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 to toe drop.
Flats weigh less than regular running sneakers. In 2014 some racing flats weighed as little as 3 oz (85 g) as companies competed to generate the lightest racing flat.[1]