Our first Natural Running Symposium in Dallas was a huge success (read about it here and here) and now we’re bringing the roadshow east to Boston. Next Friday, March, 19 at 6 p.m. we’re teaming up with Marathon Sports to host our symposium at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge. Then, at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, Danny, Ian and Dr. Mark will lead a free form clinic at the MIT track followed by a Newton Campus Run race. Finally, we’re hosting a second natural running seminar at the Multisport World Expo at the Zesiger Center at 12:15 p.m. Click the image above for all the details. We hope to see you there!

They’re almost here!

Our updated 2010 Performance Trainers are on the way to us and we’re now taking pre-orders. Both the Gravitas Neutral Performance Trainer and the Motus Stability Performance Trainer feature an updated heel design with a new, highly durable outsole rubber, a new high-rebound midsole, an improved fit in the upper and of course, bright new colors! Order yours today and we’ll get them to you by the end of the month!

Men's Gravitas=Gravity

Women's Gravitas=Gravity

Men's Motus=Motion

Women's Motus=Motion

Next week at Luke’s Locker in Dallas we’re hosting a Natural Running Symposium, the first in a series of national educational seminars hosted by some of the top experts in running form, biomechanics and injury prevention.

This is a free, open to the public event featuring Newton Running co-founder and running form expert Danny Abshire, Newton’s R&D/Education director and adventure racing world champ Ian Adamson, and running science expert Dr. Mark Cucuzzella. On Tuesday evening, the team will lead an informative discussion about biomechanics, injury prevention and running shoe design. Then on Wednesday morning, Danny, Ian and Mark will lead a Natural Running form clinic starting at the Dallas store.

The details:

What: Natural Running Symposium

When: Tues., March 2 @ 6 p.m.

Where: Luke’s Locker, Dallas (3607 Oak Lawn Avenue) 214-528-1290

Hope to see you there…tell your friends!

Our next Symposiums will be March 19-20 at Marathon Sports in Boston and March 25-26 at Road Runner Sports in San Diego. Stay tuned for more dates and details.

Here’s a cool video shot by Steve Mackel of SoCalRunning.com at the Tuscon Marathon expo.

That “Newton rep” also happens to be Steve Gartside, Newton Running’s president. Steve is always busy managing our rapidly growing company, but he still loves working the expo floor and sharing his passion for natural running with others.

In the past few days we’ve been inundated with calls and messages from friends, customers and fans asking, “did you see (insert national news media)’s story about barefoot running?” The answer is yes, we’ve seen Dr. Lieberman’s study and it clearly validates what Newton Running is all about.

Check out the open letter below from Newton Co-Founder Danny Abshire and our Director of Education, Ian Adamson. Or download a pdf version of the letter here OpenLetterfromNewtonRunning-Barefoot

OUR TAKE ON BAREFOOT RUNNING

Many of you have seen or heard the numerous national news stories about barefoot running in the past few days. This news comes on the heels of the recently published study of “Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners” by Harvard University anthropologist Dan Lieberman. Dr. Lieberman and colleagues conclude that modern, cushioned running shoes change the way humans run and hypothesize based on their biomechanical findings that forefoot and some midfoot strikes may make runners less prone to some kinds of injury.

That comes as no surprise to us at Newton Running. Our company was founded on the belief that the lifted heel in modern running shoes promotes improper form and can contribute to various injuries. Our shoes are designed specifically to accommodate and enhance natural running foot-strike and gait and are based on decades of research and observation on shoe technology and running mechanics.

Running barefoot is not a viable option for most people, except for short training sessions on forgiving surfaces. Plus, the transition to barefoot running or ultra-minimalist shoes can be difficult and/or painful for runners who have spent their whole lives running in heavily cushioned and overly structured shoes.

Newton Running shoes feature a geometry and design that facilitates your natural gait and protects you from harsh running surfaces. We offer the only viable alternative to both modern running shoes and barefoot/ultra-minimalist shoe running.

1. Typical running shoes feature a thick, padded heel and a steep heel-to-forefoot ramp angle (gradient), which encourages heavy heel striking, increases shock loads and dampens afferent feedback (the ability to sense the surface under your shoes). Newton Running shoes have a negligible gradient (between 1% and 3%), which allows your foot to land with a reduced impact and take advantage of your body’s natural suspension system. (click images to enlarge)

2. Newton Running shoes provide industry-leading impact force reduction and energy return with our proprietary Action Reaction Technology™ strategically placed on the sweet spot under your forefoot.

3. Newton Running shoes are built with a biomechanical plate positioned directly under your metatarsals to enhance afferent feedback and allow your feet to spread naturally under load. The soft foam in regular running shoes dampens and blocks valuable protective feedback at foot strike. Without feeling the ground, runners will impact and push harder, creating the possibility for injury.

4. The anatomically designed upper and midsole allows your foot to move naturally throughout the gait cycle. In contrast, most modern running shoes are highly structured, rigidly encasing your foot and preventing natural movement. Over time, this weakens the foot and creates overuse of propulsive muscles/tendons, increasing the likelihood of running injuries.

Coaches around the world routinely use barefoot drills to improve running form. Newton Running has created the first natural running shoes for everyday training and racing that encourage barefoot running form. Join us in the Natural Running revolution.

Sincerely,
Danny Abshire Co-founder and CTO | Ian Adamson Director of Research and Education

Resource Links
Harvard Barefoot Running Page
The Barefoot Runner – Dr. Lieberman video by Nature
NPR.org barefoot running story
BBC barefoot running story
Improve Your Running with Newton Running

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.

They’re coming, and we’re getting excited!



TERRA MOMENTUS=MOMENTUM
MEN’S off-road TRAINER
WEIGHT: 11.2 oz
SIZE: 6-13,14,15



TERRA MOMENTUS=MOMENTUM
WOMEN’S off-road TRAINER
WEIGHT: 9.2 oz
SIZE: 5-11

UPPER
• Highly breathable, fast-drying, debris-proof closed mesh
• Abrasion resistant collar lining
• Slip-proof laces with heel-securing double eyelets
• Lightweight flexible molded P.U. support frame
• Reinforced toe cap
• Reflective logo and heel tab
• Gusseted tongue

MIDSOLE
• Tuned Action/Reaction Technology™forefoot and heel
• Biomechanical metatarsal sensor plate
• Tuned firm high-rebound EVA
• Midfoot/rearfoot support chassis for added stability
• ETC anti-friction, anti-bacterial sockliner
• Accommodates orthotics

OUTSOLE
• High traction and durability rubber compound

Green Features
• 100% recycled laces, webbing, insole topcover
• 100% recycled box, packaging
• 10% recycled outersole rubber

The Momentum is an off-road guidance trainer designed for runners committed to a more efficient natural running style. It provides intelligent control for all foot types on all types of terrain, from groomed bridle paths to technical mountain trails.

Available JULY 2010 MSRP $139

Terms like barefoot running, forefoot running, midfoot running, chi running, minimalist running, etc. get bandied about so often these days that it’s difficult to define any of them and they’re all starting to lose any true meaning. Here at Newton, we think ‘natural running’ best describes what we’re all about. What do you think? (click image to enlarge)

Now MSNBC has posted about the new study as well.

There’s a great discussion going on over at RunnersWorld.com about a new study that links running shoes to injuries. Check it out here. Here are a few thoughts that our Director of Education, Ian Adamson, would like to add to the dialogue:

• In fact, there are several on-going, multi-year studies at Harvard, MIT and the University of Newcastle (AUS) that are looking at injury related to footwear. Harvard department of Anthropology is about to publish a study that dissects unshod human running gait and injury (or lack thereof.)

• If the only injury from running shoes is Achilles tendinitis, is the implication that the other “running related injuries” such as neuromas, plantar fascitis, blisters, bunions and joint problems would be present in if people didn’t run?

I’m on the front line seeing runners who present with all of the above and more, and the vast majority are treatable with appropriate shoes (the closer a shoe reflects the geometry of the foot the better, although protection from man-made and unnatural surfaces is prudent), especially a lower heel/ramp angle combined with proper form coaching. There is no doubt in my experience (running competitively since 1973, 12 years as a professional athlete, 10 years in the shoe industry, 10 years as a bio-mechanical engineer) that lifted heels in running shoes introduce an unnatural geometry that interferes with our natural (and injury protective) gait.

It would take a lot to convince me that strapping 1/2 to 1″ foam to your heel doesn’t alter your stride. If you cut virtually any running shoe lengthwise you can see the drop from heel to the ball of the foot. The Nike Shox as noted above is one of the worst offenders. It used to be that 24 mm heel height (1 inch) and 12 mm (1/2″) forefoot was standard, but those numbers have changed dramatically in the last few years. Some popular running shoes are up to 35 mm in the heel. The old standard drop (24-12) gives an 8% grade in a Men’s US size 9 shoe, but most are now far in excess of that, up to 15% in some cases. An 8% road grade (rise/ run as a %) is where most states give truckers a warning. Racing flats can be better in terms of being more level, but virtually none are actually level. The best on the market are:

• Vibram (2 mm differential = 1.3%)
• Newton Racer (2 mm/1.3%)
• Newton Performance Trainers (3 mm/2.0%)
• Newton Guidance Trainers (5 mm/3.3 %)
• Asics Piranha 3 (6 mm/4.0%)
• Biom (8 mm/5.3%)

It is interesting to note that some perceived “flat” shoes are not: Nike Free 5.0 (10 mm/6.7%), Nike Zoom Streak XC (11 mm/7.3 %), Nike Luna Racer (12 mm/8.0%), Brooks T6 (13 mm/8.7%). On the other end of the spectrum, the Brooks Beast has a 16 mm drop and 10.7% grade.

My personal experience: ran track and cross country barefoot and injury free through high school. Ran in Dunlop Volley tennis shoes through college (no heel lift http://www.volleys.com.au/flash/index.html), injury free. Was given a “modern” running shoe with a heel lift by a sponsor in 1989 and sustained my first running related injuries. Started back with level shoes again in 2007 (Newton) and viola, injuries gone.

Check out this interesting study published in the November issue of Foot & Ankle International (FAI), the official scientific journal of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS). The study details the biomechanical changes that occur in feet during high heel wear and the correlation between the heel height and amount of pain, pressure and strain it puts on your feet.

The study was conducted on people walking, not running in high heels, but it’s reasonable to assume that the forces involved in running in a 1/2” heel lift are considerably higher than walking in more.

The study authors suggest limiting heel height as well as the use of padding at the ball of the foot can significantly reduce discomfort and risk of injury to the metatarsal heads.

Newton Racers have a 2 mm drop from heel to toe, the Performance Trainers are 3 mm and Guidance Trainers (Sir and Lady Isaac) are 5 mm. The typical running shoe has a heel lift of a 1/2 inch or more. You do the math.