Spikes on the bottom of racing shoes add traction and help a runner translate leg thrust energy into forward motion. In slippery conditions, enhanced traction can mean a higher place in the race standings. The word "spike" refers both to the nail-like protrusion molded or set into the sole of a lightweight racing shoe and the shoe itself. Athletes who race with spikes bring extra studs of several types when they travel to meets.
Function
Track and field athletes, cross-country runners and road runners wear spikes specially designed for their sport. In the track and field discipline alone, sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, mid-distance and long-distance runners all screw different spikes into the sole plates of their racing shoes. Within each discipline, several types and lengths of spike address course, weather and athlete characteristics. They also comply with the rules of each meet about spike configuration.
Types
Sprinters position the lightest spikes made under the front of rigid shoes, keeping them on their toes. Middle- and long-distance track runners position spikes further back in shoes with more cushioning. Cross-country racers' spikes tend to be longer, set on more of the sole's surface, the better to grip uneven and slippery surfaces. Their shoes are made with more padding. Road runners use a different sort of spike, a protrusion molded into the soles of their racing shoes.
Considerations
Train in running spikes before racing in them, or unfamiliarity may alter your gait enough to erase the advantage. Most track runners use spikes from early in their training days. Most performance-oriented cross-country runners decide between spiked shoes and racing flats on a race by race basis. Road running spiked shoes are really lightweight, minimally padded footwear with especially knobby soles. Those who like them wear spikes when facing a slick course.
Cost
In 2010, expect to pay $3 to $10 for a set of 20 spikes and another few dollars for a spike wrench. Spiked shoes begin at about $50 but can cost more than $100. Most major performance shoe manufacturers make spikes. If you generally prefer the way one brand of shoe fits, it's likely you can find spikes you will love.
History
Shoemaker Joseph William Foster invented the running spike in 1890 and made the shoes Britain's Olympic runners wore in the 1924 Olympics. His grandchildren founded the company that became Reebok, now a subsidiary of Adidas. Early shoe designs earned Reebok clout among elite athletes, a reputation that later faltered. By 1925 a German innovator, Adi Dassler, was designing spike shapes and patterns to fit unique athletes' feet. At the same time, he experimented with increasingly lightweight materials from which to mold spikes. Once made from metal, today's spikes often combine materials to optimize weight, durability and gripping facets.
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