Newton Catalyst, Fusion, Fate 7 & Kismet 7 Reviews
Hey everybody, this is Steve Moore, owner of Run Moore, this brick-and-mortar running shop located in Westminster, Maryland. Today, we will be talking about a couple of shoes from our pals Newton out there in Boulder, Colorado. They have two brand new shoes that have just been released. One called the Catalyst, and the other called the Fusion. They’re both in a different category from what you’ve probably been seeing from Newton the past couple of years. So, we’ll dive into what separates those from previous Newton versions of shoes and just what you should expect if you’re checking out the new Catalyst and Fusion.
But first, I just wanted to give some information about some updates on some other Newton models that just came out. So, we’re going to first dive into the new updates on Fate and Kismet 7. We have been carrying Newton at our running shop since we opened in 2014. We’ve always been a big fan of this brand, and unlike most running shops, we carry a different lineup than what you might see at other running shops around the country.
Breakdown of Newton
The Gravity and the Motion are two of Newton’s biggest heavy hitters that people tend to see a lot. They are aggressive, super poppy, super luggy, fast-paced shoes. These shoes are super popular in the triathlon world or some of the long-distance stuff that are $190. They’re really fun, but where my store is located, we don’t have tons of people coming looking to drop 190 bucks on a pair of shoes. So, we carry what I consider to be the more accessible versions of the Kismet and the Fate.
The Fate is essentially a little more cushioned, a little less aggressive a little less price point version of the Motion. This is a stability model shoe with a little bit more of that Newtonian cushion throughout, and the lugs don’t sit out quite as aggressively. The lugs are really the wheelhouse of what makes Newton. These little compressed air pockets that sit above your toe box are designed to propel you forward and compress, and they expand as they pop you forward.
Shop Neutral Men’s Gravity 10 | Women’s Gravity 10 | Shop Stability: Men’s Motion 10 | Women’s Motion 10
Newton’s Famous Luggs
Newton used to have different categories of pop depending on how aggressive these lugs were. The Pop 1 was the most aggressive, Pop 1+ more like a racing shoe. Still, it really dictates how far those come out. When I put people in a Newton who are not used to it, they tell me it’s a weird but interesting feeling. These are some of those shoes where people either love it or hate it as soon as they get into it. Coming from a racing cross country and track background, they remind me of putting on a pair of cross-country spikes or track spikes. You can hear somebody running in Newtons on the ground because these have a unique sound when you’re hitting the ground in them.
Should I wear Newton Shoes?
Some people think that Newton shoes feel too different. That it almost feels like you’re hitting a ledge, especially if you’re much more on your heels. It can almost feel cumbersome getting across those lugs. So if you’re somebody who’s just doing everyday plotting around your neighborhood or just getting into running, having that aggressive $190 really low drop really poppy shoe, it is a very different sensation. But if you’re somebody who’s looking to transition a little bit more of a forefoot striker, a little more pop in your toes just looking for something fun and different, the Fate and the Kismet are really accessible options for you.
Newton Shoes for both Neutral & Stability Runners
Kismet is your stability model, and Fate is your neutral model. So, you can tell when you’re looking at the Kismet, just like in the Motion; it has a little differential here to show that this does have some medial support if you’re running. So, you’re somebody who overpronates the Kismet, and the Motion will be your stable friends.
Shop Women’s Kismet 7 | Men’s Kismet 7
If you’re more in the neutral category, your Gravity and your Fate are your neutral friends. Both the Fate and the Kismet and the Gravity and the Motion all have similar weight classes. They’re all in that mid-8 oz range. 8.8 on the men’s, and closer to 7 high on the women’s side.
The Gravity and the Motion have a 1.5-millimeter heel-to-toe drop -which is also hard to explain because when you have the lugs, it actually feels like you’re almost negative drop when you put those really aggressive lugs on a low drop shoe. The Fate in the Kismet has a 4.5-millimeter drop that’s adjusted a little bit.
Shop Women’s Fate 7 | Men’s Fate 7
You can feel that it’s a lighter shoe than most shoes in that category, for like a long-distance shoe, especially something aggressive like that. It has a nice breathable upper mesh to it. It’s got a nice little padded heel collar to it. Some of the previous Newtons I’ve run in, I found I had a hard time getting the shoe to fit properly as I had somewhere the laces felt super long; some had to make the marathon loop to get my heel right. Still, the new uppers that they put on the Fate and the Kismet seem to feel good. They’re nice and breathable. They’re not too wide, and they’re not too narrow either.
I have a pair of racing shoes from Newton that I really like that is a little too wide, in my opinion, but these actually fit my foot quite well. They’re fun. They give me some cushion. I can feel the pop in it not as aggressive as I might find in the Gravity or the Motion, but they are great for everyday training and enjoyable shoes.
We have our Fate in our Kismet 7; they’re available now. They come in just one color on the men’s, one color on the women. All of these shoes have each corresponding shoe on the men’s and women’s other side; they’re really fun, great update if you’re looking to get into the brand and try something for an everyday mid-cushion shoe from Newton the Kismet and the Fate, are fantastic entry-level shoes for you for everyday training.
New Models from Newton: The Fusion & The Catalyst
Now I want to transition to the Fusion and the Catalyst; these came out on the same day. The Fusion is like your everyday casual shoe, and, interestingly, both have a similar look because these are two different models, but these are two different shoes. They both have this sort of interesting mesh upper to it up, with the Catalyst having a see-through upper.
The Fusion is a more traditional, casual shoe, interesting because Newton has never had it before. You can certainly run in it if you wanted to. Newton is billing this as this all-day, fun, casual gym, light run kind of shoe. It’s really light and could transition easily from the office to the gym. If you were going to do some serious running, I would probably recommend a different shoe, but this is alright for light running and gym work.
Still, if you’re looking for just a fun, cool shoe with a little bit of that Newton feel, this is a great one, and because it doesn’t have as aggressive lugs to it doesn’t feel as Newtony; it just feels really good and cushiony. Also, it has a full midsole of Newtonian, which is sort of their soft and squishy yet still responsive midsole material that they’re using there.
The other difference between both the Fusion and the Catalyst is the drop has changed. We have a six-millimeter heel-to-toe drop on both the Catalyst and the Fusion.
This is pretty common just for everyday trainers and some other brands that we carry here. To me, this feels not unNewton-like because it still has some of those categories, but it feels like you’re putting on just almost like an everyday casual shoe. It’s really nice it’s really cushy you can run in it. I probably wouldn’t, personally. I like this shoe just kind of puts it around. I’ve been wearing them around; they’re comfortable. I like the way they look, and I’ve really enjoyed just kind of putting around them. And for $120, that’s about what you should expect.
Sizing
Both the Catalyst and the Fusion are unisex shoes. So, make sure if you’re if you are purchasing that you are aware of that. I’m not usually a big fan of unisex shoes because sometimes the width and the sizing aren’t ideal between those. It’s like maybe a little wide for a female, a little narrow for a man. But I have found no issues with this model. A couple of staff here have both Catalyst and Fusions, and they’re all unisex, and none of them has had any issues with width on it.
Purpose of the Catalyst, a substitute for the Aha?
Moving over to the Catalyst. I really like this shoe. There was a shoe that Newton used to have called the Aha, which we described as our entry-level shoe to Newton. It went away, and we have been looking for that shoe from Newton ever since. The Catalyst has some pop to it that means you could run in it if you wanted to. But it is also a great gym and casual wearing shoe. It has a different midsole material from the Fusion and a little more responsiveness. The Catalyst is a bit firmer, and it has a little bit more bounce to it. It still has a six-millimeter drop still has that nice cushiony feel to it.
Environmentally Sound
There are also a couple of different features in this shoe that they’ve done to make this a more environmentally sound shoe; most of this shoe is made from recycled materials, and this shoe will biodegrade 400% faster than most shoes. It takes to shoot about 40 years in a landfill to biodegrade finally. This would go much faster than that, specifically using castor beans and other kinds of fun materials here and recycling products to make this shoe a bit more environmentally sound.
I really do like this weird upper to it. I know it’s goofy when you can kind of look through and see your socks see your foot. If you plan on using this shoe in the middle of winter, your feet might get a little cold because you can see all the way down to your sock.
What does the Newton Catalyst do?
This comes in at $130, which is 10 bucks more than your Fusion. But, I think you’re going to get much more out of the Catalyst, especially if you’re looking for a shoe to do a couple of different sports. So that’s an update from Newton. But, again, if you were somebody who’d been wearing an Aha years ago and like us and was very sad when it went away, I think the Catalyst is the perfect shoe to come in and fill that gap.
Conclusion & Promo Code for Newton Running Shoes
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