Cross Country and Off Road Shoes

When running off road one does not need the number of spikes found on track shoes but one does need a certain number of spikes to help protect from falling while running on wet surfaces or in uneven areas. There are usually no more than six to eight spikes on a cross country shoe and they are similar to those of distance spikes. But since there is a large number of different surface encountered on off road our cross country running, the sole must be very durable and supportive in the mid foot area to provide for more support than what is needed in track shoes.

The shoes that are used for off road running need to have great traction and grip in order for the runner to maintain their balance and not fall and get injured and they need to be much more durable than any of the other running shoes. Runners will use these shoes to fun in mud, dirt, through streams and they need to hold up against any element like rain or snow.

Most of the off road running shoes will have hard rubber soles that also run up the side of the shoe in order to protect against the uneven terrain that one always finds when running through wooden areas and fields. The uppers are usually made with a strong canvas that allows for breathing of the foot but not too much in case of encountering very wet situations while running.