Thanks to new fabrics, today’s cross-country spikes are lighter and more flexible than ever, and better fitting—while still giving you the best performance for your next off-road race. The seven new models we reviewed here each delivered a unique ride and had different shape and performance on varying terrain. Our recommendation is for you to Can get warm Good cushioning for long races Metal pins dont grip deep grass.
How We Tested
Every pair of spikes on this list has been evaluated and vetted by our team of test editors. We researched the market, spoke with product managers and designers, and used our own experience wearing these spikes on the cross country course at nearby Lehigh University—host to the annual Paul Short Invitational and this year’s USATF National Club Cross Country Championships. Our team of experienced testers evaluated them on performance, price, comfort, grip, and intended use to come up with this list of the best models to help you notch a PR this fall.
Running Credit: New Balance
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Weight: 4.5 oz (men’s size 9)
Price: $100
Pros
- ISOFit upper delivers snug hold
- Extremely lightweight
Cons
- Credit: New Balance
- DAA Industry Opt Out
Brooks’s only cross-country spike marries a fantastic woven upper to a thin and flexible sole, for a top-performing race day option. We found the fit to be nearly perfect—especially when we wore them to run fast without socks. The upper wraps over the eye row and down the inside, attaching into the midsole to create a super-soft internal saddle that locks your foot in place without any irritation. The woven upper is snug and doesn’t stretch or shift at all on slanted ground, while the collar is comfortably flexible and the extra deep heel pocket offers a secure grip. We felt every bump in the grass through the exceptionally thin sole, but unlike other featherweight models, the Mach is exceptionally smooth when you turn on the speed.
New Balance XC5K V5
Quick Take: Light yet cushioned for 5,000 meters on dirt.
Weight: 5.0 oz (M), 4.3 oz (W)
Price: $110
Pros
- Cushioned for long races
- Excellent wrap-around upper
Cons
- Wide fit
- Expensive
As the name suggests, this spike is built for going fast over 5,000 meters—your standard high school cross-country distance. It has a sturdy see-through mesh in the front half of the shoe that turns into a burrito tongue over your midfoot—the lateral side wraps up over the top of your foot in place of a traditional tongue. We found the fit great, but wanted a little more padding in the heel collar. Underfoot, we liked the thin layer of cushioning on a well-groomed course—it’ll fly on races at golf courses—but felt the shoe was a little wide for cross-country courses that are more technical.
Credit: New Balance
Quick Take: A budget racer that offers a blend of comfort and performance
Weight: 6.1 oz (men’s size 9)
Price: $65
Pros
- Budget friendly for high school runners
- Can get warm
Cons
- Updated: Aug 07, 2019 6:57 PM EDT
- Fit is a little too roomy
Ideal for high-school freshmen because of its entry-level price, the Hyper XC 2 has a good amount of padding and arch support to help you get through your first season racing 5K. We like the feeling underfoot, which is decently padded to protect you on hard-packed courses. The upper is a little heavier and thicker than others, though it fits comfortably unless you have an especially narrow foot—one tester couldn’t get a solid lock no matter how tightly he pulled the laces. The spikes that came with our test pairs were, at 9mm, longer than the rest in this test.
Saucony Carrera XC4
Quick Take: Designed for competitive racers, it has six pins in the forefoot to help you go faster.
Weight: 5.4 oz (M), 4.3 oz (W)
Price: $110
Pros
- The Best Affordable Running Shoes
- Lightweight
Cons
- Altra Vanish XC
- Other Hearst Subscriptions
The Carrera has many of the top performance features you’ll find in other Saucony shoes, but designed to excel in a lightweight spike. It has an ISO fit upper, with free-floating eyelets so you can dial in the perfect fit with each lace, and a bootie construction ensures a snug but comfortable fit. The forefoot has a horseshoe-shaped patch of crystal rubber around the spike plate to help improve grip in a variety of conditions. We found the shoe delivers on straight courses that go up and down hills, but testers found it slipped a little in the upper on slanted ground and hairpin turns.
Altra Golden Spike
Quick Take: RW+ Membership Benefits.
Weight: 5.8 oz (men’s 9)
Price: $90
Pros
- Lightweight ripstop upper
- Durable sole
Cons
- CA Notice at Collection
- Metal pins don't grip deep grass
Built for longer racing, the Golden Spike has a thin layer of foam running the full length of the shoe. Beneath that is a considerable amount of rubber. It all adds to the weight of the spike, but that balance is appreciated when you’re racing over hard-packed dirt. That’s where this shoe excels, because the pins are recessed a bit into the foam and aren’t really long enough to grip deep grass or loose dirt. That’s an easy fix, however, by swapping with longer pins. We found the ripstop upper to be a lot like the woven version found on the Running Credit: New Balance, above, though it’s nearly see-through and highly breathable. The fit is a bit of a miss for some because of the roomy forefoot. Testers felt they slipped a little more than they’d expected, especially when rounding turns on the side of hills. We all liked the sueded tongue, which is comfortable against your foot—it even went unnoticed when it bunched up as we hurried to lace up for a run.
Hoka One One EVO XC Spike
Quick Take: The 10 Best Running Shoes for Flat Feet.
Weight: 5.7 oz (M), 4.8 oz (W)
Price: $110
Pros
- Durable upper
- Multi-conditions grip
Cons
- Some runners find the sole too thick
- Can get warm
EVO is Hoka’s designation for its racing line, and typically means the shoe gets a burly, all-conditions upper and grip for sloppy ground. This XC spike fits the bill. It has one of the thickest soles in this roundup, with a surprisingly cushy layer running from heel to toe. The forefoot leverages a mix of rubber rectangles and four protruding pins that scratch into loose grass as well as mud and gravel. Where the shoe shines is the lockdown fit from the upper. The midfoot is slim and the shoe opens up just wide enough across the ball of the foot for a comfortable fit without being too roomy. On a hot day when we tested these, we loved the thickly padded tongue. It kept the pressure of the laces from becoming bothersome, while more than two dozen holes in the top vented plenty of heat to keep us cool.
Altra Vanish XC
Quick Take: More shoe than spike, it’s geared for going fast.
Weight: 5.5 oz (M), 4.4 oz (W)
Price: $110
Pros
- Lightweight breathable upper
- Good cushioning for long races
Cons
- No metal spikes
- Forefoot feels too wide for some runners
This radical-looking shoe is tailored for the kinds of courses you’ll find near Altra’s original headquarters in Utah—hardpan dirt and rock-solid ground. It doesn’t have metal spikes, but instead the shoe uses X-shaped rubber nubs to paw at the dirt. When we tested on softer surfaces on the East coast, we wished for a spiked option, though we found the spikeless setup great for those courses that cut across roads and parking lots. We also appreciated the little bit of cushioning that runs the length of the shoe and loved the fishnet-like upper on the hot summer days we tested. If your course includes any kind of wetness, you’ll like that this shoe won’t hold any water. Like all Altra shoes, it has a roomier forefoot that other spikes, so it may feel too loose for some runners.
Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner’s World and the director of product testing. He has tested and reviewed running shoes, GPS watches, headphones, apparel, and more for nearly two decades. He regularly tests more than 100 pairs of shoes each year, and once had a 257-day streak running in different models. Jeff can usually be found on the roads, racing anything from the mile to a marathon, but he also enjoys racing up mountains and on snowshoes. When he’s not running, you’ll probably find him hanging from a ladder making repairs and renovations to his house (he’s also director of product testing for Popular Mechanics).
