The Look
The first thing to notice about the new Newton Gravity is that it is now available in colors that you will want to wear. Though color is not the most important aspect of a shoe, it is certainly the first thing to get noticed. That being said, I love the green-on-black look of the newest line.
The Fit
The fit of the Newton Gravity is right on. Unlike the Newton MV2 the toe box is roomy and accommodating without letting the foot move around. These shoes fit wonderfully right out of the box and continued to remain comfortable until they were retired at 350 miles.
The Upper
The upper is a stylish and durable. with extra reinforcement in all the critical places. In particular I appreciate the additional stitching reinforcing the toe baox. I know I am not the only runner to have shoes have a blow out around the toes, and did I mention, now Newtons are available in colors you will want to wear.
The Weight
Weighing in at just over 9 ounces, the Newton Gravity is one of the heavier shoes I have reviewed. Compared to the average running shoe it is on the lighter side, but compared to the Newton MV2 (about 6 ounces), the Newton Gravity is a beast, but this weight difference did not seem to slow me down, and the Newton Gravity Trainer lasted twice as many running miles as the Newton MV2 before critical fail.
The Outsole
The outsole features the classic Newton four lugs under the forefoot. These lugs raise the forefoot and provide comfort and protection under the forefoot where the foot of the natural runner will first contact the ground. Directly beneath each lug is a corresponding cutout in the midsole, this is what Newton has patented as their "Action-Reaction Technology," designed to return a small amount of energy with each stride. I am still unsure of my feelings on this Newton gimmick. I feel the best shoes are free of gimmicks, but the Newton gimmick is a gimmick in the right direction, encouraging a forefoot stride, rather than most previous gimmicks which were designed to make heel striking more comfortable.
The Differential
The Newton Gravity has a 3mm differential. This is less than most running shoes, however, as the champions of "natural running," I do wish that Newton would take a step forward and join Altra in dedicating to only making zero-drop shoes. Currently the only zero drop shoe sold by Newton is the MV2.
The Durability
From the moment I first wore the Gravity it became my go to shoe, and it remained my go to shoe for about 350 miles. I should qualify those miles. Nearly all of those 350 miles are trail miles, and the Newton Gravity shoes did not fail until I wore them for the Dipsea-Boy, an unofficial Trail-off trail adventure race. At some point during this race the glue holding the lugs part of the outsole to the midsole failed.
Unlike my experience with the Newton MV2, the upper remained in quality condition and would probably hold for hundreds of more miles.
Call for responses: I want to know what you think. Have you worn these shoes? Was your experience similar? Post questions and comments below.