The SNEWS team can’t survive on samples alone, so off we headed to the Runner’s Roost in Lakewood, Colo., when we found ourselves in need of a new pair of running shoes. The original plan was to purchase a pair of Brooks PureProject PureConnects to replace the samples we fell in love with earlier, but like a kid in a candy store, we just couldn’t help ourselves from trying on several pair of shoes.
Pink happens to be our favorite color, so when we saw the Newton Distance U in bright pink and yellow popping out at us, we had to ask the sales associate if we could try on a pair in women’s 9.5.
We slipped on quite a few pair of shoes that day, but as soon as we put on the Distance U’s we knew we were about to embark on something beautiful. Without thinking, or looking at the price tag, we happily said, “I’ll take ‘em,” and went to the register to check out. It’s true, Newtons are a bit pricey, taking our breath away at the $162 (after taxes) we paid for them, but you can’t really put a price on the kind of comfort you experience when you try on these shoes. So what if we ate Ramen Noodles for a whole week after we bought them?
We couldn’t wait to take them for a run. As soon as we got home, we slipped them on and headed out the door. These 7-ounce beauties with the 2-mmm drop feature a high-density rubber midfoot with four separate lugs with the company’s springy Action/Reaction Technology to absorb the shock and provide extra protection for midfoot strikers. Plus, these lugs seemed to give us a little spring in our step thanks to the high rebound EVA.
These shoes felt like they were made specifically for our feet and we think that might be due to the support strapping and the highly flexible nature of the midfoot. The breathable mesh made it so the shoes dried quickly, even while running in rain or after succumbing to an urge to jump in the occasional puddle during a run (some of us remain kids at heart).
One of the benefits of this shoe is that it accommodates most orthodics, and while we ran in them for a full two weeks with the insole it came with, we changed them out for our customized Footbalance footbeds. This made these shoes even more comfy for us.
We mostly used these on pavement and while they worked for us on some trails, we definitely didn’t find them good for the rocky, cut-up trails. Most recently we sported these shoes during the Denver Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon on Sept. 22, paired up with Footbalance footbeds and Darn Tough Vermont’s new Light Cushion Sock. The trio made up our new dream team of running. We’re hoping these shoes last us to the New York City Marathon on Nov. 4. If they do, they just might be as awesome as we think we are.
SNEWS® Rating: 5 hands clapping (1 to 5 hands clapping possible, with 5 clapping hands representing functional and design perfection.
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