Newton Gravity vs Hoka Bondi

davidpettigrew

I have been mainly running with Hokas for about nine months and it's time for some new shoes.
I really like the cushioning of the Hokas since I have issues with my metatarsal heads.
I saw Newton Gravity and am considering them.
Does anyone have experience in both these shoes and could compare them?
How "soft" do the actuators on the Newtons make the feel?

William Jenks

I do not have experience with Hokas. Whatever else you say about the Newtons, the structural cushioning beneath the forefoot stubs is pretty forgiving. It's NOT based on normal foam padding...instead it's hard plastic that's not solid and structured so that it deforms. This is all beneath the solid rubber stubs.

I love the Newtons, but they are pretty different than most shoes!

John Withrow

I've run in both.

I did all my training and racing in the Newton Gravity for about 1.5 yrs. I then switched to the ON Cloudrunners which were noticeably softer than the Newtons. I stuck with the ONs (and loved them) for almost 2yrs. In August of this yrs, I decided to give the Hokas a try even though I was quite happy with my ONs. The Hokas are a quantum softer than the ONs. I still run in my ONs every once in a while but they feel like running with bricks on my feet now compared to the Hokas. So I think I'm fully converted to the Hokas. That's not to say that you won't like the Newtons (a ton of people swear by them) but they are TOTALLY different than the Hokas. Or I guess I should say the Hokas are totally different than the Newtons because the Newtons are much more similar to most other normal running shoes than the Hokas which kind of live in a class all their own (from a softness perspective). For me, the Newtons helped to turn me into a forefoot/mid foot runner instead of a heel striker. The lugs on the bottom almost demanded that I couldn't heel strike, at least that was my n=1 experience.

Joseph Lombardi

I ran in Newtons this summer...loved them. (I ran in the Newton Distance)...but warning...I developed Achilles Tendinitis from jumping into them full bore...they take some getting accustom to (especially if you not already a mid to forefoot striker)...and can lead to overuse injury...they are a great shoe ...just follow their advice form begninning users.

tgarson

I've been running in Newtons for years, 4 marathons (including 3 IM marathons) in Newton Distances, including 2 in the exact same pair. As a shoe, they've always worked well for me, I did not have difficulty in adjusting to them and I don't think they specifically have contributed to any injury I've had.

All that said, they are vastly different shoes than Hoka's and I think you'd get very different things out of them. Newton's are intentionally not a soft ride. Core to Newton's philosophy is proprioceptive feedback, you are supposed to be able to feel the road and promote a more efficient gait in response to his feedback. I'm not sure I entirely buy that, but that's what they're going for. 

Hoka on the other hand is an entirely different philosophy and drastically different feel with its extreme cushioning. I am limited in experience in Hoka's to store demos so I cannot speak any further on them, but even a few minutes in them was enough to differentiate them from Newtons. I plan on grabbing a pair of Hoka's when the Conquest comes out this winter/Spring.

davidpettigrew

Thanks everyone, it seems I should probably not go to the Newtons. I really need good cushioning at the forefoot. I may try a pair of Hoka Rapa Nui.

John Withrow

I've pre-ordered the new Conquest. Supposed to be here in a couple of weeks...

http://www.thetrishop.com/brands/hoka-one-one/hoka-men-s-conquest-running-shoes.html#.UtbMQfRDuqI

Peter Noyes

@John Do you do your speed workouts in the hokas? I have been curious about the hokas but it seems very foreign to me to run fast in such a tall shoe. I currently run in Brooks Pure Cadence 2 or the New Balance MRC 1600. I think I am ready for something softer and more cushiony!

davidpettigrew

Hokas look tall, but your foot is quite sunk down inside the shoe. They feel very stable to me. I was running in Brooks Pure Grit and Nike Frees before and I don't notice any loss in stability.

Peter Noyes

I think I want to try the Hoka Conquest

John Withrow

I do ALL of my run workouts in them at this point. (not that my "speed" workouts are all that fast...) Looks like the Conquest is now "supposed" to launch 1/27/14 (pushed back from the original date of 1/17/14)

There's a whole thread discussing Hoka's here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/10810/Default.aspx

Paul Hough

I have experience in both shoes and they are night and day. The Hoka's, of course, are much more forgiving. I used the Newton's for faster running and the Hoka's for longer distances. However, the old 4 lug pattern on my last three straight pair of Newton's split from the surrounding outsole after 3-4 months allowing water in and squish-squish-squishing. For what they charge, their QC has gone down the tubes and I will no longer buy the Newton Gravity model. I have read of others with similar experience. The new 5 lug pattern on some Newton's is supposed to resolve this.

Gotta say that I have the ON shoes too.   These are between the Hokas and Newtons in cushioning and performance.  My biggest gripe with ON ... and it is minor ... is that the outsole loops tend to slip on wet surfaces.   The rubber is too stiff to grab like the outsoles on regular shoes...guess it needs to be like that to keep the loops from breaking down. 

My next set of Hokas will be the Conquest or something not as thick as my Bondi B's.   The shoes are great in Tampa until it heats up, then it is like running with soft buckets of water under your feet.   For the summer, I like to go light and use anything I can find with drain holes.

Bob Irwin

I don't know if it's one or the other. I have heard of some that use the Hokas for long runs and something else for other runs. I have been using Newton Motus since about 6 months after they first came out, and have been very happy. Helped me get rid a chronic knee issues that seemed to come up every May. I recently got a pair of Hokas, and I like them as well. I have been switching back an forth, and that seems to be working so far. The Bondi's have a heel to toe drop that is not too different from the newtons, so I think that makes going back and forth a little easier. But I've only been doing that for about 3 weeks.