Due to the intensity of sprinting and the fine margins required to win a race, getting the correct running shoe can be vitally important. The shoes need to be tight fitting yet flexible enough to allow you to run on your toes, there needs to be a lot of grip at the front and minimal cushioning at the heel.

For track running the best shoes you can get are spikes, but these aren’t always appropriate. Particularly if you do a lot of your training away from the track. If you are running on roads or on grass, or even some indoor tracks you are not going to be wearing your racing spikes, so this article is going to identify 7 excellent sprinting shoes that are without spikes.

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #1. Adidas Men’s Adizero Xc Sprint Running Shoe

The Adidas Adizero Xc Sprint running shoes are a great choice as the spikes come separate. You can of course add them if you want, but the shoes perform well without using them. The shoes come with a spike wrench so that you can easily attach/detach your spikes between uses.

The shoes are very lightweight and have a reinforced mesh upper. They were originally designed for cross-country runs but are ideal for sprinting. Comfortable, light, and responsive. They are also very reasonably priced. The shoes use Flexible Bounce midsole cushioning, but the cushioning is not overdone. It does not affect the weight much and they will not negatively affect your ability to sprint.

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #2. Asics Men’s Hyper LD 5 Track & Field Shoe

This is another shoe where the spikes can be removed, and it will still perform excellently on the track. Obviously, spikes improve grip. But if you cannot use spikes then you should still get an excellent sprinting performance out of the Asics Hyper 5 track shoes.

The front of the shoe is covered in rubber spikes that will help create traction and grip the surface. The shoe is very flexible and is amazingly lightweight. It uses a full length EVA midsole to achieve this. The colour scheme of this shoe is pretty bad, with a black and safety yellow combination. But you do not buy sprinting shoes for their aesthetics, you buy them for performance. And this shoe performs!

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #3. Under Armour SpeedForm Apollo 2

Under Armour are not known for their shoes, they are known for their clothing. So these shoes are quite interesting really. The soles are a great place to start, the rubber grips have been placed in the shape of a foot print, which makes sense when you think about it as you are supposed to be sprinting on the balls of your feet, so that’s where the most grip is required.The Upper part of the shoe is incredibly lightweight with the whole shoe weighing just (227g), and they are very breathable due to a perforated upper.

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #4. Brooks Hyperion

At just 181g the Brooks Hyperion are a very light pair of shoes, they are perfect for road running and are very durable. They may not be sprinting specific, but they will allow you to run fast and unhindered on most surfaces. They are slightly expensive compared to others on this list but the very flexible upper (which will allow you to sprint on the balls of your feet) is a great touch. These shoes would be best suited to a 400m sprint. The design is technically good, but aesthetically …. they are not the most pleasing on the eye.

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #5. Adidas Men’s Adizero Boston 7 Running Shoe

Unlike most of the shoes on this list, the Adidas Adizero Boston 7 running shoe is not specifically designed for sprinting. It does not have increased grip at the front, and there is no option for adding spikes to it.

However, this is an incredibly good, lightweight, and sturdy running shoe, that is comfortable, durable, and offers the flexibility that you need in a sprinting shoe. This is not the shoe that you want on race day, but none of the shoes on this list are going to outperform spiked shoes. But as a running shoe that you can wear while training? It is ideal.

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #6. Nike Free RN Motion FlyKnit

The Free RN Motion FlyKnit running shoes from Nike are not going to suit everyone’s tastes, they are extremely flexible (like you can roll them up because they are so flexible) and very light (just 210g). Putting them on feels like putting on a sock and the sole is very light and won’t provide too much support.

But if you believe that sprinting should be performed in footwear that is as close to running barefoot then these are the shoes for you. They will feel like running in air, and will allow more than enough flexibility for you to get right on to your toes when sprinting. They’ll be great for running on roads or on synthetic tracks, just don’t expect too much grip on wet surfaces.

Sprinting Shoes Without Spikes #7. Merrell Bare Access Arc 4

Merrell’s Bare Access Arc 4 is the lightest shoe that we have on this list, weighing just 162g. The shoes are also very flat with zero difference in height between the heel and the toe, making them excellent for sprinting. Despite this there is still enough cushioning to provide comfort over longer distances. They are designed to be worn for competition, so may not be a shoe you would train in day in, day out. The design is pretty nice, not exactly beautiful shoes but efficient and neat.

Bottom Line

The best overall sprinting shoe without spikes on this list is probably the Under Armour Speed Form Apollos. The Nike shoes are excellent, though not sprinting-specific.

Then there are the shoes with removable spikes that still work well without them. Out of those, the Adizero Xc Sprint running shoe is probably the best.

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