”Winters coming” so its time for some new running shoes :D

Boco AT II are Newtons trail/winter shoe, featuring water resistance for those rainy runs and a tougher, grippier sole.

Blurb from Newton

“Born in Boulder, Colorado, the BOCO AT II brings you a piece of the Colorado Mountains wherever your run takes you. The light and level 3mm drop, and multi-directional lugs, will keep you rocking out on even the rockiest of trails. While the landscape may change, the familiar Newton feeling remains the same. Rain, snow, hail and spilled coffee are no match for the durable all-weather upper. It is time to take your Newtons over the river and through the woods.”

Boulder Colorado sounds much nicer than Birmingham England, but, they get their fair share of miserable wet, cold weather too, so I’m looking forward to see if they live up to their claims.

Unmistakably Newton with a hint of trail running.

Upper features

NEW upper is lightweight, enclosed, and water-resistant for the perfect balance between breathability and durability Closed-mesh upper and gusseted tongue block out dirt and debris No stitch, heat welded overlays Durable rubber toe bumper protects toes from impact on rocks, roots and other trail hazards Reflective heel tab

I’m not sure I agree with the water-resistant statement, the first time I ran trough a tiny, shallow, feeble little puddle, a thimble full of muddy water splashed onto the top of the toe box and instantly soaked through to my toes. Unlike the On Winter edition shoes which are amazingly water proof!

Sole features

Four-lug Action/Reaction™ Technology in the forefoot for a responsive, resilient ride Multi-directional lugs to provide optimal grip on uneven terrain Biomechanical metatarsal sensor plate Soft, single-density EVA mid sole provides optimal cushioning and comfort ETC anti-friction, anti-bacterial sock liner

As with all modern Newtons, they come with 4 lugs on the mid foot, its the lugs that raise the mid foot, allowing a thicker heel, while still maintaining a 3mm heel drop. There are also an additional two outer lugs, this makes for a very stable platform with plenty of grip.

On wet tarmac though, they are still quite slippery though. Nowhere as bad as the 2016 Newton Distance and way way better than the On Winter addition! The On are lethal when it rains.

Unique features

To make the shoes more weather proof, the tongue has two gussets up the sides, connecting the tongue at the base and both sides, rather than just at the base. Unlike the standard Newton shoes, the tongue is padded, this makes them a little warmer.

Feel

If you have run in Newtons, then you will instantly feel at home in these shoes. As mentioned earlier, the extra outer lugs do seem make them feel more stable under foot.

Pros

More weather proof than standard newtons

Cons

Not that weather proof ;)

Conclusion

At the time of writing this review, I have ran around 70 miles in these shoes. They feel great, they are nice and light and very comfortable. They do keep your feet dryer, just don’t expect them to be water proof.

The sizing is around half a size bigger than the standard Newtons, which leaves room for some thicker winter socks. I had considered buying a half size bigger than my regular shoe, but I’m pleased I didn’t.