Request is pretty straight forward. The only thing I would add is that ideally, I'd like the shoe to work for both xc AND track, but since not all xc courses are 100% on grass, I'm a little concerned about that. It would be a little bit of a bummer if she had to run a race in her big everyday trainers.
Snatch some zoom rivals at Ross or another discount store
Ideally you’d grab some racing flats but I don’t think they make them anymore :(
If you get the ugly colorway Dragonfly XC spikes, you can get 40% off in some sizes. At least you could when I looked a few weeks ago.
You are right, though. My daughter has raced a few times when there were large sections crossing parking lots. Usually, these were low key meets and the kids just wore their trainers.
One word of warning: whatever shoes you buy, they are gonna be pretty beat up after XC season. She may be able to run indoor track in them, but start saving for some new ones around Christmas time.
Thank you very much for the reply. Will these compare OK to the "super shoes" - I think they are called vaporflys?
Thank you, too!
You don't want her to wear Vaporflys on a cross country course because they have no traction and a thick sole, so there's potential to roll an ankle on uneven ground. They are designed for road racing, but some people like them on the track as well. So it would be a decent road/track combo shoe.
For a cross country/track combo, look for a lightweight cross country shoe with removable spikes. Not all cross country courses are spike-friendly, but they are an advantage if it's muddy or soft ground. Plus she can wear the spikes on the track.
It can be hard to find deals on cross country spikes right now because it's right before the season, but I often see them discounted at stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, RunningWarehouse.com, etc. Even full retail price, there are decent ones for less than trainers cost.
Okay, just looked. Rival XC spikes are currently $65 and 20% off with coupon code READY on the Nike site. Could be cheaper elsewhere.
They also have a waffle racer if she knows there will be a lot of hard surfaces.
Wow, thank you both so much! My daughter will appreciate it, too. Unfortunately, this isn't a video where I now give you $1,000 for helping a hopeless cause. But, I hope something good comes your way today. :)
Secondhand new or gently used on ebay is generally a good idea. You can usually get the last few years' high end spikes for at least half off. Even the top of the line Nike Dragonfly can be had at a sizable discount these days, though it's often cheaper to buy a pair of Mamba 5 or Victory 2/3. Just make sure you know the size or get fitted in a store for spikes.
DaddyofXC wrote:
Okay, just looked. Rival XC spikes are currently $65 and 20% off with coupon code READY on the Nike site. Could be cheaper elsewhere.
They also have a waffle racer if she knows there will be a lot of hard surfaces.
Does anyone know if these shoes run small? Do you need to buy 1 or 2 sizes up from your regular trainer?
Don't buy supershoe flats for XC, the stack is too high and they are slick when the ground is wet. The Nike super spikes aren't built to handle xc long term. Your best bet is to find a plastic plate non super shoe for your kid to race in if you're trying to use it for both sports.