Best Cushioning Track Spikes
The shoes for sale rated highest for cushioning by real, experienced, and knowledgeable reviewers.
All track spikes
6 shoes
Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.
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#1 Nike
Dragonfly 288 Good Cushioning · 3 reviews · Confidence 85/100
Spikes · Neutral
Reviewers rate comfort highly and call it a standout distance spike.
Overall 88 Comfort 96Overall88Appearance99Value96Comfort96Durability91Cushioning88Confidence85Pros
Reviewers rate comfort highly and call it a standout distance spike.
Comes from a Dragonfly spike line that has rated consistently well.
Cons
One of three reviewers so far calls it pricey, and at $170 it lists above most spikes.
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#2 Nike
Dragonfly 2 Elite86 Good Cushioning · 6 reviews · Confidence 73/100
Spikes · Neutral
Durability is the highest-rated dimension across six reviewers, at 4.7 out of 5.
Overall 86 Comfort 89Overall86Appearance98Durability96Value93Comfort89Cushioning86Confidence73Pros
Durability is the highest-rated dimension across six reviewers, at 4.7 out of 5.
One of six reviewers calls it the best shoe they have run in.
Every one of the six Dragonfly versions reviewed here scores 92 or better.
Cons
Value draws the lowest ratings of any dimension at 4.2 out of 5, and one reviewer calls the $200 spike expensive.
The two Elite versions score 92 and 94, the lowest in the Dragonfly line.
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#3 Nike
Maxfly 278 Decent Cushioning · 12 reviews · Confidence 88/100
Spikes · Neutral
Reviewers rate it 4.8 out of 5 overall across twelve reviews.
Overall 78 Comfort 69Overall78Appearance90Cushioning78Durability72Comfort69Value57Confidence88Pros
Reviewers rate it 4.8 out of 5 overall across twelve reviews.
One reviewer says it clearly improves speed.
Cons
Value is its lowest-rated dimension at 3.4 out of 5, against a $190 list price, above the $130 median for spikes.
One reviewer wishes it fit larger feet better.
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#4 Nike
Zoom Superfly Elite 278 Decent Cushioning · 2 reviews · Confidence 84/100
Spikes · Neutral
Both reviewers so far rate it 5 out of 5 overall, for cushioning and for value.
Overall 78 Comfort 74Overall78Appearance95Value80Cushioning78Comfort74Durability69Confidence84Pros
Both reviewers so far rate it 5 out of 5 overall, for cushioning and for value.
One reviewer calls it the best shoe he has run in.
Cons
One of two reviewers so far says it wore away faster than he hoped.
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#5 Nike
Victory 274 Decent Cushioning · 2 reviews · Confidence 81/100
Spikes · Neutral
One reviewer holds personal bests from the 400 up to the 3200 in them and calls them a game changer.
Overall 74 Comfort 69Overall74Appearance89Cushioning74Comfort69Value67Durability60Confidence81Pros
One reviewer holds personal bests from the 400 up to the 3200 in them and calls them a game changer.
Cons
Durability draws the lowest ratings of any dimension in the two reviews so far, at 2.5 out of 5.
It lists at $200, well above the $130 median for spikes.
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#6 Nike
Zoom Rival Distance73 Decent Cushioning · 1 review · Confidence 76/100
Spikes · Neutral
The one reviewer so far calls them cheap, good track spikes for distance, and rates value 5 out of 5.
Overall 73 Comfort 69Overall73Appearance86Value75Cushioning73Comfort69Durability65Confidence76Pros
The one reviewer so far calls them cheap, good track spikes for distance, and rates value 5 out of 5.
It lists at $80, well below the $130 median for spikes.
Cons
The one reviewer so far finds the fit too small.
How this ranking works
Ratings come from our statistical models of runner reviews: the score is our best estimate of how a shoe is rated, and the bar behind it in an expanded row is the range we consider plausible given how many reviews it has. Shoes with few reviews rank more cautiously rather than shooting to the top on a handful of glowing write-ups. Prices are the live prices at the retailers we track, and everything ranked here is a shoe you can buy today.