Would you play volleyball in high heels?

Shoes are designed for a specific purpose. Just like these shoes are designed for strutting your stuff on the dance floor or the occasional model’s “walk-off” at the old members warehouse, running shoes are designed for one purpose, running. Each year I exhibit at volleyball tournaments and at each tournament I see countless volleyball players come into our booth wearing running shoes. Would you wear bowling shoes to run a marathon? Absolutely not! While I understand that everyone has different feet and different needs, my goal is to simply educate you as the consumer (and the volleyball player!) giving you the tools needed to make the best footwear buying decision to not only to protect your feet, ankles, and knees, but even improve your game!

The Basics

Running shoes are made specifically for running and are not conducive to the mechanics of volleyball.

Think of a runner’s movements…they only move in one direction, forward!  So when engineers at design studios are constructing the blue prints for a running shoe, their goal is to create a smoother, faster, more comfortable experience for that continuous forward motion.

Now think of the movements you make during a volleyball game.  You move forward, side-to-side, take off and land from jumps, make abrupt starts and stops, etc…   The construction of a volleyball shoe is designed to cushion and support all of these movements, not just the forward motion.

Here are the differences between these two types of shoes and the reasons why a volleyball shoe should be the shoe in your bag when heading to court to rock your killer game.

Upper

If you hold up a running shoe next to a volleyball shoe, it is easy to see that these two shoes are made up of different materials.  Running shoes are made up of mostly mesh; this creates a lighter, more breathable shoe.  Volleyball shoes are made up of mostly leather or synthetic leather; this offers a stronger and more supportive environment for all movements (i.e. lateral).

What does this mean to you as a volleyball player?

Leather or Synthetic Leather is much more conducive to lateral movements.  If you wear an all mesh shoe your muscles are going to have to work harder to stop your movement before starting again in another direction, which means your movements will be a tad slower.  However, if you wear a shoe with a more supportive material, like leather or synthetic leather, your change of direction will be much easier on your muscles and on the time clock as well.

Most importantly, playing volleyball in a mesh running shoe will not give you that support needed to prevent injuries.

Midsole

Running shoes are constructed on a graded platform.  This means that your foot will sit up higher off the ground due to the foundation being much higher in the heel and lower in the toe.  A traditional running shoe will decrease from heel to toe anywhere from 11mm-15mm.  This construction serves two functions for running:  The heel is higher not only to house the extra cushioning/technology added to help absorb impact at heel strike, but it also helps transition the runner through his/her gait cycle.

Volleyball shoes are constructed on a lower, flatter platform.  This formation allows your foot to sit closer to the ground to not only give you strong lateral stability but also creating a more favorable environment for you to explode into motion and quickly change direction.

Couple of things to note here…

1. Your heel sits up higher than your toe.  Remind you of anything?  Take another look at the shoe graphic at the top of the page!
2. Most of a running shoe’s technology is located in the heel because that is the runners main impact zone…when are you as a volleyball player ever on your heels?

Outsole

The outsole of a running shoe is significantly different than that of a volleyball shoe.  The running shoe’s outsole is partly made out of a hard rubber.  This material is designed to withstand the rigors of constant impact on cement surfaces.

Volleyball shoes, as most indoor sport shoes, are made out of a gum rubber.  This material is much more suitable to hardwood or sport court traction.  Not only does this material keep it’s “stickiness” longer than a running shoe, it is also much more durable in this environment.

Have you worn running shoes to play volleyball or tennis in?  Notice that the sole always seems to tear or peel away after just a couple games?  That’s because the material and construction is not designed to move laterally.

How often do you need to replace your volleyball shoes?

How do you know when volleyball shoes are at the end of their life? Even though, they may still look like they are in good condition when examining wear and tear on the upper and the outsole, the true breakdown comes from the midsole.

Runners are encouraged to replace their shoes every 500 miles – which, for an average runner, means 3-4 times a year.  Volleyball shoes are designed to absorb the impact of up to eight times your body weight.  When used two or three times a week a typical volleyball shoe will last around 100 hours of exercise or roughly nine months.   The more active a volleyball player is, the more he/she needs to replace their shoes.  For example, a typical high school volleyball player who practices 5 days a week in high school and 4-5 days a week during club season should probably replace his/her shoes 2-3 times a year (i.e. a pair for school, a pair for club, and a pair to transition from club through next year’s pre-season).

Final Thoughts

Would you play volleyball with a basketball?  OUCH! No way!  Remember, everything is designed for a specific purpose, so why not take advantage of all the hours those “geeky” engineers have invested to provide you, the volleyball player, with the safest, most comfortable, and stylish pair of kicks.

There are many different types of volleyball shoes available: different technologies, different weights, different fits, and different looks.  Not sure where to start?  Shop around, read shoe reviews, consult your trusty volleyball network, and find the best volleyball shoe that fits your style and your feet.   Not only will your feet, ankles, and knees thank you, but your game and your wallet just may see the benefits as well.

Christine Shelby is the volleyball brand manager at nfinity.