When it comes to Olympic track and field races, the sight of athletes immediately removing their shoes after crossing the finish line is a common one. But have you ever wondered why the world’s top athletes are so eager to kick off their footwear?
It all boils down to comfort. The shoes that Olympic runners use for competition are designed with speed, not comfort, in mind. Reports across the internet suggest that these shoes can be quite unfriendly to the feet inside.
One Reddit user summed it up perfectly, saying, “They’re supposed to be uncomfortable. They say when you finish a race, the first thing you do is loosen your spikes and then throw your hands in celebration.”
What are track spikes?
Track spikes are a type of shoe specifically designed to dig into the surface of a sprinting track, providing extra grip to propel the runner forward. They resemble a mix between soccer cleats and tennis shoes, with pointed tips and small metal pins on the bottom that can grip the track’s surface.
These needle-like pins allow athletes to push off with more force by digging into the track’s synthetic rubber surface.
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