A cleat sharpener, more accurately called a spike sharpener, is a tool used to resharpen the metal spikes or studs on the bottom of athletic shoes, such as track shoes or cleats. This helps restore the grip and traction of the spikes when they start to get dull from use. The tool is typically a small file, often round or tapered, designed specifically for sharpening the spikes without shortening them significantly
. It is important to note that some discussions suggest "cleat sharpener" as a term is not widely recognized or may be confused with other tools like spike wrenches (used to replace spikes rather than sharpen them). However, the concept of sharpening spikes to maintain shoe performance does exist and is practiced by athletes
. In summary, a cleat sharpener (or spike sharpener) is a specialized file used to sharpen the studs on sports shoes to improve traction and performance.
