Best Shoes For Indoor Track

Shoes can make or break your indoor track experience. They need to be lightweight and flexible enough to accommodate your foot’s movements, but sturdy enough to protect it from impact and keep you stable as you move. The best shoes for indoor track will also be breathable, so that your feet don’t overheat while you’re running.

For these reasons, we’ve compiled a list of the best shoes for indoor track—and how they can help improve your time on the track.

Best Shoes For Indoor Track

7 Best Track & Field Shoes, 100+ Shoes Tested in 2022

A well-selected pair of track and field shoes can be a real performance booster or even help you set a new PB.

We have reviewed over 60 pairs of track shoes for running, jumping, and throwing to help you buy the best one. No matter if you are an advanced athlete looking for a premium shoe or a beginner on a tight budget, we’ve got some top picks for you.

How we test track & Field shoes

RunRepeat provides the user with recommendations for the best track and field shoes based on user ratings and expert reviews. These data are aggregated to form the Corescore, which is a numerical value (from 0 to 100) that indicates how well-liked a shoe is.

• We have 3,000+ user reviews for over 180 track and field shoes.
• Each track shoe product page has been done with around 7 hours of research on shoe details and reviews.

Best track & Field shoes overall

Nike ZoomX Dragonfly

Pros

• Perfect for 3k-10k
• Works for 400m-1600m as well
• Bouncy and fast
• Full-length spike plate
• Super breathable
• Perfect laces
• Wow looks
• Elite-level spike
• Worth the price

Cons

• Tongue bunches up
• Pricey

Verdict

It’s bouncy and fast – it’s everything most of the track running spikes we’ve tested aren’t. In other words, the Nike ZoomX Dragonfly is the best of its kind! It’s a track shoe that’s made to make you run like an elite in high-mileage efforts, and it does so at a hefty price. After putting it through the paces, it’s a premier choice for distances 3K to 10K!

Best cross Country shoes

Nike Spike-Flat

Pros

• Light and fast
• Cushioned
• Good support
• Very comfortable
• Amazing traction
• Breathable
• Great value for money

Cons

• Rough upper material

Verdict

This hybrid track shoe from Nike fuses the cushioned design of Nike Streak LT with an aggressive spike grip. The result is a race-ready flat that can go long distances with extra traction. It is lightweight, breathable, and gripping, making it a do-it-all shoe for both racing and training.

Best sprinting shoes

Nike Zoom Superfly Elite 2

Pros

• Comfortable
• Light
• Snappy & propulsive
• See-through breathable upper
• Sock-like fit
• Great heel lockdown
•  Head-turning sleek design
• Elite-level spike
• Perfect for 100-400m sprints
• Notched laces keep the shoe tied

Cons

• Pricey

Verdict

The Nike Zoom Superfly Elite 2 is a lightweight and powerful sprint spike. And we don’t think it can get more elite than this! It’s premium and so is its price, but it’s not really a drawback. If anything, it’s understandable with all the speed-enhancing qualities we got! It’s propulsive and snappy, bolting through the track was an easy feat!

Best Nike track & Field shoes

Nike Air Zoom Victory

Pros

• True to size
• Snug race-like fit
• Secure lockdown
• Lightweight
• Very springy feeling
• Unrivaled breathability
• Fairly cushioned
• Perfect for middle distance
• Elite level, insane quality

Cons

• Expensive
• Adjustment period might be needed
• Unstable on curves

Verdict

The Nike Air Zoom Victory is a mid-distance spike that banks on its marathon sibling – the Alphafly Next% (a.k.a Nike’s fastest shoe). And for us, not only did it run fast, but it’s also the best of its kind on the market! It’s insanely grippy, responsive, and comfortable. It’s expensive at 0, but it’s a premium price we’d gladly pay for a premium track shoe.

Best mid distance track & Field shoes

Adidas Adizero Ambition

Pros

• Snappy ride
• Lightweight
• Fits like a glove
• Enough ample cushion

Cons

• Poor durability

Verdict

The Adizero Ambition from Adidas is a mid-distance track shoe that’s great for setting/beating PBs in both training and races. Although it’s not the snappiest, most advanced running spike available, it’s still going to make you run fast. It shines in distances ranging from 800-1500 meters. But anything beyond that can hurt the feet.

Best value track & Field shoes

Nike Air Zoom MaxFly

Pros

• True to size
• Fairly light
• Very springy
• Quite comfortable
• Snug race-like ft
• Extremely well-engineered
• Premium design and feel
• Perfeect for 100-400m
• Works for hurdles as well
• Superb comfort+speed combo
• Breathable
• Notched laces stay tied

Cons

• Expensive
• Adaptation period might be needed
• Feels unstable on curves

Verdict

At 0, the Nike Air Zoom MaxFly is damn expensive! But it’s a price we’d gladly pay for the aggressive traction and spring we get from this sprint spike. We don’t often say this, but it’s the best of the best! And for something that screams fast, the MaxFly is surprisingly pleasing to the feet.

Most popular track & Field shoes

Pros

• Lightweight
• Grippy
• Snappy ride
• Rebounding
• Supportive fit
• Comfortable cushion
• Breathable

Cons

• Not for wide feet

Verdict

If you want to ace your next cross-country competition with utmost speed, there’s no better option than the Nike Zoom Rival 5. It’s loaded with so much grip, you’ll bolt through unfriendly terrains with sheer confidence. Even more, it can up your speed. With its highly responsive midsole, bolting through the race is an easy feat.

Comparison of the 7 best track & Field shoes

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Why use a track shoe

Here are some of the distinct components of a track and field shoe that make it more efficient for the sport than other types of athletic shoes:

• Lightweight and breathable: Track and field shoes are light and airy because of the thin mesh upper that usually accompanies them. usually have a rigid upper construction to provide a snug fit.
• Snug fit: Aside from a thin mesh, the upper of track shoes have a rigid structure to provide a snug fit and keep the foot in place.
• Minimal midsole: Unlike other cleat-type footwear such as those for football and soccer, track shoes usually have a midsole that is thin and minimal. It acts as both underfoot cushioning and impact absorber.
• Spike pins and spike plate: Some track shoes use spike pins. These are small pointed attachments on a plastic plate that aid in gripping the track surface. Spike pins vary in type, size (pin width), and number depending on the event it is used for.

Track shoes vs running shoes: 3 key differences

Although track-and-field as a sport includes running events, the shoes used for those are different than the typical running shoe. Each shoe has its particular design and purpose, which we can differentiate through the following:

• Weight: Track and field shoes are significantly lighter than running shoes. They use fewer materials and are relatively smaller in figure because they intend to boost the athlete’s momentum.
• Cushioning: Track spikes for running events are thin and minimal. On the other hand, running shoes are plush and substantial as their focus is on underfoot cushioning and arch support.
• Overall appearance: The most noticeable difference between track shoes and running shoes is the use of spikes. Track shoes for running use spike pins to make the forefoot higher and promote better traction.

Track and field shoe categories

The various events within the track-and-field sport are distinctive from one another and, as such, require the use of different shoes. Here are the types of track spikes and the notable qualities of each one:

Running events

Running
Sprints	Mid-distance	Long-distance
lightweightlittle-to-no cushioningaround 7-8 spike pins	little-to-moderate amount of cushioningmore tapered forefoot compared to sprint spikesaround 6 spike pins	most flexible of all running track shoesaround 4-6 spike pins (to keep the shoe lightweight)

Jumping spikes

Jumping
Long-jump / Triple-jump	High-jump	Pole vault
has an extra layer of cushioning for protectionusually flat in the heel area for more stability and power during the jump	uses a sturdy upper material for durability during varied movementshas a midfoot strap to keep the foot in place during run-up and take-offemploys spikes in the heel for increased support and traction	underfoot structure is the most rigid among all jumping track shoesheel area is more padded compared to other jumping shoes

Throwing events

Throwing
Javelin / Shot put / Discus throw / Hammer throw
Throwing shoes are versatile and can be used in any of the sports included in the throwing eventsThese shoes do not use spike pins as throwing events include circular and pivoting motions that do not require the additional gripSlightly bulky, to keep the athlete firm on their position without unnecessary movementsHas a smooth (but not slippery) outsole to allow for a fluid spinning motion