For a while now I have been looking for a triathlon specific running shoe, a shoe built for fast transitions and mid/fore foot running.

There aren’t many triathlon focused running shoes, especially the flat, minimalist shoes that I prefer to run in.

Zoot, Inov-8, Pearl Izumi , On running and now Newton, are some of the only brands to offer a tri specific shoe.

The Newton TriRacer is based on the old Newton MV2 and I love the MV2, so light and so fast. The only problem with my pair of MV2 is the rough inner and seams. They weren’t good for running without socks. (although my MV2’s are too small)

This is a very lightweight shoe at only 168g.

The Newton website has a very good sizing tool, which lets you compare their shoe sizes to other brands, which is useful because the TriTracer is quite a small fit and I would recommend going up a half size from usual size.

Features

Like the MV2, the TriRacer has five of Newtons lugs. The lugs are what make Newton unique, they allow for a zero drop (0mm difference from the toe to the heel) yet still allowing for some cushioning under the heel. Unlike Hoka, that are zero drop, but with a huge thick sole.

There are also five drain holes in front of the lugs, I suppose these would be useful for Aquathlons and really hot, sweaty days.

To help in T1, the TriRacer comes with elastic laces and loops on the heel and tongue (although there is no tongue).

The mesh upper is seamless and lightweight, yet still quite rough like the MV2.

There is external bracing welded to the mesh upper, along with a few reflective panels.

There is a softer material around the heel and along the tongue area and it is very comfortable sockless.

Performance

Straight out of the box they are very fast! Since coming off my bike I haven’t ran much, yet my first run in the TriRacer was surprisingly quick! I didn’t intend to go out and run a 20 minute 5k, but it just felt so good.

I’m looking forward to racing in these shoes and I will report back after my next race, The Nottingham Sprint distance Triathlon