Wearing successor models of the Vaporfly, Eliud Kipchoge and Bridget Kosgei broke the marathon world records and Kipchoge ran the first sub-2-h marathon. This was later confirmed for 12 men and 12 women at 14, 16, and 18 km/h and 14, 15, and 16 km/h, respectively. The shoe was found to improve running economy compared to top marathon racing shoes by 4% on average in 18 men running 5-min trials at 14, 16, and 18 km/h. In 2017, the Nike Vaporfly 4% sparked debate introducing the now familiar combination of lightweight, compliant, and resilient midsole foam and a stiff plate. The current super spike discussions closely mirror the recent discussions around marathon racing shoes. The short answer to these questions is that we do not know, and it might be difficult to ever find out however, in this article we discuss what we currently know about the super spikes, and current limitations to testing them. In turn, this raises the question to what extent these improvements are related to the athletes’ footwear, and by how much these super spikes improve performance. This combination has been speculated to be the reason for the recent increases in track running performance. For the purpose of this perspective, we adopt the popular terminology “super spikes” to refer to modern spikes that combine lightweight, compliant, resilient foams (and air pods) with a stiff (nylon/PEBA/carbon-fiber), often curved, plate (see Fig. Adding this new, more substantial layer of foam allows for an embedded stiff plate, and in some cases, an increased rocker geometry. In recent years, ultra-lightweight, compliant, and resilient foams have emerged, providing cushion without sacrificing weight or dissipating a lot of energy. 1), which employed 68 micro spikes, as opposed to the conventional four or six pins, were banned. Interestingly, this is not the first time that spike technology has been a topic of debate. They used a relatively simple design: a lightweight, snug upper and a plastic spike plate with little to no midsole sandwiched in between. In the past, spikes (i.e., track shoes with spikes on the bottom) served the primary purpose of providing grip while being as light as possible. This new generation of track spikes have become known as “super spikes.” However, perhaps the most glaring change on the track is the evolution of spikes that athletes are wearing on their feet.

Notably, there are several potential explanations for these improved race times, such as pace-light technology, new track surface technology, and long durations of uninterrupted training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, outstanding performances have been set in middle-distance events by US high school and college athletes. Quantifying the exact benefits from super spikes is difficult and we may need to rely on comparison of track performances pre- and post- the introduction of super spikes.īetween the summers of 20, new world records have been set in various middle-distance and long-distance events, including the 1500 m indoor track event, and 5000 and 10,000 m outdoor track events for both men and women. Unlike marathon shoes, testing track spikes comes with a unique challenge of quantifying the metabolic energy demands of middle-distance running events, which are partly anaerobic.

Further confounding our understanding of super spikes is the difficulty of testing them. 10,000 m) and the characteristics of the athlete wearing them. Importantly, the effects of super spikes will vary based on several factors including the event (e.g., 100 m vs. Based on current literature, we speculate about what advantages these features provide.

To date, the specific contributions of new innovations in footwear, including lightweight, resilient, and compliant midsole foam, altered geometry, and increased longitudinal bending stiffness, to track running performance are unknown. This has led many to question what role “super spikes” play in improving running performance.

The recent and rapid developments in track spike innovation have been followed by a wave of record-breaking times and top performances.

Track spike lengths