The Kismet 4 offers a great mix of speed and stability. It has a unique ride that pushes you forward but keeps things stable thanks to its medial bridge.

It has been a few years since I have run in Newtons and these were the first I had the pleasure of reviewing. I’ve always been intimidated by Newtons since I am used to more traditional stability shoes. Though they took longer to break in, they were a ton of fun once I got used to them.

Newton Kismet 4 General Info

The Kismet 4 is a mid range stability trainer that sits between the Motion and heavier Sir Issac. It is the sister shoe to the neutral Fate; which, funny enough kismet is a synonym for. Hello new 25 cent word!

Newton Kismet 4 – Pair

Newton markets these shoes to newcomers to the brand to help transition them into their higher end models. Honestly, I found it difficult to compare Newtons to any other shoe out there.

The first thing I always notice with Newtons are the colors. I admire them for staying true to their 90s color palettes. I loved the bright colors with red (yes, red) camo pattern on the medial side of the midsole.

The shoes were incredibly comfortable the first time I laced them up. I wore them all day before actually running in them, and purposefully held myself back on the maiden voyage because of how different the ride it.

Newton Kismet 4 Sole Unit

Newton Kismet 4 – Sole

The sole is what sets Newton apart from any other shoe out there. The Kismet 4s are no different; thanks to the infamous raised lugs that going across the metatarsals. They seek to promote an enhanced ride with a high energy return.

The lugs on the Kismet use a less rigid POP2(Point of Power) style that aims to attract beginners to the brand. These are still shoes that take some time to get used to if you are used to running in traditional shoes.

To keep everything stable, there is a firm post on the medial side of the shoe. While there are stability features in the shoe, they are not the most supportive shoe out there. If you overpronate a lot and need lots of cushion, I would steer away.

I found myself landing on my forefoot and pushing off on the ball of my feet. I had to alter my stride in these because of how much the lugs were working out my calves and hamstrings. I really did not feel comfortable in these shoes until about 50 miles into testing.

Newton Kismet 4 – Medial SIde

Newton Kismet 4 Upper Info

The upper is breathable, lightweight and seamless. The material is incredibly comfortable and fared well in the beginning weeks of a hot, humid Baltimore summer. The shoes did decent in the rain and dried pretty fast afterwards.

The fit is a little tight, but this did not give me any issues. The toe box has plenty of wiggle room and the upper formed to my feet nicely. The heel locked me in and I never had any issues with slipping out of the shoe

Newton Kismet 4 – Toe

The tongue is wide and stays in its place. This allowed me to tie my shoes tight and not have to worry about any irritation or rubbing.

I was not happy with the laces that come with the shoe. It took less than a week for them to stretch out and not return to their size.

Even with using a runner’s loop, they were still too long and I had to pay special attention to tying them up. I found myself constantly having to stop mid run to re tie my shoes because they came undone.

Yes, this can be addressed by getting new laces, but if I am spending 140 dollars on a pair of shoes then I want a full package.

Newton Kismet 4 Conclusions

The first half of testing was a little rough for me. Having to drastically alter my running form to adjust was humbling at best. My calves and hamstrings were on fire!

Thankfully, I got past this and grew to appreciate what Newton brings to the running shoe arena. Group runs were speedy and my longer workouts did not wear me out. I don’t know if I could ever use these in a race, but they are definitely a staple trainer.

If you are looking for a shoe with just a unique design that has just a dash of stability, then look no further to the Kismet 4.

We purchased a pair of Newton Kismet 4 from runningwarehouse using our own money. This did not influence the outcome of this review, written after running more than 50 miles in them.