By: Ellie Moore

As the sport of running is growing, the technology of the shoes is getting better and better. What was top of the line 10 years ago aren’t even sold anymore.

The first running shoe invented was in 1865, and the first running spikes weren’t invented until 25 years later in 1890.

Some of the best shoes to train in are the Brooks Ghost 15, Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39, Asics Gel-Kayano 29, Mizuno Wave Rider 26, or Saucony Triumph 20.

The shoes can get expensive, and they only last for 200-500 miles, which is about 3 months, so a lot of people buy the less expensive shoes that aren’t as good. The Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 are only $92 but they are said to lead to a ton of injuries.

To race well, you need spikes. Nowadays, if you tried to run a race without spikes you wouldn’t be able to place well. Spikes are lightweight shoes that have spikes on the bottom to help you push into the ground.

Some of the best cross country spikes are the Nike Zoom Rival XC 5, Nike Zoom Rival Waffle 5, or the Nike ZoomX Dragonflies. These are all the most light and supportive shoes to race in.

Many distance runners use the same spikes for track as cross country, but if you do sprints or distance, you probably want a pair of sprint spikes.

The best sprint spikes are more supportive and have more spikes than distance spikes. The top of the line sprint spikes at the moment are the Nike Zoom Maxfly Spike, New Balance FuelCell PWR-X Spikes, and Saucony Spitfire 5 Spikes (which are great for beginners).

The best shoes for recovery are any kind of Hokas. They have a soft base and help you have less impact on the ground. If you’re going for an easy recovery run, the Hokas are the way to go.

The better shoe you have will determine how well you race and how well your workouts will go. It is worth the extra money to make sure you don’t get injured and have great workouts and races.