Racing flats or simply flats, are lightweight athletic shoes designed for long distance track and field,
cross countryCross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
, and most often,
road racesRoad running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events normally range from 5 km to long distance, such as half marathons and marathons, and may involve large numbers of runners or wheelchair entrants...
. They differ from normal training shoes mainly by the lack of a substantial heel (hence the name). They are also a great deal less durable and typically last half to a quarter of the distance of a normal training shoe (125-250 miles or 200-400 kilometers). The removal of the heel in racing flats has 4 principal effects: weight reduction, better foot to ground power transfer, providing less support and giving less cushioning.
Racing flats or simply flats, are lightweight athletic shoes designed for long distance track and field,
cross countryCross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
, and most often,
road racesRoad running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events normally range from 5 km to long distance, such as half marathons and marathons, and may involve large numbers of runners or wheelchair entrants...
. They differ from normal training shoes mainly by the lack of a substantial heel (hence the name). They are also a great deal less durable and typically last half to a quarter of the distance of a normal training shoe (125-250 miles or 200-400 kilometers). The removal of the heel in racing flats has 4 principal effects: weight reduction, better foot to ground power transfer, providing less support and giving less cushioning. These features allow a runner to race more efficiently.
Racing flats differ from
spikesTrack spikes are shoes used at most track and field events. They are lightweight shoes with spikes screwed into their bottom, or spike plate, in order to maximize traction when running, throwing or jumping.- Design :...
in several ways. First, there are no holes for metal pins in the shoes. Second, flats do not have a particularly aggressive tread (shoes that have very aggressive treads but no holes for pins are sometimes called 'racers'). Third, flats are designed for only long distance races (although they can be used for short races to no ill effect), whereas spikes are designed for short middle or long distance depending on the shoe. Popular examples of racing flats include the
SauconySaucony is an American manufacturer of athletic shoes, best-known today for its award-winning premium running shoes.-History:The company's first factory was founded in 1898 at Kutztown, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Saucony Creek. In 1910, Russian immigrant Abraham Hyde started a shoe company...
Type A3, Saucony Fastwitch,
NikeNike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Zoom Streak, Nike Zoom Marathoner, Nike Lunaracer, Nike Mayfly,
AdidasAdidas AG is a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-adidas golf company, and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports...
Adizero PR, Adizero RC,
AsicsASICS is a Japanese athletic equipment company. Asics produces professional footwear and sports equipment designed for football, running, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, martial arts, cricket, golf, wrestling, track & field, cross-training, volleyball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and for many...
DS racer, Asics Piranha, and numerous others.
Because of the lack of support and cushioning, racing flats are typically not recommended as a daily training shoe. However, studies have suggested that some running injuries can occur as a result of the significant arch support and cushioning found in "traditional" running shoes. This is mainly because of the use of correctional shoes for people who don't need them. As a result, a small number of runners train and race exclusively in racing flats. This is known as minimalism.