Many of you purchasing track spikes with your hard earned money, will be wondering what you can do to how make your track spikes last longer.
So I’m going to talk today about the different techniques you can apply to make sure your athletics spikes last the maximum amount of time before you have to ditch them and upgrade to a new pair.
Before using your spikes
Before you even use your spikes there are things you can do to help the longevity.
Vaseline the spikes
I’ve been doing athletics for around 20 years now and have been doing this since my first pair of spikes. This tip was passed onto me from my dad who had also spent many years as an athlete.
Dipping the threaded part of the spikes into the vaseline before screwing them into the shoe, this will act as a lubricant when you come to remove the spikes, which could be after 1 – 2 years. You’ll most likely be removing the spikes because they have become blunt, which in turn means there is less purchase for the spike key.
This technique if applied at the start, will make your life a lot easier in the future. As there is nothing worse than trying to remove rusted, blunt spikes.
I’ve known people who have had to throw away the entire shoe due to the spikes becoming blunt, damaged and with corrosion having no change of removing the spikes. But by adding the Vaseline at the start they most probably could have changed the spikes and giving the shoes a chance to fight on another day.
Making them waterproof
Another option I found is by making the material of the Spikes waterproof. This is pretty much a must if you’re living in the UK as more often than most other places you will be landing in wet conditions. I’ve always used the Crep Water Proof Protector,
Because it protects thing shoot With an invisible barrier against water and stains and keep your spikes looking as good as new for as long as possible. I tend to apply to coats as that normally gives me the best results.
Keep them smelling fresh
Another option is keeping your spikes smelling fresh and fighting against the bacterial and fungal build up. I always use lemon sole. We all know running raises your temperature and that obviously includes your feet, the byproduct of warm sweaty feet is usually bad smells. A few sprays of lemon sole Will help combat this and keep the spikes smelling fresh till the end.
During use of your spikes
Now I’m going to quickly talk about various ways you can extend the life of your tracks bikes with a few simple methods you can apply while using and travelling with them.
Travelling
A lot of track Spikes these days come with a bag which you can travel with. I see a lot of people usually throw this out. But I find it More than useful because it is the best way of travelling with your spikes. As it allows you to just place them in a backpack without the worry of the spikes catching me up a part of the shoe causing damage.
Believe me, there is nothing more annoying than taking the spikes out of your bag to find them with a scratch or a hole. Which was caused by simply carrying them in a bag.
So by placing the spikes in the travel bag with the spikes facing away from each other this Any unfortunate catches or scratches which make occur during travel
2nd Pair
For the last few years once I’ve found a pair of track spikes I’ve liked. I’ve gone off and purchased a second pair as this allows me to use one set for purely training purposes. And the other set for competitions.
The reason why I do this is because after some time the spike plate can become what I call “flat”. What I mean by this is naturally over time the shoe will slowly lose its support around the foot. This can stop you feeling bouncy and ready to go once you put the spikes on for a race.
By having a 2nd pair of spikes which you purely racing you always get that new fresh feeling right before you’re about to use the spikes when they matter the most.
Obviously, this isn’t an ideal scenario if you’re trying to stick to a budget as it requires you to go off and purchase another pair of spikes.
After Use
There are a few things you can do after each time you’ve used your track spikes to help with the longevity.
Taking them out the bag
When you to get back from a competition or training the likelihood of your track spikes being in a bag is very high. Obviously, you won’t be travelling with just your shoes. So it’s important that you don’t have weight compressing the shoes for days at a time while there sat in your bag.
If you have weight pressing down on your spikes in a weird direction, there is a very good chance that could reshape the spike plate which could be detrimental to the comfort and support of your foot.