Buying guide

Best Volleyball Shoes: A Foot Surgeon on the Ankle Sprain No Shoe Can Prevent

Not yet bench-tested. This guide explains what volleyball does to the foot and ankle and what a court shoe can and cannot do about it. The shoes named here have not been measured or worn under the Podiatrist Tested standard, so no scores and no Seal appear on this page, and every product feature described is the manufacturer’s own claim. When a pair is tested, its scorecard replaces the recommendation here.

Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS · Last reviewed 3 October 2026

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Most advice about volleyball shoes promises that the right pair will protect your ankles. The research on how volleyball ankles actually get hurt says something less comfortable: the most common serious ankle sprain in the sport happens when a player lands on someone else’s foot under the net, and no shoe prevents that. A good court shoe still matters a great deal. It just matters for different reasons than the marketing suggests, and the thing that protects an ankle most is not a shoe at all.

This is a foot surgeon’s guide to what a volleyball shoe is for, what to look for, and what to add if you have sprained an ankle before.

Quick answer

• Wear a dedicated indoor court shoe with a gum rubber outsole, not a running shoe. Running shoes are built for straight-line running and are unstable when you move sideways.
• Look for a low, wide, stable platform, lateral support that holds the foot in place, and cushioning under the forefoot for repeated jumping.
• If you have ever sprained an ankle, brace or tape it. A previous sprain is the strongest warning sign for the next one, and a higher collar on a shoe is not a substitute for a brace.
• Keep court shoes for the court. Wearing them outside wears down and dirties the rubber that gives them their grip.

How volleyball ankles actually get hurt

Much of what is known about volleyball ankle injuries comes from the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, whose volleyball studies, led by Roald Bahr, are still the reference point. Their findings explain why the shoe is only part of the answer.

• Ankle sprains are the dominant acute injury, accounting for between a quarter and a half of all acute injuries in the sport.
• They happen at the net. In their cohort, 86% of ankle injuries occurred in the net zone, mainly when players landed after blocking (63%) or attacking (29%). The cause is usually landing on an opponent’s or a teammate’s foot in the narrow strip under the net, which rolls the ankle inward before any shoe can react.
• A previous sprain is the biggest warning sign. 78% of the injured players had injured the same ankle before.
• Matches are riskier than practice, with a rate of 2.6 injuries per 1,000 hours in matches against 0.7 in training.

The researchers pointed to rule changes, technique training and preventive taping or bracing as the ways to reduce these injuries, not to footwear. And when the same group later introduced an injury-prevention programme, the incidence of acute ankle sprains fell by half. The lesson is not that shoes are irrelevant. It is that the shoe handles one part of the risk and a brace, technique and conditioning handle the rest.

What a volleyball shoe actually does

A court shoe cannot stop you landing on someone’s foot. What it can do is make the rest of the game safer and easier on your feet.

• Grip without slipping. Volleyball is short, explosive changes of direction on a polished indoor floor. A gum rubber outsole grips wood and synthetic courts far better than the harder rubber on most running and lifestyle shoes, so the foot goes where you send it.
• Keep the foot stable sideways. A lower heel and a wider base shorten the lever that rolls an ankle over, and an upper that locks the foot onto the platform stops it sliding off the edge during a lateral move.
• Cushion the forefoot. Players jump, land and push off from the ball of the foot hundreds of times a session. Forefoot cushioning spreads that load, which matters for the sesamoids and the big toe joint.
• Stay light. A lighter shoe is easier to move quickly and less tiring by the fifth set. Our shoe weight chart shows how much weight varies between shoes.

Why running shoes are the wrong shoe for volleyball

The most common footwear mistake in recreational volleyball is playing in running shoes. Running shoes are designed for one direction of travel. They usually have a tall, soft heel and a narrow, rounded sole that rolls smoothly forward. Those are exactly the features that make a shoe unstable when you plant and push sideways: a tall, soft heel raises the foot and gives the ankle more leverage to roll, and a rounded edge makes it easier to tip over the side. Their outsoles are also built for pavement, not for gripping a court. If you play more than occasionally, a dedicated court shoe is worth it. The heel-to-toe drop chart explains how heel height changes the way a shoe behaves.

Mid-top or low-top?

Many players choose a mid-top because it feels more supportive around the ankle. It may feel that way, but a higher collar is not a reliable protection against sprains and should not be treated as a replacement for a brace. Choose between mid and low mainly on comfort and on how the shoe works with your brace. If you wear a lace-up or stirrup brace, check that it fits inside the shoe without crowding the foot, and try shoes on with the brace on.

If you have sprained an ankle before

This is the group the research singles out, and the advice is the same across the evidence: protect the ankle with a brace or tape when you play, and do the balance and strengthening work that restores the ankle’s control. A sprain damages the small sensors in the ligaments that tell the brain where the foot is, which is part of why one sprain makes the next more likely. Balance training retrains that sense. If an ankle keeps giving way, or still feels unstable months after a sprain, it deserves an examination rather than another season of hoping. Our guide to shoes for ankle support covers the everyday side of the same problem.

Volleyball shoes whose designs fit the brief

Volleyball-specific shoes from the brands below are built around gum rubber outsoles, a low, stable platform and lateral support. They are grouped by what they emphasise, not ranked, because fit is individual and none has yet been through our testing. Model names change with each new version, so check you are buying the current one.

For stability and support: ASICS court shoes

ASICS makes one of the widest ranges of dedicated volleyball shoes, including the Sky Elite and Netburner lines, which ASICS positions for players who jump a lot and want a stable, supportive fit. A good starting point if you want a traditional volleyball shoe.

For cushioning and jumping: Mizuno Wave volleyball shoes

Mizuno’s volleyball shoes, including the Wave Momentum and Wave Lightning, use Mizuno’s Wave plate, which the company describes as spreading landing forces while keeping the shoe stable. Popular with players who want more cushioning under repeated jumping.

For a lighter, faster feel: low-profile court shoes

Liberos and defensive players who spend their time moving low and quickly often prefer a lighter, lower shoe. Several brands make volleyball shoes in this style; look for the same gum outsole and lateral support in a lighter package, and read the fit notes for width, since lighter shoes are often narrower.

For a recurring ankle: a lace-up ankle brace

If you have sprained before, the most useful purchase may not be a shoe. A lace-up ankle brace worn inside a well-fitting court shoe addresses the risk the research identifies most clearly. Buy it at the same time as your shoes, and fit them together.

Where to buy

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How a volleyball shoe should fit

• Snug at the heel and midfoot, so the foot does not slide on the platform when you stop and change direction.
• Room at the toes, about a thumb’s width, because the foot drives forward into the front of the shoe on every landing. Toes jammed against the end are a recipe for bruised toenails.
• Try them on with the socks, insoles and brace you will play in, late in the day, and make a few lateral hops in the store.
• Replace them when the grip goes. Once the gum rubber is worn smooth or glazed, the shoe no longer does its main job, even if the upper still looks fine.

Other foot problems volleyball players get

Repeated jumping and landing load the front of the foot and the knee. Pain under the big toe joint may be sesamoiditis or turf toe; heel pain that is worst with the first steps in the morning is usually plantar fasciitis; and pain on a bone that worsens with jumping rather than easing may be a stress fracture and should be examined. Pain just below the kneecap in a player who jumps a lot is often jumper’s knee, which responds to changes in training load rather than to a new shoe.

What about beach volleyball?

Beach volleyball is usually played barefoot or in sand socks, which protect the skin from hot sand and abrasion. The ankle risk changes, because soft sand gives way rather than catching the foot, but the advice for anyone with a previous sprain is the same: tape or brace it. Court shoes are not designed for sand.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best shoes for volleyball?

A dedicated indoor court shoe with a gum rubber outsole, a low and stable platform, lateral support and forefoot cushioning. Volleyball shoes from ASICS and Mizuno are built around these features. The best one for you is the one that fits your foot snugly at the heel with room at the toes.

Can I play volleyball in running shoes?

You can, but it is not a good idea if you play regularly. Running shoes are built for forward motion, with a tall, soft heel and a rounded sole that is unstable when you move sideways, and their outsoles do not grip a court as well as gum rubber. A court shoe is safer and performs better.

Do volleyball shoes prevent ankle sprains?

Not the most common kind. Research on volleyball injuries found that most ankle sprains happen when a player lands on another player’s foot at the net, which no shoe prevents. A good shoe reduces slipping and gives lateral stability, but a brace or tape, technique and balance training do more to prevent sprains, especially if you have sprained before.

Are high-top volleyball shoes better for your ankles?

A higher collar can feel more supportive, but it is not a reliable substitute for an ankle brace. Choose between mid and low tops on comfort and on how well the shoe works with your brace, rather than expecting the collar alone to protect the ankle.

How often should I replace volleyball shoes?

When the grip goes. Once the gum rubber outsole is worn smooth, glazed or packed with dust that will not clean off, the shoe no longer grips the court, which is its most important job. For players who train several times a week that often happens within a season. Keep them for indoor use only to make them last.

Other court sports

The same principles of grip, lateral stability and forefoot cushioning apply across court sports. See best shoes for pickleball, tennis shoes for plantar fasciitis and basketball shoes for wide feet.

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