Tempo tips: Spikes Versus Trainers

Tempo Tips
Morgan Kamau


Spikes vs. Trainers:
Understand What to Wear & When During Early Track Season

The start of track season brings back one of every athlete's favorite piece of gear: spikes. They make high school runners feel fast, powerful and signal the official start of track season. But they're also one of the biggest reasons athletes end up with shin pain, Achilles irritation, or calf strains in February and March.

Understanding when to wear trainers versus spikes can be the difference between a healthy season and one spent managing nagging injuries.

Why Spikes Feel So Different

Spikes change the way force moves through your body.

Compared to trainers, spikes are:

  • Stiffer

  • Lower to the ground

  • More aggressive through the forefoot

  • Less cushioned

  • Designed for maximal traction and speed

That design helps performance but it also increases stress on the:

  • Achilles tendon

  • Calves

  • Shins

  • Bones of the foot

If those tissues haven't adapted yet, pain shows up quickly and can cause more harm than good for high school track athletes.

The Biggest Early-Season Mistake

Many athletes go from winter training in cushioned shoes straight to doing their entire practice (warm up, workout and drills) in spikes. That jump is too big. Your body needs a progression, just like mileage or speed.

What to Wear And When

Trainers: Your Daily Driver

Use for:

  • Warm-ups and cooldowns

  • Easy runs

  • Most drills

  • Strength work

  • The majority of practice time

Trainers absorb impact and protect your legs while you build general fitness. Even elite athletes spend most of their training in regular shoes.

Rule of thumb:If it's not a specific speed rep or meet, you probably don't need spikes.

Spikes: Performance Tools, Not Everyday Shoes

Use spikes for:

  • Race-specific workouts

  • Short accelerations

  • Meets

  • Limited technical sessions for sprinters/jumpers

Early in the season, spikes should be used in small doses, not entire practices.

How to Introduce Spikes Safely

Week 1-2

  • Spikes only for a few strides or short reps

  • Keep total spike time under 10-15 minutes

  • Warm up and cool down in trainers

Week 3-4

  • Add spikes to parts of workouts

  • Still avoid full sessions in spikes

  • Monitor calves and Achilles closely

After Week 4

  • Gradually increase use based on how your body feels

  • Meets + key reps in spikes, everything else in trainers/flats

Warning Signs You're Using Spikes Too Much

Pay attention to:

  • New Achilles stiffness

  • Shin tenderness

  • Calf tightness that lingers

  • Foot soreness near the toes

  • Pain worse the day after spikes

These are signals to back off immediately, not push through. Ignoring these early signs will most likely lead you to a full-blown injury right at the peak of track season. 

Event-Specific Tips

Distance Runners

  • Do tempos and longer reps in trainers/flats

  • Save spikes for strides and faster intervals

  • Never do easy mileage in spikes

Sprinters

  • Use spikes for acceleration work only after a full warm-up

  • Keep technical days in trainers early on

  • Rotate between flats and spikes

Jumpers

  • Approach work can start in flats

  • Progress to spikes gradually

  • Avoid repeated max jumps in spikes early in the season

About the Author

Dr. Morgan Kamau, PT, CSCS, is a running specialized physical therapist and strength coach at Tempo Physical Therapy & Performance, where she helps runners prevent injury, optimize performance and return to training stronger than before. Tempo PT offers running gait analysis, performance training and injury prevention programs for athletes in all stages of their running journey.