How to choose athletics spikes: sprint, distance, jumps and throws

Athletics spikes are not one shoe with interchangeable pins bolted in for different sports. A sprint spike, a distance spike, a jumps spike and a javelin spike are built around completely different movements, and wearing the wrong one will not just feel odd, it can actually hold you back.

Sprint spikes

Built for 60m to 400m, sprint spikes have a stiff plate and very little cushioning, designed to put you on your toes and transfer power directly into the track rather than absorb it. They are the most aggressive and least forgiving spike on this list, which is exactly the point for a race that lasts seconds, not minutes.

Middle and long-distance spikes

800m and 1500m spikes sit between sprint and long-distance designs, with a bit more flexibility and cushioning than a sprint spike but still a fairly stiff plate. Spikes for 3000m upwards go further still, closer to a lightweight racing flat with a few pins added, since you need your foot to flex naturally over a much longer race.

Long jump and triple jump spikes

Long jump spikes are close cousins of sprint spikes: a snug, narrow fit and a stiff plate to convert your run-up speed into height and distance at take-off. Triple jump spikes work differently, since you land on your foot three separate times in three different ways, so they add support and cushioning through the whole sole rather than just under the ball of the foot.

Javelin, and why throws are different

Javelin is the one throwing event that uses spikes, because it involves a sprinting run-up rather than a rotation or glide. Javelin spikes add extra support around the ankle to cope with the sideways block at the point of release, and tend to allow longer pins than running spikes. Shot put and discus, by contrast, use flat rotational or glide shoes with no spikes at all, since a pin would catch in the circle rather than help you turn.

Pin length, and checking before you buy

As a beginner, shorter pins are almost always the safer starting point while your technique is still developing, rather than the longest, most aggressive option in a range. Just as importantly, the maximum pin length allowed varies by track and surface, and some indoor or older all-weather tracks restrict pins to as little as 6mm. Each track's listing here notes its surface type, so it is worth checking your local track's details before buying a pair with pins too long to actually use there.