Volleyball shoes: what to look for when buying

Volleyball shoes all look sporty in the shop, but they differ in exactly the things you notice on court: grip when you stop, cushioning when you land and support on a lateral step. This article helps you choose, fit and replace them in time, without recommending a brand or a shop.

What makes a shoe a volleyball shoe?

The FIVB rules are brief on shoes: they must be light and pliable, with rubber or composite soles and without heels (rule 4.3). Behind that are four properties you can check in the shop.

• Grip. A sole of soft rubber with a fine tread, often a herringbone or circular pattern, holds a wooden or synthetic gym floor when you stop and push off. Also check that the sole is non-marking: many sports halls only allow shoes that leave no black streaks.
• Cushioning under the forefoot. After a jump you usually land on the forefoot first. A volleyball shoe has the most cushioning there, a running shoe under the heel instead.
• Side support. Block footwork and defence are lateral movements. A firm upper, a heel counter that holds the heel in place and a sole that sits low to the floor keep your foot on top of the sole instead of next to it.
• Light and pliable. The sole has to be able to bend under the ball of the foot, otherwise you work against your shoe on every take-off.

Volleyball shoe, indoor court shoe or running shoe?

You do not have to buy a shoe with volleyball written on it. What matters is what the shoe is made for.

For a child who is just starting, any clean indoor shoe with good grip is enough; that is also in what your child needs for a first volleyball practice. Real volleyball shoes become worth it once there is a lot of jumping and a player trains several times a week.

High or low: does a high-top shoe protect your ankle?

Volleyball shoes come in low, mid and high. A higher collar feels firmer, but that feeling is not proof. In a randomised study of 622 basketball players (Barrett and colleagues, 1993) the researchers found no clear difference in ankle sprains between high-top and low-top shoes. It is one study, in a different sport and with few injuries, so not the final word. But do not count on a high collar to prevent a sprain.

So choose the height by feel and freedom of movement. A low shoe leaves the ankle the most free, a mid gives more of a feeling of hold; both are fine. If a player has sprained an ankle before, a brace or tape is the logical step, whatever shoe they wear: read ankle brace, tape or nothing at all and then fit the shoe with the brace on. What further prevents sprains is balance, strength and landing work; that is in injury prevention in volleyball.

How to fit volleyball shoes

1. Try them on at the end of the day or after a practice, when your feet are slightly bigger.
2. Bring what you wear in the gym: your sports socks, any insoles and your ankle brace if you use one.
3. Leave about a thumb's width of room for your toes. Less, and your toes hit the front when you stop; much more, and your foot slides around in the shoe.
4. Check the heel. It should not slip up when you walk or stand on your toes.
5. Move in the shop as you would on court: a few lateral steps, a small jump, push off and land. If the foot feels loose at the side, it is not the right shoe, however good it looks.

For children, check the size every six months. Do not buy two sizes too big to grow into: a shoe in which the foot slides gives less grip and more blisters. If you are buying knee pads at the same time, read volleyball knee pads first; there it is all about thickness and size.

When should you replace volleyball shoes?

Volleyball shoes do not wear out by the calendar but by hours in the gym. Say you train or play three times a week for an hour and a half: that is 4.5 hours a week, and over a 35-week season about 160 hours. The same shoe on someone who plays once a week has done a third of that by the end of the season. So look at the shoe itself:

• The grip drops off. You slide when you stop on a clean floor, or you keep having to wipe your soles.
• The tread under the ball of the foot is smooth. That is where you pivot and push off, so that is where it wears first.
• The midsole has compressed. If you see deep creases in the side, or landing feels harder than it used to, the cushioning is gone.
• The heel counter is soft or the upper is tearing, so the foot slides to the edge on a lateral step.
• The shoe is too small. With young players that is usually the reason, long before the shoe is worn out.

If you get new aches in your feet, shins or knees, a worn shoe may play a part, but that is not a diagnosis. If problems persist, see your doctor, a sports physician or a physiotherapist. A new shoe is not a treatment.

How to make them last longer

• Wear them only in the gym and only put them on there. Outside, the street grinds the soft rubber smooth and you bring grit inside.
• Wipe a dusty sole with a damp cloth; dust on the sole costs grip straight away.
• Take them out of your bag after practice and let them dry at room temperature, not on the radiator.
• Break new shoes in over a few practices, not on a tournament day.

How many hours are on your shoes?

A shoe shop cannot tell you how much you play, but if your team uses Koach, you can see it yourself. In your player profile, under History, you see how many practices you attended this season and which matches you played. Multiply that by the length of a practice and you know roughly how many hours your shoes have done, without guessing. As a player you pay nothing: your account falls under the team's subscription, and your coach invites you. If you are a coach yourself and just starting out, starting as a volleyball coach helps you through the first season.

What Koach costs the coach after the trial is on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Further reading

What Does My Child Need for a First Volleyball Practice? Ankle brace for volleyball: brace, tape or nothing? Volleyball knee pads: which to choose and how to wear them

Browse 200 volleyball drills with animations Download a complete practice plan of 8 to 28 weeks