Hi all-

I know many of you have already pre-ordered your Motion All-Weather shoes and you’re anxiously awaiting their arrival. Unfortunately, the shipment has been delayed by a week so we’re now expecting them to arrive here in Boulder on approximately December 5. We’re going to work late to get them out the door right away once they get here. We’re sincerely sorry about the delay, but we promise, these shoes are worth the wait!

We got the below testimonial from Elizabeth in our inbox yesterday. I’ve never heard of the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon in Eidfjord, Norway, so I did a little homework. The term ‘extreme’ gets tossed about quite a bit these days, but after reading about the Norseman, I’m convinced it’s the real deal and I’m very impressed with Elizabeth’s performance. A few Norseman facts I learned:

–The race begins at 5am with a 3.8K swim in the Hardangerfjord. Racers jump off the back of a boat for the for the water start.

–Next is a 180K bike leg, which includes a brutal 4,000 foot climb at the end.

–Finally, there’s a 42K run, which ends with a ridiculous 5K, 6,000 foot climb to the top of the Gaustatoppen.

–After finishing at the top of the mountain, you have to walk back down, in the dark, after 140 miles and 20 hours of racing.

–Oh, and those Euros aren’t afraid to get buck naked at the race transitions.

Well, I think the Norseman certainly lives up to its billing as the world’s hardest triathlon and we’re duly impressed that Elizabeth was there, rocking her Newtons to a great finish!

Here’s her story:

I just wanted to let someone know about my great experience in Newton trainers in the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon this summer. As a long-time runner and triathlon convert, I’ve been running in Newton trainers and racing shoes for just over a year. I love the way they feel, and have seen a huge improvement on hills, which have always been a weakness of mine. And within a week of using Newtons, they seem to have cured a long-time nagging injury in my left ankle.

But the true test of my Newtons was in the Norseman triathlon this summer. This iron-distance event finishes on the summit of a 6,000 foot peak. The run climbs 10% grades on the road, then finishes with about 3.5 miles on a rocky trail to the summit. My Newtons were amazing! They made the transition from flat road to steep grade and even rocky trail perfectly, giving my feet plenty of support without weighing them down. As one of the handful of women to finish on the summit that day, and the only one over 40, I attribute some of that success to the outstanding performance of my Newtons on race day, and the way they helped me train injury-free as I prepared for the race.

Thank you for making such an outstanding product! I look forward to trying the new all-weather version as I log a lot of miles in rough terrain and in the snow.

Elizabeth R.

York, ME

Dear Guys at Newton-

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When my wife and I were in Colorado this summer I visited Active Imprints to pluck down for my first pair of Newtons. When I tried the shoe on, I knew it was ‘Love at first feel!’ I was hesitant however at the price, but bought them anyway. I did my second Olympic distance triathlon earlier in the year with a 52 min 10k in my old Nikes. I just finished my 3rd Olympic distance, the Longleaf Triathlon in Tampa in my Newton Distance S and low and behold…my fastest 10k in a triathlon ever! 44 minutes! I shaved over a minute a mile in my Newtons and I felt fantastic afterwards! Needless to say, I’m a true believer now! I can’t wait until the Motion AW comes out! I know what I’m getting for Christmas! Thanks and keep making great shoes!

Sincerely,

William V.

Florida

Another nice message from the Badwater Ultramarathon:

Hi Jennifer!

The race went really well. I ran 4 hours faster than last year so all in all I was very happy with the race! My feet are a little sore but besides that I am fit as a fiddle!

Thanks again for the help Newton has provided me on these events. The next big one is the 24 Hours of Duathlon! Looking to break 300 miles!!

Take care,

Jim Smith

Another cool photo of Jim at Badwater from the LA Times here.

For those of you who love the ventilation of the current Newton Running Shoes, but get cold feet when the thermometer drops below freezing, Sir Isaac has been hard at work in the R&D lab over the last year perfecting an all weather road shoe.

This product combines some unique technologies and developments. In addition to an improved lug system, the materials in the shoe have been tuned to perform in cold weather (to our knowledge, no other shoe has been built for temperature like this). This includes a windproof upper, softer bottom unit (below your feet), more compliant membrane supporting the lugs, reflective logo and bilateral posting.

Bilateral posting provides support for the 80% of us who pronate OR supinate, and the cushioning you find in neutral shoes. Some clever thinking by Danny Abshire, Newton Running’s resident development genius, and harsh wear testing revealed that all runners, regardless of their foot strike benefit from bilateral posting. We will have a limited release of the shoe in early winter, so stay tuned for more.

For now, here’s sneak peak at one of the models.

Here’s the shoe in the dark …

Check it out, I just got these shots from the product team at Newton….Sarah Haskins’ custom, special make-up shoe to wear at the Olympic Triathlon in Beijing.  It’s a Newton Distance in all-American red, white and blue colors.  Pretty sweet.

So, there are no plans to put this shoe into production….UNLESS, there is enough buzz and demand for it. Show your support and post a comment below.