<p>In hypersonic vehicle design, mitigating aerodynamic heating while reducing drag presents a conflicting challenge. Although they reduce drag for longer flights and economical flights, sharp, slender forebody shapes are prone to excessive aerodynamic heating. On the other hand, blunt forebody shapes are better at controlling aero heating but cause more drag. A bow shock wave ahead of the forebody is one unique feature of the aerodynamics of vehicles working in hypersonic environments. When it is well controlled, the adverse effects of drag on these vehicles can be reduced. Several attempts have been made to change the airflow in front of the vehicle’s nose to reduce drag. The reliable solution among these is the use of spikes. A spike, which is only a thin rod attached to the vehicle’s nose stagnation point, replaces the harsh bow shock with a softer shock and creates a zone of recirculation forward of the front section, which reduces drag and aero heating, but there are situations where their effectiveness can be limited to certain conditions and present additional stability challenges. Over the years, much research has been done on the use of forebody shock control. Although some techniques have been effectively incorporated into practical systems, others present notable obstacles. This article provides a review of mechanical spikes devices with the goals of explaining flow physics and summarizing the most recent findings. It also looks at current systems that use these devices, pinpoints knowledge gaps, and explores the practical implementation challenges and design constraints.</p>