Everything About Replacement Spikes

When you purchase a new pair of spikes for sprints, middle/multi distance, long distance or throwing and jumping the shoes come with some spikes that are reasonable all rounders. Many of the spikes currently available from Nike, Asics and Saucony are compatible with replacement spikes so you can customise the shoes to your needs. Specialised replacement spikes are available for various applications on the track, field or cross country. Ensuring you have the best replacement spikes for the race is important for ensuring you run the best time in the spikes you have chosen.

Below we have detailed each of the available replacement spike types and what they are useful for. We recommend trying a few different sorts out as you may find that you prefer on type over another. You will also need to check what lengths are permissible by the venues the races you are competing at will allow. Usually 7mm is fine for athletics tracks with longer spikes being reserved for wet and muddy cross country races.

Pyramid Spikes

Pyramid replacement spikes are normally supplied with new spikes when you purchase them. Pyramid spikes come in ceramic and metal varieties with the ceramic versions being much lighter. The ceramic versions however don't have a sharp point and are designed to compress the track and offer a higher return of energy.

Tartan Spikes

Tartan replacement spikes are specifically made for use on rubber athletics track surfaces and do not perform well on other surfaces. These spikes pierce the surface of the track and offer great grip for sprinters and distance runners alike

Castle / Christmas Tree Spikes

Available in both metal and ceramic varieties these spikes are preferred by many sprinters as they offer great grip and energy return. The ceramic varieties are significantly lighter than the metal varieties.

Needle / Pin Spikes

Vary similar to Pyramid Spikes these replacement spikes are thinner and penetrate deeper into the surface of the track. These are likely to perform better for a lighter runner than heavier sprinters

Blanks

Blank replacements are great for cross country courses with asphalt or rocky portions as they allow the runner to wear the light weight spike shoes on courses that don't allow runners to utilise these shoes otherwise.