7 Best Nike Track Spikes in 2026
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With many track spikes available, you decided to go with Nike. In this guide, we will cover which technologies make them special, and we will discuss lab data and the design that makes them stiff, explosive, and more or less comfortable.
Whether you’re after a sprint spike, a long-distance spike, or a superspike, we have the best models highlighted for faster navigation. This selection was done after thorough testing in the shoe lab and on the track, so you know that it’s actually the cream of the crop.
How we test Nike track spikes
Nike track spikes are tested in our lab just like any other spikes. All the tests we perform are standardized. We follow the official protocols for some tests (like SATRA TM144 for measuring the dynamic coefficient of friction, or ASTM F1976-13 for testing the energy return and shock absorption) or we follow our protocols that were set in place after extensive testing. This means that every spike is treated the same, using the same force, same number of rotations per minute, same durometers and calipers, same smoke machines, etc. You can read more about how we test shoes on the Methodology page.
Our reviews are not based on lab tests only; they are also backed by our field testing. This allows us to examine the spikes from all possible angles and to deliver objective reviews. We also buy all the spikes with our own money and base our choices on which shoes to buy on yet another protocol.
Best Nike track spikes overall
What makes it the best?
The Dragonfly 2 feels fast, airy, and highly energetic, giving us the power to sustain efforts for distances of 1500m and beyond. Lab tests show it features a thick slab of responsive ZoomX midsole, which also serves comfort underfoot. Its Pebax plate and grippy base let us go full throttle, hesitation-free, making it our top Nike track spike.
The ZoomX midsole feels pleasantly bouncy underfoot, together with the stiff Pebax plate that keeps our forward momentum strong. We measured an above-average stack height of 19.9/19.7 mm, which explains why this spike can handle high-mileage workouts.
We found the shoe exceptionally light, with our scales confirming it’s only 5.1 oz (145g). Compared to the average track spike, it’s 8.2% lighter.
Underfoot, the Dragonfly 2 has four removable pins, allowing us to tailor traction to track conditions. We felt its strong slip-resistance, especially on fast corners.
However, its price tag is steep at $160. Beginners or runners on a budget may want to check more accessible spikes.
Pros
- Ideal for long-distance track events
- Breathable upper
- Full-length Pebax plate
- Enhanced stability
- New 4-pin outsole design
- Superb fit with notched laces
- Highly responsive midsole
- Can handle 800m races too
Cons
- Upper lacks durability
- Small weight gain
- Price increase
Best Nike super spike
What makes it the best?
Maximum cushioning, responsiveness, and ventilation in a minimal package is what the Nike Victory 2 brought to our track sessions. Diving deeper into the lab, we found that it includes premium features such as the ZoomX foam, AirPods, and FlyPlate for speed, and the breathable Atomknit for comfort. It dominates the Nike track spike category as the best super spike.
The Victory 2 feels well-cushioned, making it ideal for middle to long-distance track events. Our caliper shows an above-average stack of 19.9/19.3 mm, made of the plush and bouncy ZoomX foam.
It features Dual AirPods in the forefoot, which create more propulsive strides. Moreover, we found a full-length, spoon-shaped FlyPlate in the midsole, which enhances explosiveness.
What helps us pick up the speed is its ultra-airy construction. Our scales show it’s only 4.9 oz (135g), making it 14.6% lighter than average. Additionally, the Atomknit upper enhances its refreshing aura, offering free-flowing ventilation and earning the top 5/5 breathability score in the lab.
With its expensive $190 price tag, it would be best to save this spike on race days to prolong its life.
Pros
- Exhilarating ride
- Breathable, snug-fitting upper
- Propulsive Air Zoom units
- Versatile for mid-to-long distances
- Lightweight
- Improved 4-pin outsole
- Built for smashing PBs
Cons
- Price
- Not the best for beginners
- Upper needs more durability
Best Nike track spikes for sprints
What makes it the best?
The Nike Zoom Superfly Elite 2’s zero drop geometry offers a strong track feel, allowing us to be agile and generate raw speed. It’s exceptionally light and grippy underfoot, as demonstrated in the lab, making it ideal for distances of 60-400 meters. Among Nike track spikes, it’s the best for sprints.
The Zoom Superfly Elite 2 feels explosive, even without a midsole. The outsole doubles as a propulsion plate, measuring 12.3 mm thin, both in the heel and forefoot. The resulting heel drop is genuinely flat, delivering direct ground connection, which engages our lower-leg muscles.
This speedster is ultra-light, weighing only 5.5 oz (156g) on our scales. It basically disappears on foot, but comes alive when unwavering traction is needed. The outsole features a honeycomb pattern, with 8 removable stainless steel pins for customizable grip.
However, its very aggressive ride isn’t for everyone. As its name suggests, this track spike is ideal for elite athletes.
Pros
- Snug, performance-oriented fit
- Premium design and materials
- Ideal for 60-400m sprints
- Suitable for hurdles
- Designed for raw speed
- Notched, Alphafly-like laces
- Lightweight build
- Enhances foot strength
Cons
- Demands superior technique
- Not cushioned
- Narrow platform
Best value Nike track spikes
What makes it the best?
The Nike Ja Fly 4 offers excellent track feedback in its low-profile and light package. Lab results show it’s not too harsh on the feet since it isn’t too stiff, making it beginner-friendly. Plus, with its non-intimidating price point of $120, it’s our best value Nike track spike.
Ja Fly 4 literally helped us fly through the track with its airy build, verified by our scales at 5.1 oz (145g), 8.2% below average. We attribute its lightness to its grounded stack, with precise measurements of 11.2 mm both in the heel and forefoot.
The resulting heel drop is genuinely flat, which intensifies ground connection and allows us to generate raw speed with our muscles.
Because the platform is so thin, it’s not too stiff and feels more natural on foot. In our bend test, it only emerged 17.4% stiffer than average for some propulsion. While in our twist test, it easily surrendered, earning the lowest 1/5 torsional rigidity score.
However, with its lack of cushioning, Ja Fly 4 is only ideal for 60-200m distances.
Pros
- Lightweight design
- Removable pins
- Cost-effective choice
- Comfortable tongue
- Enhances foot strength
- Ideal for 60-200m sprints
- Notched laces
- Above-average durability
Cons
- Limited breathability
- No midsole
- Extremely narrow upper
Best Nike track spikes for beginners
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Explosive ride
- Improved heel stability
- Enhanced midfoot design
- Dual Air Zoom units
- Premium materials
- Excels at anything below 800m
- Ready for hurdles too
- Stiff carbon plate
Cons
- Still not durable
- Heavier than previous version
- Steep price tag
Best versatile Nike track spikes
What makes it the best?
Pros
- Ideal for beginners
- Lightweight
- Amazing lockdown
- Breathable upper
- Premium, Alphafly-like laces
- Flexible midsole promotes feet strength
- Bold design
- Grips well to the track
- Removable pins
Cons
- Low-energy EVA foam
- Lacks heel stability
- Price is too close to the Dragonfly 2
- Upper materials can be rough
Best budget Nike track spikes
What makes it the best?
We found the Nike Rival Sprint to be highly forgiving, both in the wallet and on our feet. Lab results show it offers more comfort and support than other spikes, without stiffening the ride. It only costs $75, which is 39.0% cheaper than the average, making it our best budget Nike track spike.
We measured the Rival Sprint’s midsole to assess why it doesn’t feel so aggressive on foot. Lab tests reveal that while its 13.3/10.0 mm cushion remains minimal, it’s 3.3 mm drop adds more calf and tendon support.
In the forefoot, we found a Pebax plate that assists springy toe-offs, but not at the expense of natural feel. Testing for the midsole in our bend test, it even emerged 59.1% more pliable than average!
Wrapping up the whole experience is the well-ventilated and plush upper, which truly kept our feet refreshed. It’s so soft that it feels good even when worn sockless.
However, all the support brought its weight down to 6.1 oz (174g). Track athletes who prioritize agility and speed should go for lighter shoes.
Pros
- Pebax plate enhances toe-off
- Highly breathable
- Premium notched laces
- Affordable price point
- Roomy toecap area
- Suitable for hurdles
- Provides good stability
- Slightly cushioned
- Impressive durability
Cons
- Noticeable weight
- Possibly too flexible
Every March, we see a spike in track spike popularity, so we hope this guide prepares you for the season ahead and helps you find the best track spike for you!
What makes Nike track spikes different?
Nike has its own technologies that make the track spikes stand out:
- Air Zoom units are found in Nike footwear in different categories, such as sneakers, running shoes, HIIT shoes, and track spikes. These units add explosiveness to the ride, which is exactly what’s needed in track spikes.
- ZoomX foam: this foam has gone through some serious changes that we covered in great detail in our guide on foams, section ZoomX. What stands today is that Nike adjusts the ZoomX to the shoe, so it’s not identical across different models. But, we know it’s soft, bouncy, and resilient!
- Great combination of resilient foams and carbon-fiber plates, making some of the track spikes super spikes.
Nike super spikes
For a track spike to be classified as a super spike, it needs to feature: a premium foam, which has a sky-high energy return, and a carbon-fiber plate. Some of Nike's super spike models are: Dragonfly 2, Dragonfly 2 Elite, Victory 2, Maxfly, and Maxfly 2.
The Nike ZoomX Dragonfly received the most attention when a study (Bertschy et al., 2025) showed that it enabled a 1.6% speed increase on 200m sprints compared to a traditional track spike. This study also compares other models to traditional spikes and we highly recommend reading it.
Another study (Geisler, Hannigan, 2024) compared the super spike models Nike ZoomX Dragonfly and Nike Air Zoom Victory to a traditional spike Nike Zoom Matumbo and recorded significantly lower peak ankle dorsiflexion in the Dragonfly. Also, the Dragonfly allowed for a lower whole foot, forefoot and rearfoot peak and average pressure. This may have laid the groundwork for future studies, like the one from 2025, which also used the Dragonfly.
If you’re interested in how the records have changed historically, before and after the introduction of super spikes, we recommend reading a study (Needles, Grabowski, 2024) that analyzed this and concluded that super spikes bring more to the table when used on longer distance events.
Cushioning in Nike track spikes
When we look at the midsole in Nike track spikes, we can see the variation in height, and we can sense the variation in softness. So, let’s cover both.
The highest heel stack allowed is 20 mm. This applies to elite, professional events, like the Olympics. If you’re racing at your college or high school, there’s no such limit.
However, just because there’s more midsole below your feet, it does not mean that the spikes are softer. There’s no such correlation here.
Platform stiffness in Nike track spikes
Stiffness varies. Usually, the plate that holds the spikes is very stiff, but it also depends. Some spikes feature a Pebax or a carbon-fiber plate, and all of that influences the overall stiffness.
Fortunately for you, Nike has both flexible and stiff plates! You can find what works best for you. Keep in mind that super spikes often feature a carbon-fiber plate and that they are stiffer than the budget-friendly or beginner models.
How lightweight are Nike track spikes?
If you’re a competitive athlete or somewhat close to that, you most likely already know that the lighter the shoes, the better. Scientific research has even put a number on this claim, with runners being 1.2% slower on 200 meters when running in spikes that are 200g heavier (Bertschy et al., 2025).
Knowing that the lighter is better, one may want to find the lightest track spikes out there. Other, less competitive runners, may be willing to sacrifice some grams for extra comfort. It’s on you.
Toebox volume in Nike track spikes
Although spikes are used for short distances and many can endure a few hot spots for short bursts of effort. But, that’s not the idea; worse circulation, dark toenails, or toenails bleeding the neighboring toes should not be the option.
In the lab, we use a special formula to create a gel mold of the track spike’s interiors. We fill the shoe, freeze it, and once all set, we have a mold we can use for accurate measurements.
We don’t stop there. We cut the gel mold in half lengthwise and measure the height of the toebox. This is a very important data point for athletes with high-volume toes or big toes pointing up.
Knowing these values, you can find Nike track spikes that offer the most room exactly where you need it.
Spike plate and pins
Most of the Nike track spikes have removable pins, so you can easily customize them or replace them.
For example, Dragonfly 2 Elite does not have removable pins, which makes the plate lighter, more durable, and more stable. These spikes are aimed at elite athletes.
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