The kid runs competitively and is surrounded by pre-teens using spikes for races 800M - 3000M. We have her racing in her trainers (Saucony Ride).
I hate the idea of putting a track spike on still developing feet and was considering getting her the Saucony Endorphin Pro instead. It’s at least lighter than a trainer and offers some benefit like a spike.
Any thoughts that are not cost related?
I see so many parents buying spikes for their 5-6-7 yo’s that I cringe.
Sure I get that it’s summer track league or whatever and sure I get that some parents are the most competitive or think their 7yo is going to college and/or the olympics. Yet, IMO, at that age it should be about fun, skill development and not taking another :02 off their time. I mean if they run faster great but who cares, well other than the parents?
Instead of the Saucony Endorphin pros get her the Nike Zoom Victory Waffle 5, Zoon streak or one of the other spikeless flats that Nike makes (IIRC there is 1 more who’s name escapes me)
Saucony havok, Brooks makes a Draft or Daft spikeless (sorry can’t remember which name) as well as a Mach spikeless flat.
I’m sure Hoka, NB and Asics probably have a spikeless flat for T&F/XC
Hope that helps.
The kid runs competitively and is surrounded by pre-teens using spikes for races 800M - 3000M. We have her racing in her trainers (Saucony Ride).
I hate the idea of putting a track spike on still developing feet and was considering getting her the Saucony Endorphin Pro instead. It’s at least lighter than a trainer and offers some benefit like a spike.
Any thoughts that are not cost related?
I didn’t put my son in spikes until HS. That said, the coach suggests spikes for the 1600 and 3200 races – although he won’t let the boys train in them. My son has 2 pairs of trainers and one is the Saucony Endorphin Pro 2 for faster work (intervals)
The kid runs competitively and is surrounded by pre-teens using spikes for races 800M - 3000M. We have her racing in her trainers (Saucony Ride).
I hate the idea of putting a track spike on still developing feet and was considering getting her the Saucony Endorphin Pro instead. It’s at least lighter than a trainer and offers some benefit like a spike.
Any thoughts that are not cost related?
Isn’t Nike making and selling super spikes, combining the best of both worlds? From everything I have heard, the new distance spikes are so well cushioned they do not beat up the legs like they use to.
The kid runs competitively and is surrounded by pre-teens using spikes for races 800M - 3000M. We have her racing in her trainers (Saucony Ride).
I hate the idea of putting a track spike on still developing feet and was considering getting her the Saucony Endorphin Pro instead. It’s at least lighter than a trainer and offers some benefit like a spike.
Any thoughts that are not cost related?
mine started wearing spikes at 14. He just completed junior year in HS. Had some ball of foot issues during junior year I suspect was related. We got orthotics for him and haven’t seen since.
I would say spikes for 14-15 yo for 1600 and below. Trainers above 1600. And keep a close eye on feet and calves
The NCAA 10,000 meter men’s race on Friday was won by someone wearing Nike Next % 2. Food for thought. I looked at the footage, and he looked like the only one not wearing spikes.
Thanks, all, for the insights! Very helpful.
Isn’t Nike making and selling super spikes, combining the best of both worlds? From everything I have heard, the new distance spikes are so well cushioned they do not beat up the legs like they use to.
yes they have spikes with zoom X foam in them. The Zoom X Dragonfly.
Spikeless cros country flats:
Saucony Havoc XC3.
Saucony Kilkenny XC9.
Of course there are many others. And these are great… for off-pavement races. How beneficial? At single digit ages, dubious.
I’m still a fan of fairly minimal shoes, but understand the need/wish for more cushioning. My current trainers are the Altra Superior (though admittedly, with my current disc herniation status, I’m not doing any running). I try to keep my young daughter (8) in low-drop and very flexible shoes.
The kid runs competitively and is surrounded by pre-teens using spikes for races 800M - 3000M. We have her racing in her trainers (Saucony Ride).
I hate the idea of putting a track spike on still developing feet and was considering getting her the Saucony Endorphin Pro instead. It’s at least lighter than a trainer and offers some benefit like a spike.
Any thoughts that are not cost related?
mine started wearing spikes at 14. He just completed junior year in HS. Had some ball of foot issues during junior year I suspect was related. We got orthotics for him and haven’t seen since.
I would say spikes for 14-15 yo for 1600 and below. Trainers above 1600. And keep a close eye on feet and calves
I similarly agree with @JFHJR about giving/buying spikes pre-teen. Think Tyler has this just right. Spikes for the track from 14 (not before).
To which I’d add that any pre-teens running beyond 800m risk not being there (either no longer participating or not competitive) a few years later. If long term participation is the expectation, then why race longer than 800m? If it’s competition, then why run more than 800m? The children who win the 800m would or could win a 1500/mile, if they wanted to. Spikes pre-teen just introduce risk.
The pre-teen (under 13) who races long risks never developing the top end speed needed to win later in their running endeavours. They need to include lots of (under 13) 200s, 400s (including on grass) so that when push comes to shove and the spikes are on (14+) they can outsprint the opposition, on the track or XC.
My son was a 1:52 high school 800 runner and always ran in vaporflys.
He runs at a D3 school now and uses the vaporflys or alphaflys much his coaches chagrin.
Spikes have always messed his feet up, he has had issues with plantars in the past.
The kid runs competitively and is surrounded by pre-teens using spikes for races 800M - 3000M. We have her racing in her trainers (Saucony Ride).
I hate the idea of putting a track spike on still developing feet and was considering getting her the Saucony Endorphin Pro instead. It’s at least lighter than a trainer and offers some benefit like a spike.
Any thoughts that are not cost related?
The only time I have raced in track spikes was at my run-off race in the 80m hurdles to get into the finals at the USATF State meet when I was 8 years old. The spikes belonged to my coaches son who wore them in the finals placing 2nd ahead of my 6th place finish that id did in my trainers. I was not any faster in the 80m hurdles in spikes than I was in my trainers, but they were fun to run in.
When I was in high school I raced on the track in my cross country spikes. A lot of the distance runners on our track team did the same thing as I did. I only remember one or two that had track spikes for distance events (800m-3200m).
If I were racing on the track now, I would use a super shoe for 800-3000m races. They are the only shoe that has made me run faster over the past 35 years.
In the quest for the sub 2-hour marathon, much of the research & development was moving towards a minimalist shoe that would reduce weight. Those are NOT the shoes that proved successful. The heavier shoes with the high stack height and bouncy foam are what made the break through. I think of a track spike as a minimalist type shoe. I might use them for something like the long jump where I don’t have to be faster but need to have a well planted foot to push off of and light weight might be more important than the rebounding foam of my super shoe (or it might not?).
I don’t think a spike is the best option for distance events on the track. Even my coach’s son who had spikes for the 80m hurdles didn’t wear them in 800-3000m runs on the track. When we did the 1500m event for the USATF pentathlon he used trainers because the spikes were too light for the longer races. Comfort was more important than weight at those distances.
I was so impressed with the Alphaflys that I got 4-months ago that I told my family members they could get some fancy shoes too so that they could enjoy running as much as I do. I found my 10-year-old a pair of Zoom Tempos for $30. They were marked as used but they still smelled of fresh foam and didn’t have any wear on the soles at all. I had to pay $100 for my 12-year-old to get the Zoom Fly 4’s but she she is enjoying them. They both did a 5K in them that was put on by their school district and got to race dozens of kids in their AG. That was the only competitive race they did. Hopefully they will get to do another race before they grow out of their shoes.