I read that they would not allow spikes but cleats are allowed.
Is this true?
You can have studs, but not spikes. So metal studs on our cleats are okay, but only if they are blunt, not sharp. In other words orienteering studs are alright, but not track spikes.
Exactly! No track spikes allowed, but O shoes with studs are OK.
What about the VJ shoes with orienteering spikes (the ones which they are not building anymore but the Finns use a lot)?
No, you can't use those either. Only ordinary o-shoes. But I don't know if they have different rules for the world-cup.
I think the idea is that, with the mini-spikes-in-cleats instead of real spikes, if you step on somebody's hand, they shouldn't need stitches... With the number of bodies in the forest at O-Ringen, that's bound to happen a few times. I've even stepped on my own hand once... (it was a real steep hill I was climbing...)
I've put my foot in my mouth a few times, but never on my hand...