Are track shoes (cleats) authorized for APFT?

2018-05-19T14:40:52-04:00

So... when it comes to the APFT you either get lucky with a 1-mile route and then just turn around and run back. But when you're not so lucky you have to run those 8 awful laps on a track that just mess with your head and always seem to ruin your normal run time. Wouldn't it be nice to kind of just even the playing field a little bit? I know that professional track and field athletes have special shoes/cleats that they wear for the particular purpose of running on a track and I'm wondering if there's any regulation out there that I haven't seen/read/heard about that says, "Don't wear cleats because we said so."

Are soldiers authorized to wear track shoes/cleats if only just for an APFT on a track?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2018 3:04 PM

2018-05-19T15:04:49-04:00

Track athletes wear spikes for sprints, I am not aware of any 3200m specialist wearing them. They wear racing flats which are completely IAW AR 670-1 and FM 7.22.2

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made May 19 at 2018 3:07 PM

2018-05-19T15:07:44-04:00

FM 21-20 Chapter 14 (Required Equipment)

"Soldiers should wear clothing that is appropriate for PT such as shorts, T-shirts, socks, and running shoes (not tennis shoes). They should not wear basketball shoes or other types of court shoes. BDUs may be worn but may be a hindrance on some events.

Anything that gives a soldier an unfair advantage is not permitted during the APFT. Wearing devices such as weight belts or elastic bandages may or may not provide an advantage. However, for standardization, such additional equipment is not authorized unless prescribed by medical personnel. The only exception is gloves. They may be worn in cold weather when approved by the local commander."

I believe that "unfair advantage" would be the Subjective verbiage needed for a leader to disallow cleats, however Running Shoes is vague enough to disallow them within its own merits ("Were you issued cleats?" or "Could you run on any APFT course with these?")

I understand where you are coming from regarding the question. It's actually a reasonable question considering that is equipment tailored for the environment you are working in, however unless you are the only one running the APFT it does change "fairness" which allows a measure of "because we said so."

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2018 3:28 PM

2018-05-19T15:28:36-04:00

DA PAM 670-1, 10-6
“b. Commanders may authorize wear of commercial running shoes withcalf-length o rankle-length, plain white or black socks (no logos). If worn, ankle-length socks must cover the entire ankle bone and calf-length socks will end at the middle point between the ankle and the knee. Shoes must accommodate all five toes in one compartment. Those shoes that feature five separate, individual compartments for the toes detract from a professional military image and are prohibited for wear with the IPFU or when conducting physical training in a military formation.”

Basically, commercial bought running shoes, but none of those weird toey shoes. Now, I’m sure your commander can put up a stink if he doesn’t like track shoes. And if you fight him, you might win. (I honestly don’t know, I never had that situation.)

But ask yourself, “is the juice worth the squeeze?” Is a potential fight with your commander (and the dumpster fire that he can turn your life into down the road) worth the extra 15-20 seconds you might gain by wearing track cleats? Personally, I’d say no. 2 miles is 2 miles. Close your eyes and run. But that’s just me.

Just my opinion..

Response by SSG Brian G. made May 19 at 2018 5:03 PM

2018-05-19T17:03:26-04:00

Track shoes just allow for better grip and traction. They do not provide an edge to a service member in any way other than allowing that they are able to run with complete confidence and traction on nearly all terrains excepting ice.

When in doubt ask command and seek the counsel of your training NCO in charge of administering the APFT. I cannot think of a reason why they would be disallowed, having worn them myself once or twice given the nature of the terrain we were running on.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2018 7:42 PM

2018-05-19T19:42:29-04:00

I would totally wear them. I doubt anybody would say anything to you if you even wanted to wear boots, haha. They'd probably be like, "Well, ok, dude if that's what you're going with."

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2018 9:07 PM

2018-05-19T21:07:20-04:00

So, at my duty location, cleats of any type are not allowed on any surface except for grass that is owned by the MWR (the gym and the fields including the track).
So, to answer your question, at ft. Meade, it would not be allowed.
The second thing is the unfair advantage, which is clearly a judgement call.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2018 1:01 AM

2018-05-20T01:01:55-04:00

First of all, Spiked shoes are typically used for short distances..often not more then 1K sprints. They rely on a different running style then medium and long distance running. While 2 miles might be the lower end of "medium distance" walking, it still is not the same category as a sprint. Another thing of note is that spiked running shoes are minimalist. They are designed to be light weight and offer less structure and sole padding. If you have not trained with using that kind of shoe for running, and attempt to run 2 miles, you may very well find yourself in discomfort and slower times as a result.

I get the mind-screw that happens with the 8-laps of 1/4 mile track. Because it is easy to standardize, they are often used at NCO Academies. What I did was divide my target time by 8 and used the digital clock to help keep my pace. It actually helped to improve my score knowing that I did the first lap in 1:50, then second in 3:50, even when I fell under 2 minutes a lap I knew I was ahead of my target of 16. (I'm old so 16 is pretty fast). Another thing you can do with tracks is to sprint the long stretches and slow down a bit (if required) on the curves. This prepares your mind as you circumnavigate the track. Your establish an internal dialog.."ok I am going to start sprinting soon", followed by "ok, you did good, now take it easy before your next sprint". Try it

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2018 3:34 AM

2018-05-20T03:34:14-04:00

SSG Private RallyPoint Member, I personally like running on the track. There isn't a turn around point where you have to slow down and you can keep track of your split times and know exactly where you are on the run. I think everyone has provided the regs here, so I won't go there. I wore long distance spikes in high school and college. They help, but only if you are already running at a pace that is...extreme. If you're not sub-11:00, I wouldn't concern myself with it. There are different kinds of spikes for distance and sprinting. If you go to a specialty store to buy them, you will see the difference. Sprinting spikes have no heel to them and distance spikes do. That being said, all the spikes on the distance shoes are still from the ball of the foot forward, which means that you should be running on the balls of your feet for 2 miles. Again, this gets into the precision running and sub-11:00 2-mile discussion. If you can't run on the balls of your feet for two miles, they aren't going to help all that much. They might actually do the opposite. The concept is that if you run on the balls of your feet and toes that you are propelling yourself forward with each stride. If you are "heel-to-toe" running like most untrained folks do, then when your spikes hit the track, they will bite and slow the roll of the foot...doing the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Spikes are for those that need to shave fractions of a second from their times.

Response by SGT Kevin Spradlin made May 20 at 2018 10:23 AM

2018-05-20T10:23:31-04:00

The PT uniform is covered by AR 670-1, specifically Chapter 12, Section 2, paragraph "f." Beyond that, the PT uniform is guided by DA Pam 670-1 (Chapter 10). Of course, you probably already know this.
However, I can't find much that specifies a particular type of "footwear." The regulation seems to be very vague in that regard. I would encourage you to reach out to your unit's training NCO in advance - but from what I see, common sense should apply and the wearing of spikes on the track for the running portion of the test shouldn't be a problem.
Good luck.

Response by SGT Nathan G. made May 21 at 2018 8:38 AM

2018-05-21T08:38:43-04:00

I do not know, but I imagine they aren’t since it gives you a bit of an advantage because of the traction. I see many answers saying spikes are only used for sprints. But as a track athlete, I can say that is untrue. I had a pair of Mid-Distance spikes that I also used for my cross country season. I also ran the 2 mile, 1 mile, and the 4 X 800 relay as third leg in track. All with a pair of spikes. Now, some points I see are true. You should train in them before running a race or a split in them and afterwards you can’t walk around in them or your feet are going to be super sore.
Running is 99 percent mentality and 1 percent physicality. It is a mental sport. A tip I can give you as a track athlete is that if the 8 laps are killing you, think of something to motivate you or even think of a song to pump you up.
However, I digress. Spikes, to my understanding, would not be allowed for an APFT. You’re going to have to just use running shoes, SSG Private RallyPoint Member.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 21 at 2018 9:03 AM

2018-05-21T09:03:52-04:00

Middle distance or long distance track spikes are definitely a thing. I don't think your average 15:00-16:00 2-miler will see any improvement with these, however. It could very well be detrimental to the average runner, unless you have experience running in them.

Someone running like, 9:30 or better might see an improvement of a few seconds.

Response by MAJ Michael Rieker made May 21 at 2018 4:20 PM

2018-05-21T16:20:58-04:00

This question reminds me of people I see at competitive shooting events who come out with a $2,000 handgun and another $1,000 in gear, just to qualify as a D-class shooter. Fringe gear like racing cletes are for people who need to shave off 1-2 seconds to beat their competition. If your performance is such that a couple seconds is going to make or break passing your run, then your issue is not in your shoes. I’m not meaning to sound critical, but that gear is for eking out the very top bit of performance; not just for any running on a track. Now, if your endeavor is to get the record time for the 2-mile in your unit, then maybe it would seem more logical.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made May 21 at 2018 11:43 PM

2018-05-21T23:43:58-04:00

Response by CSM Danny S. made Feb 11 at 2020 12:39 PM

2020-02-11T12:39:26-05:00

In reality we have very few true track stars in the Army. You may only see a fraction of a second cut off your time by the additional traction you would get. Most soldiers would see no benefit from wearing them and spikes have very little padding on the bottom that may contribute to more injuries. The AR 670-1 says commercial running shoes, so that is up to interpretation. So it is up to your leadership, the commander authorizes additions to be worn with the uniform. However I would not allow the wear of spikes for an APFT.