Race day is here. You’ve trained hard and want to run your very best race with no excuses. But in order to do that, you will need a good pair of racing shoes. For cross country, that means shoes with metal or rubber spikes. It’s a fact that almost all serious cross country runners race in spikes. So does that mean you should, too?
Cross Country Spikes
Cross country spikes are your best option if most of your races are held on soft grass or dirt surfaces. The simple reason for this is traction. Metal spikes provides the greatest amount of traction on grass, loose dirt, or mud compared to any other type of running shoe. Spikes also can provide better toe spring than spikeless racing flats because you are almost forced to run on your toes, which makes you run that much faster.
Some good metal cross country spikes on the market right now are:
- Asics Dirt Dog or Asics Dirt Diva
- Brooks Mach 12
- Saucony Shay XC2
Track Spikes
Most runners can wear track spikes safely for cross country running, even though the two types of shoes differ a bit in construction. The main difference is in the amount of cushioning. Cross country spikes will have a bit more cushioning in the forefoot and rearfoot as compared to track spikes.
It goes without saying that if you intend to wear your track spikes in cross country, they need to be distance spikes and not sprinting, jumping, or hurdling spikes. And be sure to try them on before running a race, to be certain that they still fit.
Are Spikes Right For You?
Does everyone who runs cross country need to race in spikes? Not necessarily. For some runners, spikes are not safe to wear, so in that case, a pair of cross country racing flats will still work nicely. But you shouldn’t wear cross trainers, soccer shoes, or tennis shoes on the cross country course! Not only will wearing the wrong shoes slow you down, it will also put you at risk of injury.
Check out the interactive comparison chart at Cross Country Running Shoes 101 for an up-to-date review of all the latest models of men’s and women’s cross country running shoes. And remember to run proud and race your best this season – spikes or no spikes!