Newton Running Distance Elite
Overall Rating: 
About Newton Running:
“Who are we?
We’re a company that exists to inspire the world to run better.
We’re headquartered in Boulder, CO. This is particularly important to us. Boulder is a mecca for runners and outdoor recreationists. There’s no better place to keep our fingers on the pulse of what we so dearly love.
We’re runners. We love running. We eat, dream and sleep running. Where there’s a running event, there’s a Newton employee. Marathons, ultramarathons, 5Ks, triathlons – you name it, we’re there.
We’re teachers. We love helping people who want to improve their running form. Our entire organization is available to help, starting with our Newton Running Lab. The Lab hosts Newton running clinics and oversees our Newton Running coach certification program, training the coaches who bring Newton Running to the entire world.
We’re philanthropists. We believe strongly in the old adage “To whom much is given, much is required.” We’re proud to sponsor a number of charities and charitable events, including Athletes for a Cure, Trickle Up and One World Running.
We’re all this and more. We’re socially conscious, eco-friendly, digital savvy, dogs-in-the-office runners who are committed to bringing you the best in Newton running education and products.”
We’re Newton Running.
About the Distance Elite:
“Originally designed for our elite racing team, this shoe was tested and loved by some of the fastest runners in the country before being released to the public. The classic 4 lug Newton ride with a seamless upper feels fast, light and efficient. The Distance Elite is great for high or low distance training and racing. We hope you love it as much as we do!”
My Thoughts:
Newton running shoes have been on my radar for a while now. I have seen several of my fellow Further Faster Forever co-founders running in Newtons through instagram photos–for that reason, I’ve stayed curious about this brand.
The best running shoes for me are shoes that make me forget that I have shoes on. The cushion my feet just enough without adjusting (too much) how my natural stride causes my foot to hit the ground. I have tried many different brands of running shoes, most of which provide more cushion than I’m used to. I have run in the same pair of relatively minimalist shoes (as you can see in my “Instagram Lately” posts) for about 5 years now.
Because of that, any time I go running in a new pair of shoes, it’s a completely different feel and often a much different stride. It’s as if I have to consciously adapt my stride because the padding of each unique shoe model causes my gait to vary.
The first time I laced up these Newton Distance Elites, I couldn’t believe how light they felt. They feel like you’re walking on air. All of my toes are able to lay flat without feeling like they are being squished (I have a long second toe, so this is a problem with some shoes). The overall “feel” of the shoe is wonderful.
As with any shoe transition, I took this one slow. I only ran a few miles the first two times I went out in these shoes. Since my body is so used to a lower profile shoe, my stride was different and I could notice that my body would need more time to adapt to these shoes. Often times with a shoe that has more cushion than what I’m used to, my achilles feels tighter and is pained slightly.
That said, I think that these shoes will work their way into my rotation when I have the time to invest in them. I am currently training for a marathon that will take place at the end of April, and can’t afford to have any more additional discomfort or adaptation necessary during my training runs. My plan upon receiving these shoes was to try them and cross my fingers that they would be similar enough to what I currently wear that it would be a seamless transition (thus, I would wear them for my marathon). As it looks now, I will just have to allow my body and stride more time to adapt to them and perhaps they will outfit my feet in a race at a later date!
I was thoroughly impressed with how pleasant Newton Running was to interact with–very knowledgable and helpful. I am impressed with the quality and attention to detail with these shoes and am excited to wear them more in the future when my body can adapt to the new feel.