My coach sent me an email about my week and pointed out that he was going to have me think about the mileage on my shoes. I’ve been keeping tabs on my mileage and I’m nearing the end of one of my favorite pairs. My other favorite pair, however, has plenty of life left. And for that, I’m grateful. I take these puppies to the track and on shorter runs. They’re light, they’re bouncy, and they really let me feel the road.
Enter the Newton Fate.
After my marathon iliotibial band syndrome and swollen toes and lost toenails debacle, I thought I needed to change things up. I planned on running barefoot for a while, but of course there is no place suitable for me to attempt that nearby. So the next best thing, to me, was to go as “minimalist” as possible without going true minimalist. I wanted a low drop shoe to help correct any form issues I may have had throughout my marathon training.
I’ve now been running in my Newton Fates for three months and I’ve never been happier. Here’s what I love about them:
Pros
I can treat them like racing flats if I want to — and I do! I use them primarily for speed work and shorter distance running. The Fates are technically a core trainer, meaning they’re good for everyday use. They’re versatile, which is great.
They have a low heel to forefoot drop, which helps me maintain my most natural stride. Since adding the Fate into my rotation (plus a lot of rolling, stretching, and strength work), I’ve noticed a big improvement with my ITB issues. Of course this may be complete coincidence, but I love the Fates nonetheless. 🙂
Newton uses POP technology. What is POP technology? POP stands for point of power. There are three levels of POP: 1, 2, and 3. The Fate are POP 2. This means I can wear them for just about anything. Since I was coming from a very responsive shoe, it was easy for me to make the transition from that to the POP 2. If I were coming from a more cushioned ride, I likely would have started with a POP 3 shoe. And soon I’m hoping to transition into a POP 1 shoe for the track and speedier races.
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| These were once clean POP lugs… |
The toe box is ample and wide. This is what I desperately needed when I was running my marathon. My toes would have suffered much less had I had a wider toe box shoe! I’m grateful for this in the Fates.
Cons
I only have two cons. The first one is so silly.
When I was first making the switch to Newtons, I really wanted last year’s color and the store I purchased from had sold out. So silly, I know. But I’m not really a pink kind of a girl. I had to get used to it.
Sometimes the Fates just don’t offer as much cushioning as I need, particularly when it’s been a hard week of running or even just keeping up with the kids. On those days, I switch to my other shoes. I try to rotate all my running shoes as much as possible, to be honest. I want to prolong the life and I try to keep my form as fresh and natural as possible.
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So bottom line — would I recommend Newton to family and friends? I would but with some precautions. Buying footwear is very individual and needs to be treated as such. You should get fitted for your next pair of shoes and make sure they’re comfortable for you. Just because you read a bunch of favorable reviews about a pair of shoes online does not mean they will be comfortable for you. The Newton Fates are extremely comfortable for me, but I do rotate my shoes actively. They have a low heel drop and are very responsive with minimal cushioning, which I totally love but it’s not for everyone.
What I suggest if you’re interested in adding Newtons into your rotation is to get fitted, ask if you can take them home and run on the treadmill a few times, and then make your final decision. There have been plenty of times I’ve bought a pair of the perfect running shoe!, only to go home and try them out on the treadmill and discover they are indeed, not the perfect pair.
Good luck with whatever shoes your feet decide to buy!
Happy shopping!
xo
Have you tried a low heel drop shoe? Do you like cushion or responsiveness?
