Cross country runnerists………kids shoes??

Junior (aged 7) has been selected for his school cross country team.
I have been informed that he now needs studs or spikes (having qualified wearing trainers)
I know nothing about running, but suspect spikes will be better in the mud?
Any advice/experience?

Not sure about spikes, but Salomon do their Speecross range in kids sizes, and they grip very well in mud. Might be a good place to start.

For proper mud, I think something with knobbly rubber would be better than spikes. And less risk of injury.
eg look at something like Invo8 Mudclaws, not sure if they have a kids version.

Or Walsh PB Junior? http://www.normanwalshuk.com/products/Fell-and-Trail/Pb-Junior-48.html

Walsh PB there is no better.

Adidas Kanadia here, son on second pair. Cheapish but do a good job.

I’d question the need for a 7yo to have spikes/xc shoes for a school race, given that he’s likely to only race a few times before growing out of them. Unless he’s also running for a club and will be using them every week. The race should be no more than 600m anyway.

If you want to get him anything I’d get him some running shoes with fairly aggressive soles that he can just use as normal trainers after xc season. Maybe even Astro turf style trainers would do the trick if he’s likely to use them a bit more.

I’m a primary school teacher and have run a fair few xc races in my time as a kid and an adult (I’ve been wearing NB RX Terrains for years). I wouldn’t be comfortable asking any of the kids I teach (or their parents) to go out and buy XC shoes.

Watching with interest – my 7 year old girl recently qualified for County CX being raced at Dalby Forest and no mention of shoe recommendation yet (race
Day in March)

Edit – my girl’s race is 1200m

Spikes at 7? Is that for real?
I did cross country in my early-mid teens and was in a very successful school team. I think of a squad of 10 (more if you count the less serious ones) only 2 used spikes.

The race probably shouldn’t be 1200m…

http://www.esaa.net/v2/handbook/keystage2.php

Don’t know what it’s like in primary, but Mrs Dubs secondary school loans out spikes for county squad members.

Does sound a bit much for a 7 year old though, more likely to end up with spike sized holes in their shins than run any faster!

Is this the school insisting he needs them or has juniors head been turned by other kids on the team?
I only ask as we get this a lot with new things – ‘I really want to try xyz’, ‘but I really need abc to do it’.
We usually say ‘why don’t you try it for a bit before spending money on the kit’ but it falls on deaf ears.
We have plenty of underused stuff sitting on shelves in the garage as it is now out of favour for the next fad and will probably be too small anyway.

Oh and from experience, spikes are the only thing that works in proper xc mud.

I don’t have kids.

But use SpeedX3’s from Sal. The tread is excellent for squidgy trails, wears well if this is the sole use, take them on hard pack or tarmac and they’ll wear quickly. Also the heal cup is firm, the heal pad quite padded.

At £90 thereabouts they’re an expensive choice for a child, but if you have the money and you think they’re worth it then Sals are worth trying on at least.

Second for Adidas Kanadia. They are reasonably priced and can still be used as normal trainers for the rest of the year. To recomend spikes at that age is a joke as they will outgrow them before they get used in Anger.
I came 11th of 75 district sports CC in plimpsoles.

Thanks all, theres a Walsh stockist near us so will head there. School letter emphasises trainers are NOT suitable.

That’s mental.

Local athletics club runs a junior section, kids as young as 5. Proper CC and fell running,some great runners developing as they get older. None of them wear spikes. Once you reach size four, ladies More mile cheviots, my son has some for the fells, thirty five quid.

Conversely my club has a very strong junior section, and they all wear spikes for cross-country and track.

Trail shoes are lousy in traditional cross-country races, there is a reason why everyone wears spikes. Spikes are narrow, light, and cut through the mud, so the pin bites properly into the ground underneath. Trail shoes tend to float on thick mud, clog up, and turn into a big heavy mess. They’re designed for a very different thing.

Fell running is an oddity, with shoes like Walshs, but that’s because they work well in the peculiar conditions of fell running.

A pair of basic spikes will be under £20 for children, the pins can obviously be re-used in later shoes as they get older. Local clubs like mine run swaps where kids donate their old shoes to the club, and borrow another set. It’s also possible to use XC spikes on the track as well to get more use from them.

The race probably shouldn’t be 1200m…

That link isn’t very clear about what is recommended for what ages (because of awful type styling/headings) but it does say Distances between 800 metres and 1500 metres should be approached more in the spirit of cross country running.

Depends on the course. If its muddy and hilly then nothing grips like 12-15mm spikes.
Fell shoes are fine on undulating cross country but wont grip as well on mud.

Edit: What Bensales said

School letter emphasises trainers are NOT suitable.

Bear in mind they have to cater for the lowest common denominator, they may have put that in to stop the kid who turns up in a pair of slick skate shoes.

Has he got any football boots? I remember doing a lot of my early XC runs in football boots as they gripped the mud well and, well, I already had a pair so it saved a couple of quid.

I remember doing a lot of my early XC runs in football boots as they gripped the mud well and, well, I already had a pair so it saved a couple of quid.

Awesome 🙂

I once travelled to Gateshead to do an XC race and forgot my spikes. It was about -3 and the ground was quite smooth (not rutted) but frozen solid. I could barely stand up in my running shoes so I ran barefoot. Ran ok as well 4th but I was sore for a few days after!

well as an expereniced parent in jnr xc/fell running.. id expect the course for a 7 year old to be about 800 – 1000 metres max. as for footwear.. well trainers will be the most popular shoe.. spikes might be worn by the top half dozen but no more ( decathlon is your best and cheapest spot here) walsh are a great choice as a jnt pair will cover so many disciplines xc/fell ect and last about a year. footy boots used to be de rigueur but as most kids play on 3/4g they are not as popular as they were .. apair of walsh would be my best tip if you and the boy fanct doing more.. take wellies to walk the course.. tie them new shoes on TIGHT.. remember.. grass is grippy mud is slippy.. plenty of warm dry clothes for the way home and ENJOY.. and most of all ENJOY.