High top volleyball shoes are exceedingly rare, and with a global volleyball shoe shortage going on, you’ll probably have a tough time finding any!
Sports shoe manufacturers across the board are leaning more towards low top designs these days, so you’ll be hard pressed to find much in the way of actual high tops.
There’s actually only 1 high top volleyball shoe you can buy right now, so I’ve decided to include a bunch of mid top designs in this list to give you some more ideas to consider.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the highest tops in volleyball!
Best Overall High Top Volleyball Shoes
The UA HOVR Highlight Ace 2.0 is the only high top volleyball shoe on today’s market.
This shoe really excels in cushioning with a super bouncy midsole and top quality impact protection.
For that reason, it’s one of the better shoes for opposites and middles who’re doing a lot of jumping and landing around the net.
Ankle support is obviously really excellent too. The reinforced sides of the shoe offer additional lateral stability without making it too stiff to move in.
The issue with these shoes is that they’re really tight. They run insanely small and are physically extremely difficult to get your feet into.
Many people complained about how much time they were spending just trying to get their shoes on!
For that reason, they’re not suitable for wide feet and if you do get them, consider ordering half a size to a full size larger than you normally would.
Ideal For
- Volleyballers doing a lot of jumping. With a super springy feel and top notch shock absorption, these are a jumper’s dream with the lateral support to back it up!
Not Ideal For
- Wide feet. These shoes run very small and narrow.
- Anyone who likes to easily slip their shoes on. You’d better be willing to sit down and take a couple minutes to put these on – definitely not ideal for people constantly on the move!
Best Mizuno High Top Volleyball Shoes
Mizuno have done an excellent job with the Z6, fixing plenty of earlier issues with their older shoes.
The Z6 is known for its exceptional impact protection as well as lateral support with the reinforced padding on the sides of the shoe.
The Lightning Z6 does a decent job in the traction department, but it could be a little more responsive especially when it comes to those quick lateral movements we see setters and liberos making on court.
Standing quite high off the ground, this is definitely a shoe geared more towards hitters but is a really solid all-rounder and can be worn by all positions.
Ideal For
- Middle blockers and opposites. This is another great shoe for jumpers because of its bouncy midsole and excellent impact protection.
- Lateral support. The mid top design and ankle lockdown make this an extremely safe volleyball shoe.
Not Ideal For
- Anyone who likes to be super agile on court. The Lightning Z6 isn’t the most responsive shoe in the world and can feel a little clunky at times.
Best Budget High Top Volleyball Shoes
The UA Clone 4 performs amazingly well across the board for a budget shoe.
They’ve got plenty of lateral/ankle stability with the reinforced sides and high top design, but still feel very lightweight at just under 12oz.
The Clone 4 has a very decent cushioning setup for a budget shoe with a nice amount of bounce and good impact protection.
This is one of my favorite shoes for a wide variety of positions but I think these would work great for outside hitters who like that low to the ground feel, but still want support for jumping in.
One thing to be aware of is that these shoes pick up dust like crazy.
If you find yourself playing on dusty courts quite often, then I would stay very far away from these!
Ideal For
- Anyone balling on a budget. These are a great shoe for all positions.
- Lateral support. If you want extra protection for your ankles, these are a solid shoe.
- Outside hitters. With the low to the ground feel combined with great cushioning, this is a solid option for passer hitters.
Not Ideal For
- Anyone who regularly plays on dusty courts. These are quite possibly the worst shoe you could wear on a dusty court! They don’t wipe easily either!
Adidas’ CrazyFlight range are not exactly high tops, but they do have a mid top option. I’m mentioning them in this roundup because they’re very well regarded for their support and lateral stability.
Also Great Mid Top Volleyball Shoes
As far as all-rounder volleyball shoes go, it doesn’t get much better than Adidas‘ CrazyFlight!
Known for their really amazing midsole technology, the CrazyFlights don’t exactly offer a ton of additional spring when jumping but definitely have all the impact protection you need.
With the raised midsole wall for added lateral containment, these shoes are also some of the best in terms of support, making them great for safety conscious players.
These are one of the few shoes that can be worn by all positions on court but are actually best for setters and liberos who want super responsive, lightweight shoes that allow them to move around the court quickly.
Ideal For
- All volleyball players. Anyone can wear these, but they’re one of my top picks for setters as well as liberos.
Not Ideal For
- Anyone who was expecting crazy flight. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of extra bounciness in these when jumping, but they still feel super springy and responsive when moving across the court.
My favorite volleyball shoes of all time also come in a fairly high mid top design, so it would be rude not to talk about them!
Greatest Mid Top Volleyball Shoes Of All Time?
I’ve written about these shoes countless times.
They’re my number 1 volleyball shoe of 2024 by a big margin for a multitude of reasons.
If we focus in on the support, the Sky Elites are the nicest feeling volleyball shoe I’ve ever worn.
The ankle lockdown is incredible and the thick padding is super comfortable as well. It feels really secure around your foot.
I’ve never felt anything with such good traction and the cushioning setup is the best we’ve ever seen in a volleyball shoe.
For more information regarding why I love this shoe so much, click on the link above where I’ve done a far more detailed write up!
Ideal For
- All volleyball players. This is a great shoe for all positions.
Not Ideal For
- Liberos. Except for maybe some liberos… Because the midsole is so thick, the shoe is quite high off the ground which defenders often won’t prefer. That’s more of a preference thing than anything.
Final Verdict?
If your feet are the right size for them, definitely go for the UA HOVR Highlight Ace 2.0 especially if you’re a spiker since this is the last remaining true high top volleyball shoe!
Just make sure you order the right size as they do run very small.
Of course I also have to recommend the Asics Sky Elite FFs because they’re quite simply the best volleyball shoe on this list!
If you’re looking for a budget option, the UA Clone 4s are easily some of highest value for money shoes you can get, and are ideal for all positions.
Are High Top Shoes Good For Volleyball?
High top volleyball shoes are not all that common, but that’s probably because it’s generally not a great idea to wear high tops for volleyball.
The main issue is that the excessive padding around the ankles can reduce your ability to move around the court as efficiently as you’d like.
This makes them a pretty poor choice for positions like setter or libero or even outside hitter.
But if you’re a middle blocker or opposite hitter, since your job mainly involves spiking and blocking, and less back court play, I think high top volleyball shoes can definitely be a fine option!
Mid tops, on the other hand, are far more appropriate for volleyball, which is reflected in the number of shoes we’re seeing produced in this style.
