Barefoot running was clearly one of the most talked about trends in the running industry last year. From the bestselling book Born To Run, to the explosive growth of the Vibram Five Fingers, runners everywhere seem to be talking about barefoot running.

Well, the buzz about barefoot running is about to hit a fever pitch. As we’ve talked about in previous posts, Harvard anthropologist Dan Lieberman has been studying the evolution of human running for several years. Dr. Lieberman has just published the results of his study in the journal Nature and the mainstream media is running (cough) with the story. For those of you who listen to NPR on the drive home, you might have heard this story on “All Things Considered” today.  The story is also available on NPR.org and features a pretty interesting video:

Not surprisingly, Vibram Five Fingers are also getting a lot of attention from the media (Vibram sponsored Lieberman’s study). The Five Fingers clearly help people to try barefoot running, while providing some protection from rocks, glass, etc. As we talked about in the previous post, Newton’s are built for Natural Running but some of you may be wondering how Newtons compare to Vibrams. Amanda Brooks asked just that on her blog, Run to the Finish, and Newton Running’s Director of Education and Research, Ian Adamson, had this response:

Running Newton Shoes and Vibram Five Fingers have many similarities, at least from a form perspective. The primary difference is the cushioning and energy return provided by Newtons, which is largely absent in Vibrams.

Newton Gravity Trainer: 3mm heel-to-forefoot drop / 2.0% gradient

Both Newton Performance Racers and Vibrams have a 2 mm heel lift, or toe drop depending on how you look at it. This translates into a 1.3% down grade in the shoe, also referred to as ramp angle or drop. Newton Performance Trainers have a 2% gradient, which although very small, can be felt by aware runners. Regular running shoes have a much steeper angle, up to 15% depending on the shoe.

Asics Gel Kayano 15: 22mm heel-to-forefoot drop / 14.7% gradient

Barefoot running forces you to run efficiently and preventatively with respect to injury. Vibram’s allow people to experience barefoot running with an added layer of protection from harsh surfaces, while Newton’s go one step further, adding forefoot cushioning and  a significant energy return component.

Newton shoes are much kinder to the body’s structure and musculature when transitioning from a traditional running shoe to barefoot, and allow you to perfect a natural (barefoot) form while providing protection and cushioning. Newton’s active membrane technology has been carefully designed to facilitate afferent feedback, which means the nerves in your forefoot feel the ground very quickly through the shoe. This is achieved through the outer lugs and internal semi-rigid chamber that is connected to the bio-mechanical top plate adjacent to your foot inside the shoe.

Traditional shoe cushioning mechanisms dampens afferent feedback, hampering proprioception and thus hindering your ability to self-regulate the impact of your foot strike. Studies show that runners strike much harder in shoes that dampen afferent feedback, one of the causes of injury. Barefoot runners and runners in shoes that allow you to sense the ground encourage you to run protectively, as if barefoot.

Bottom line is that both Vibrams and Newtons encourage a barefoot or natural running style, but Newtons make it easier for most runners to transition their form after years of wearing ‘traditional’ running shoes.

A film crew from Cities x Design stopped by our offices a couple weeks ago to talk with Danny and Ian about Newton’s design philosophy and shoe technology. Check out the results below.

Cities x Design is a 35-city trans-media research trip across the United States recorded online and later to be released in film, exhibition and print. Cities x Design is laying the groundwork for new thinking that promotes local creativity and design practices that add value to cities. The mission is to connect cities, cultures and creative people in order to demonstrate how investing in design can change perceptions, boost economies and create unique places.

Very cool!

If you’ve paid attention to the triathlon mags recently you might have spotted the cameo our Distance S shoes are making in this cool Garneau full-page ad. What you might not have realized is that the model wearing the shoes is Newton’s own queen of customer service, Tory Oakland. Tory is an accomplished triathlete and all around bad ass athlete when she’s not helping out Newton’s customers (or modelling). You can also find Tory at many of our race expos hanging out at the Newton booth – make sure to ask her for an autograph next time you see her.

(I’m going to find a place to hide now since Tory is totally going to kick my butt for posting this).

No, we’re not talking about the awesomely bad 1987 movie with the Ahhnold, nor are we talking about totally rad 80’s dance moves (click that link, trust me).  Instead, we want to introduce you to Jason Smith, the host of a new show entitled ‘The Running Man.’ The premise of the show is simple, Jason will visit a new city each week, exploring the destination’s sights, tastes and sounds while running.

This is a pilot episode that features Jason running through Manhattan Beach, CA. It’s really entertaining and I’m not saying that just because Jason loves Newton shoes and wears them prominently in the pilot. These guys are pitching the show to The Travel Channel – we wish them luck and hope to see it on TV soon!

This is a cell phone commercial featuring Masaki Aiba (I think) of the incredibly popular boy-band Arashi in Japan. The ad is supposed to be for this company’s new waterproof cell phone (cool) but from my perspective, Aiba’s bright green Newton Racers get all the attention from the camera.  Japan is one of Newton’s fastest growing markets!

Robert Downey Jr. on the set of Ironman 2, wearing Newton Gravity trainers.

There are so many options for a great caption here….

Best caption posted in the comments gets a free Newton Race Hat.

View the whole set of photos here.

The Popular Mechanics website recently featured an interesting, if somewhat controversial, story about barefoot running and the shoe industry.

The background and science referenced in the article support the entire premise upon which Newton Running is based.  Namely, humans evolved to run on their forefeet, not their heels. But, the running shoe industry has been building shoes with exaggerated heel cushioning for over twenty years and thus millions of runners have learned to be heel-strikers.

Newton Running believes that forefoot/midf0ot running is the most natural, efficient running form and our shoe technology is based upon that philosophy.

Check out this quote from the Popular Mechanics story:

“Sean Murphy, manager of advanced product engineering at New Balance, says shoe companies often fall back on what he calls the 22-12 solution-placing 22 millimeters of material under the heel of the shoe and 12 millimeters under the forefoot. “Shoe companies have been stuck in the paradigm of the 22-12 for years,” Murphy says, and people buy them in part because it’s the feel they’ve grown accustomed to. “We’re just now building products for people who tend to run more on their forefoot, like many ultramarathoners.”

Newton Running shoes measure 22 – 18 for the racers, 23 – 18 in the trainers.

For further evidence that traditional running shoe companies are stuck in the proverbial dark ages, check out this photo:

All the major shoe companies are still testing the heel cushioning on their shoes.  Newton, on the other hand, has been rigorously testing forefoot impact on its shoes, compared to other top selling brands. Check out these results provided by Knight Mechanical Testing. (Click images to enlarge).

Measurement of Forefoot Shock Absorption

Measurement of Forefoot Energy Return

To summarize these tests:

A runner in the Brooks T-5 would feel:

• 69% higher shock load on foot strike than the Newton Motion All Weather
• 80% higher shock at 250 miles
• 83% higher shock at 500 miles

A runner in the Newton Motion All Weather would experience:

• 27% higher energy return than the Asics GT 2120 at 50 miles
• 28% higher energy return at 250 miles
• 26% higher energy return at 500 miles

Newton Running is clearly on the forefront of a revolution in the running world. Read the full Popular Mechanics story here.

We thank you, our loyal fans and customers, for your support.

(The 2009 Boulder County Business Hall of Fame inductees. Jerry is front left. Photo: Lewis Geyer/Times-Call)

We’re incredibly proud of Newton’s co-founder and CEO, Jerry Lee, who was inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame yesterday. Over 400 people attended the event, which inducted seven new members who, “who exemplify business, cultural and philanthropic achievements that serve as the foundation of communities in the county.”

From the Boulder County Business Report:

Jerry Lee

For real estate developer/entrepreneur Jerry Lee, the first important fork in his road of life came when he chose take a job with W.W. Reynolds and move to Boulder from Illinois, leaving behind not only his parents, but 14 brothers and sisters as well.

“Our family is very close, so it was difficult,” he said.

Working as an accountant for the company, Lee took lessons in real estate development from his boss and mentor, William Reynolds, and was named company president in 1983. As a continuation of his partnership in real estate development with Reynolds, Lee created his own company, Lee Real Estate, in 2000.

In recent years, Lee took another road by assisting local entrepreneur Danny Abshire in designing and marketing a new athletic shoe. First marketed in 2007, the Newton is an ergonomic, lightweight running show that mimics barefoot running while providing greater cushioning on impact. The Newton is a culmination of Lee’s passion for running, which has led him to compete in 15 marathons.

Lee’s philanthropic work includes serving on numerous committees for the city of Boulder, including serving more than a decade on the Boulder Urban Renewal Board.

Today, Lee runs Lee Real Estate and serves as chief executive of Newton Running Company. He also continues to partner in real estate projects with Reynolds.

Lee lives in Boulder with his wife, Donna. The couple has two children.

“I believe in the old adage of treating people the way you want to be treated. It’s super important and has been a key to my career,” Lee said. “And in order to be successful, sometimes you have to find out the hard way that there are things you think you know – but you really don’t.”

Read more about the yesterday’s event on the Longmont Daily Times-Call website.

A couple weeks ago, PopSci.com featured a cursory review of the science behind Newton Running technology in a post by Adam Weiner.  While the story was generally positive, it also seemed a bit subjective since Mr. Weiner had not actually tried running in a pair of Newtons. So we contacted him, sent him a pair of shoes to test and he just posted a follow up feature. Check it out here – it’s a terrific, interesting review.  If you’re so inclined, be sure to add a comment at the end of the story, so PopSci will continue to run features like this.

It was a great weekend of  racing for our NEWTON RUNNING athletes.  The weekend started with the Ironman 70.3 California event in Oceanside.  Jozsef Major place a respectable 10th place in a very strong men’s field.  Next for Jozsef is Ironman China on April 19, 2009

On the other side of the globe the Ironman Australia event took place.  The race was touted as the Chrissie vs Michellie show- unfortunately Michellie Jones did not start the event due to illness.  On the men’s side NEWTON sponsored athletes Pete Jacobs and Tim Berkel had incredible races placing 2nd and 3rd respectively.  Pete continues with his assault on the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 racing – proving he is one of the athletes to watch at any event.  Tim Berkel’s rounded out the podium – backing up his win at the Ironman Western Australia in December.

At the Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans the incredible Natascha Badmann began her comeback.  And what a start it was – Natascha blazed through the race and from the sounds of it, even surprised herself with a convincing win over a super-competitive field.  There is no doubt that Natascha is an athlete on a mission – and it is great to see her back at the top.   Another NEWTON sponsored athlete Jessica Jacobs placed 13th in the professional women’s category. Read the TriathleteMag.com full recap here.

The weekend finished off  with the Carlsbad 5000 – where Sylvia Mosqueda (representing Newton) won the women’s masters event in a time of 16:56.

(more…)