Track Spikes - History

History

Track spikes had become popular in England by the 1860s, but the concept of spikes in shoes to give running traction has been around much longer. As written in the 1852 publication of Calmet's Dictionary of the Holy Bible regarding military arms at the time of Paul the Apostle (c. 5 - c. 67):

"Having the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" not iron, not steel; but patient investigation, calm inquiry; assiduous, laborious, lasting; if not, rather, with firm footing in the gospel of peace. Whether the apostle here means stout, well-tanned leather, leather well prepared, by his "preparation of the gospel of peace" or shoes which had spikes in them, which, running into the ground, gave a steadfastness to the soldier who wore them, may come under remark hereafter. We shall only "add, that Moses seems, at least according to our rendering, to have some allusion to shoes, either plated, or spiked, on the sole, when he says, (Deut. xxxiii. 25.) "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days shall thy strength be."

In 1934, American football player and coach Pop Warner recommended them for running events in his widely distributed book, "Pop" Warner's book for boys.

In 2012, a field research study was conducted by personal trainer and running expert, Ray Mellam. Dr. Mellam's study argued that track spikes can slow a runner down when participating in certain events, particularly the 400m hurdles. This discovery has yet to be peer reviewed.