Taking part in competitive track and field athletics is one of the best ways to push yourself to the peak of fitness. The challenges of racing against other people and of becoming the master of your own mind is often what drives people. Having the correct mental attitude to training and overcoming self-doubt are sometimes cited as “the X-factor” when it comes to picking that almost intangible aspect that leads to success. Always overlooked, especially where runners are concerned, are the shoes, and the technology that goes into them.
It is important to choose the correct running spikes for your particular event, as there are many styles. Some are made for track sprinting, some for longer distance running, and there are also others made specifically for javelin throwing and high jump. What is often overlooked however is that once you have your shoes, there are several different shapes available for the actual spikes themselves. These can have a bearing on whether you succeed or fail.
The three main styles used in running shoes are needle spikes, conical spikes and Christmas tree spikes. It is advisable to try out all three types to see how they perform, and if possible to have a set of each available at any race meeting you attend. Track surfaces can vary, so conical spikes may have been great at the last meeting, but that does not mean they will be perfect for the next one.
Needle spikes look rather unsurprisingly like needles. They are thin all the way from the shoe’s sole to the sharp point. This style is good for grip on relatively hard surfaces such as gravel tracks. They tend to stick into the more modern synthetic track surfaces though, and this will certainly slow you down.
Conical spikes are very common nowadays, and are perfect for synthetic tracks. Sometimes called pyramid spikes they are wider where they attach to the shoe, and get thinner to form a point where they contact the track. The shape allows them to grip the surface without sticking.
Christmas tree spikes are similar to conical ones, except the cone surface is stepped rather than smooth. The end which makes contact with the track is not sharp like the other styles; it is flattened. This type is also sometimes called the compression tier spike, a name which describes the fact that these are made from several tiers stacked one on top of the other, but which also gives a clue as to how they work. They compress the surface on impact, which allows gripping by friction, but importantly also give a boost when they rebound off the track. Some runners claim that they can help to increase running speed.
So if you are getting serious about track and field, make sure not only that you have the correct spiked running shoes for your event; ensure also that you have the correct spikes for your shoes and the running track you will be competing on.