring off your forefoot.  They almost force you to run on your forefeet rather than strike on your heels.  We had to practice a little to get used to running like that – but it felt good once we got the hang of it.

They’re ridiculously light and extremely breathable – perfect for Florida runners.  I loved how they felt and looked – which is why I gave them so much time when I should’ve abandoned them.

Another factor that influenced my purchase was their heel-forefoot drop of only 2mm.  The Distance U’s are considered a “Performance Racer” and their slogan is, ““PR in a box.” My New Balance’s had warmed me up for a more minimal shoe, and I thought I was ready.

Against my better judgment, my first run in these was a 10 miler.  No blisters, super comfortable, no problem.  I was running roughly 20-25 miles/week at this point, so felt like I had enough warm-up to break these in before our next long run.

After my third run, my heel and leg where so sore, I could hardly walk.  I had no idea what the problem was, but attributed it to the new shoes,  to too much too soon.  I went back to my very expired New Balance’s for our long run that weekend – and while that probably wasn’t the best move, my heel didn’t feel quite as bad.

After two days of rest, I headed back out for a few shorter runs in the Newton’s again, and worked my way up to the longer weekends – all the while dealing with intermittent and sometimes crippling soreness in my Achilles.

Now, I know that it was the shoes that caused the injury; it certainly didn’t hurt that we were ramping up mileage. But I do think that my body just wasn’t ready for that low level of stability, that my calves weren’t strong enough to handle it.  I kept thinking that my muscles would strengthen as I ran more miles in them, but it never happened.  I was doing strength training and running a lot (for me) – but my body never got used to these shoes.

In the end, I realized I needed a shoe with a little more stability and an Achilles injury requires a more substantial heel/toe drop (I had to buy heel pads before I had time to get new shoes). I’d run far too many miles in these before realizing my mistakes though – and it sidelined me for almost a month.

Quick Likes:

• Colors!  Most of Newton’s shoes have great, bright colors.
• Really light.
• Great minimalist shoe, but still built for racing.
• Breathable, cool mesh fabric – great for hot weather running.
• Forefoot lugs and special sole technology is supposed to last 800-1000 miles.

Quick Dislikes:

• More minimal than I was ready for.
• Not a lot of right/left stability.
• Fairly expensive ($130 average).
• Run small – order a half size up.

I really liked how these shoes looked and felt, but unfortunately, my body did not.

Have you ever run in Newton’s? They seem to be a love/hate brand. What are your thoughts?