Good fitting running shoes are an essential piece of equipment for all triathletes, for both training and racing. We all have our favorites and mine just so happen to be the Newton Motion Stability Trainers. I’ve worn them for about a year and a half now and they still feel great. They have given me tons of mileage and no joint pain whatsoever.
A few weeks ago, I decided it was time for a new pair. I drove to a local running store that carries Newton shoes. They are very well known in the area because they offer a comprehensive Gait analysis with every purchase. I walked in and spotted the ones I wanted. They were the bright yellow ones with the huge Newton symbol on the side. They are a lightweight pair called the Stability Performance Racers. I’m really getting into some faster paces and was hoping for a different feel. I got my same size as usual, laced them up, and they felt great! Now, it was time for the Gait analysis.
I’ve actually have never had a gait analysis done for me. I didn’t really know what it was for. The salesman kindly explained the purpose to it and why every runner should have it done. So here we go, video camera turned on and I can see myself walking on the screen in front of the treadmill. The shoes looked great. “Let’s ramp up the speed, get you up to a comfortable pace,” the salesman said. We got it up to about 6.5 mph…not too fast. He started recording my stride and stopped before I knew it, only about 10 seconds on the treadmill. He said, “okay, let’s watch this in slow-mo and check out your form. Wow…you have the most neutral form I’ve ever seen in this store. We need to get you into a different pair of shoes.” He said that the side-to-side movement in my ankle was minimal, indicating that I did not need the extra stiffness that a stability shoe provides in the arch. So, he brought out the Neutral Performance Racers. These felt exactly the same as the Stability shoe when putting them on for the first time. We did the gait analysis test again, and everything looked and felt fine. We boxed them up and I brought them home that morning.
Fast forward three weeks: I am taking a small break from running. About 3 days into running with my new shoes, I started to feel something similar to a stress fracture in my leg, just above my ankle. The pain is unbelievable with every stride. What could it be? My first guess is they aren’t the right shoes for me. I thought it was a bit odd when the test revealed that I was a neutral runner since I’ve been a slight under-pronator (supinator) my whole life. I now know that my pronation only comes out when I get going at my typical pace, approximately 8-9 mph. The Gait analysis test would’ve been great if it were done at that speed.
Fortunately, per Newton customer support, “Newton offers a 30 day no-questions-asked return policy and our retailers are asked to honor that as well.” I will definitely return them and get the same version of my previous shoes, the Motion Stability Trainers.
Hopefully my crash-course lesson in gait analysis will help you the next time you’re ready to buy a pair of running shoes. If you do a gait analysis, I recommend telling the sales associate a little about your running history first. Let them know if you have significant pronation, or if you do tons of mileage and at what pace. If you are an experienced runner, just go with your instincts as you know you best! 😉
Cheers and Train Hard Everyone!
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