Racing flats

Racing flats or simply flats, are lightweight athletic shoes designed for long distance track and field, cross country, and most often - road races. They differ from normal training shoes mainly by the lack of a substantial heel (hence the name). They are also a great deal less durable and typically last half to a quarter of the distance of a normal training shoe (125-250 miles or 200-400 kilometers). The removal of the heel in racing flats has 4 principal effects: weight reduction, better foot to ground power transfer, providing less support and giving less cushioning. These features allow a runner to race more efficiently.

Racing flats differ from spikes in several ways. First, there are no holes for metal pins in the shoes. Second, flats do not have a particularly aggressive tread (shoes that have very aggressive treads but no holes for pins are still considered spikes). Third, flats are designed for only long distance races (although they can be used for short races to no ill effect), where as spikes are designed for short middle or long distance depending on the shoe. Popular examples of racing flats include the Nike Zoom Streak, Nike Skylon, Nike Zoom Marathoner, Adidas Adizero PR, Adizero RC, and Saucony Kilkenny Flat (not to be confused with a similar shoe the Kilkenny spike) and numerous others.

Because of the lack of support and cushioning, racing flats are typically not recommended as a daily training shoe. However, studies have suggested that some running injuries can occur as a result of the significant arch support and cushioning found in "traditional" running shoes. This is mainly because of the use of correctional shoes for people who don't need them. As a result, a small number of runners train and race exclusively in racing flats. This is known as minimalism.

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