That said, scientific evidence on the spikes’ effect isn’t entirely clear. High school, collegiate, national, and world records have all fallen since the advent of the new spikes, suggesting that they enhance performance, like their road-shoe counterparts. Taking cues from road-running super shoes like the Nike Vaporfly 4%, brands have created spike models with highly cushioned midsoles, combining new lightweight, energy-returning foams with embedded, curved plates that act in a novel way to stabilize and optimize the foam’s response. So although they sink in underfoot, you can still push off powerfully. These new foams are not only lighter, they also rebound more effectively than ever before. New foams have allowed designers to put more cushioning into track spikes without adding excessive weight. In the past four years, however, big changes have happened around cushioning, Heath says. Stiff forefoot plates, incorporated into outsoles, served to generate more power by extending runners’ push-off. The resulting thinly padded soles “beat up your body at the cost of performance,” Heath says. Until recently, designers focused on making spikes increasingly minimal while retaining their ability to grip the track and secure the foot. When designing a spike, Elliott Heath, footwear product manager for Nike Running, says that he and his team are always seeking the perfect balance between four main inputs: weight, cushioning, stiffness, and containment, or how well the shoe holds the foot.

Here’s what you need to know about the latest technology, along with our top picks from this spring’s track-spike options. Designers have created a new breed of super spikes that are more comfortable and may enhance performance and reduce recovery times. If you want to compete at your best in track and field, spikes are essential-and today’s are better than ever. Whether you’re getting ready for a race or a hard workout, the process of spiking up stirs a familiar excitement and anxiety for what’s to come: your body instinctively knows it’s time to perform.

Track spike