Can You Wear Basketball Shoes For Volleyball | 5 Key Goals For Athlete

Basketball shoes are really popular these days and come in really cool designs. Something that is not completely true about volleyball shoes. As a volleyball player, you don’t have that many good options to choose from. So, often this question comes up, can you wear basketball shoes for volleyball?

Well, both of these shoes have a lot in common. They are made practically to fulfill quite the same goals. To support a player who is going to be moving really fast and will need to jump quite high. So, the answer is yes, you can wear basketball shoes for volleyball.

But we understand that if you are a professional volleyball player or just simply very passionate about the game, you want to be really convinced that this will work. So, we will provide here enough information to support our claim. Bear with us.

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Can you wear basketball shoes for volleyball?

All the features of basketball shoes make the answer very clear that you can actually wear them for volleyball. It doesn’t matter what the marketing term for a pair of shoes is. If the features they contain will do the job for you, then those are the shoes you are looking for.

So, let’s look at the features of basketball shoes that are necessary for a volleyball player to have in their shoes.

a volleyball player jum to hit the volleyball wearing basketball shoes

Ankle support

This is a special feature of basketball shoes that you will not find in regular shoes. This property of basketball shoes supports the ankles of a player while he is moving and changing direction really fast. A volleyball player needs this feature in his shoes while playing.

Landing support

Another great feature of basketball shoes. Regular running shoes don’t have as much cushioning as basketball shoes. But they have this property to support the player when they land after jumping and make the landing comfortable.

Traction support

Basketball and volleyball none of these games are just about jumping and landing, the more important part of the game is changing directions as quickly as possible. That’s where the player needs traction support. For that, the shoes need to provide a really good grip which basketball shoes do.

Take-off support

When you have the ball in your hand in basketball or you are going to hit the ball in volleyball, in both cases you need to take off really quickly. And for obvious reasons, basketball shoes are designed to be take-off friendly. In volleyball you support this more than basketball but basketball shoes will do just fine.

The comfort-factor

Basketball shoes were not known for their comfort when they were first introduced. But with time, they have evolved and these days they are mostly about comfort. And as a volleyball player, you need to be comfortable in your own shoes, literally. And basketball shoes are comfortable.

Sacrificing some feature of wearing basketball shoes for volleyball

Disadvantages of wearing basketball shoes for volleyball

Not everything about basketball shoes is always good for volleyball. There are some downsides too. Such as,

A little heavier than needed

Basketball shoes are heavyweights amongst the shoes. Although there are a lot of great options like Kobe that are light and suitable for volleyball. But generally, basketball shoes are heavier than volleyball shoes. And it can tire the player quickly.

Not the best option for lateral movements

Volleyball shoes are particularly made lighter than other shoes to make it easy to move in them quickly. But as basketball shoes are heavier and more jam packed, they are not the best option when moving laterally. There are lighter options for sure but generally, basketball shoes can cause problems here.

Midsole cushioning is not always enough

What type of shoe is best for volleyball

In volleyball, you have to jump a lot more frequently and harder than you have to do in basketball. So, the cushioning in basketball can fall short sometimes to provide enough support while landing and it can break off. Of course, it all depends on the specific model but there is a possibility.

Related Article: Best Basketball Shoes for Flat Feet in 2022

What type of shoe is best for volleyball?

Well, there is no doubt that volleyball shoes need to be light in terms of weight to make the jump easy. And they need to have enough cushion support for the landing. Volleyball shoes must be lateral movement-friendly. Rubber soles for better take-off are an important requirement.

Here is our pick on the best volleyball shoes out there

ASICS women’s upcourt 4