Racing flat

Racing flats, or simply flats, are lightweight athletic shoes designed for "long distance" track and field, cross country, and most often, road races. They differ from normal training shoes mainly by the lack of a substantial heel (hence the name). They are also a great deal less durable and typically last half to a quarter of the distance of a normal training shoe (125–250 miles or 200-400 kilometers).

They are mostly sold as "for use up to 10k", but are used by some runners at any distance, including ultra marathons.

Construction

Racing flats have only small or no heel lift and little padding or support. They allow a prepared athlete to use their natural foot strength, elasticity, and proprioception to run quickly (Lieberman et al.).

Because of the lack of support and cushioning, racing flats are typically not recommended as a daily training shoe for the uninitiated because of their lack of lower leg/foot strength. But as an athlete progresses with their training they will be able to make full use of them.

Before the invention of the Nike shoes in the 1970s everybody used flats because that was the only shoe available for road running.^{[citation needed]}

Studies have suggested that some running injuries can occur as a result of the significant arch support and cushioning found in "traditional" running shoes. As a result, a growing number of runners train and race exclusively in racing flats, other minimalist shoes, or barefoot. This is known as minimalism.

Manufacturers

Popular examples of racing flats include the Saucony Type A3, Saucony Fastwitch, Nike Zoom Streak, Nike Zoom Marathoner, Nike Lunaracer, Nike Mayfly, Adidas Adizero PR, Adizero RC, Asics DS racer, Asics Piranha, Mizuno Wave Universe, and numerous others.