Having flat feet doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your volleyball career.
Some of the world’s top athletes are flat footed and for many players, it’s a relatively benign or asymptomatic condition.
Having said that, wearing the right types of shoes is far more important for flat footed folks as they require more support to ensure a relatively pain free experience.
Today I’m going to introduce you to my list of the absolute best volleyball shoes you can wear on the court for flat feet.
At the end of the article I’ve gone into more detail as to why these shoes have been chosen as particularly appropriate for flat feet and overpronation.
Let’s begin!
Best Overall Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet
I can’t speak highly enough about how amazing Sky Elites are to wear on the volleyball court, and they just so happen to check all of the boxes for flat feet.
They have quite a thick midsole with incredible FlyteFoam cushioning, making these one of the bouncier volleyball shoes with top tier impact protection.
Because of the epic cushioning, they stand quite high off the ground and have a nice bit of elevation around the heel which will help take pressure off the arches of your feet.
The Sky Elites also have one of the most amazingly secure feelings of any volleyball shoe I’ve ever worn.
The ankle lockdown is incredible… the shoe feels as though it’s hugging your foot and ankle.
It’s this kind of support I understand is what makes a shoe great for flat feet!
They’re also excellent for wide feet like mine, which will probably be music to your ears if you have flat feet!
Recommended Use
Great option for any position on the volleyball court.
The Good
One of the most advanced cushioning setups of any volleyball shoe midsole ever!
Some of the best and stickiest feeling traction you can get on a volleyball shoe!
Ideal for volleyballers doing a lot of jumping and landing (i.e. spikers).
The mid top design offers exceptional ankle support and tends to fit better overall than the low tops.
The Bad
On the slightly more expensive side.
Best Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet – Runner Up
If you’re a fan of Mizuno volleyball shoes, the Wave Lightning Z6 is easily your best option if you suffer from flat feet and/or overpronation.
Previous Mizuno models had complaints about them being slightly too narrow, but Mizuno have definitely rectified this with the Z6, making them great for both flat and wide feet.
The cushioning does an excellent job in the shock absorption department, meaning they’ll look after your joints if you’re playing a lot.
They also have a good amount of tech packed into the midfoot to increase arch support which your flat feet will love.
The mid top design with added padding both internally and externally around the heel make for a secure and locked down fit.
With extra high eyelets, you have the option to lace these up as tight as you need them to ensure a snug fit.
Recommended Use
One of the few Mizuno shoes suitable for flat feet! Ideal shoe for any of the front court positions.
The Good
Less stiff and far more comfortable than earlier generations.
Excellent cushioning system produces great bounce and shock absorption.
The Bad
Responsiveness (particularly for lateral movements) could be improved somewhat.
Best Budget Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet
I’ve been playing volleyball in my Dame 7s for years and they’re one of the best feeling shoes I’ve had the pleasure of playing in.
The Lightstrike cushion is a really decent midsole for a budget shoe with the perfect balance of softness, responsiveness, and impact protection.
With a decent raise in the heel as well as thick padding around the ankle/Achilles area, the Dame 7s provide all the support you need without being too bulky.
Both the Dame 7s, Dame 7 Extply, and Dame 8 are all very similar shoes and will work great as a volleyball shoe for flat feet.
Because the traction is considerably better in the Dame 7s, I tend to recommend them over the Dame 8s.
For extra wide feet, go for the Dame 8 as it’s one of the widest fitting shoes out there and actually has a slightly better cushioning setup. Be warned that they’re a nightmare on dusty courts, however!
For anyone playing a good amount of outdoor volleyball, this is unquestionably one of the best options you’ve got.
Usually retailing for under $100, this is easily the most affordable shoe on this list.
Recommended Use
Fantastic budget option for all middle blockers, outsides, and opposite hitters.
The Good
The Dame 7 is the cheapest volleyball shoe that’s actually still decent to jump in!
Very good midsole tech stack/cushioning setup for such a cheap shoe.
Also great for wide feet.
The Bad
Slightly bulky and boot-like, perhaps not a great fit for setters and liberos.
Best Women’s Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet
So the good news is that the Highlight Ace has really excellent shock absorption and a nice bit of extra spring to it, making it a dream shoe for anyone doing a lot of jumping.
On top of that, the high top design allows you to lace these up as high as you need for maximum ankle lockdown and lateral stability.
As far as I can tell, they check all of the boxes for flat feet!
The bad news is that these are tight. Like really tight.
By that I mean they’re physically quite difficult to get your feet into so I highly advise you to order at least half a size larger, possibly go up a full size.
If you have really wide feet, these are probably not the shoes you’re looking for!
One other thing I noticed was a few complaints about a sharp piece of plastic starting to dig into peoples’ heels after months of use, which could be an indication that there’s a potentially very annoying design flaw in this shoe!
Recommended Use
This is one of the best shoes in terms of ankle support that is also a fantastic option for anyone with flat feet.
The Good
Great bounce and impact protection for spikers.
Ultra high top design offers maximal ankle support. No need to wear ankle braces with these shoes!
Super comfortable and responsive cushion.
The Bad
A few complaints about plastic starting to dig into the sides of peoples’ heel after months of use.
Super tight and cumbersome to get your feet into and out of!
Also Great Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet
The thing that stands out most about the Wave Momentum, as far as flat feet go, is that it conforms to the shape of your foot extremely well.
It feels just like wearing a thick sock.
What this means is your foot is always in contact with the shoe/upper which means absolutely no internal shift.
Flat feet require snug fitting shoes that effectively attach themselves to the foot and don’t let the foot move around much inside… that’s exactly what you get with the Momentums.
On top of this, they have really incredible cushioning and impact protection – it’s actually significantly superior to the newer version, the Wave Momentum 2.
Recommended Use
Great option for anyone who likes a super lightweight shoe. It also accommodates wide feet nicely.
The Good
Superior cushioning and impact protection compared to the Wave Momentum 2s.
Ultra lightweight feel.
Really fantastic overall shoe. Very few complaints and almost no flaws.
The Bad
Not quite as much bounce and responsiveness compared to the Momentum 2s.
Still fairly expensive!
Special Mention
Nike Lebron 18
If you’re looking for extreme cushioning with tons of compression in the heel and an incredible bounce, as well as excellent lockdown, the Lebron 18s are one of the better premium shoes you can wear on the volleyball court.
Best Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet – Great For Jumping
The Lebron 18s are one of the top basketball shoes for volleyball because of their incredibly bouncy midsole and God tier shock absorption.
With rear Air Max units on top of a full length Zoom Strobel unit, the midsole technology in these shoes is arguably the finest we’ve ever seen in a sports shoe.
These are great option for flat feet because of their extremely high heel, which takes pressure off the arches of your feet.
A word of caution, however…
There’s a good amount of compression in the heel because of the Air Max unit, which can definitely be too soft for some athletes.
If you don’t mind the softer, super bouncy ride, then these are otherwise a great option for flat feet.
You won’t find a better combination of bounce and impact protection on really any shoe (except for possibly the Nike G.T. Jumps) which makes them one of the best picks for hitters.
Recommended Use
The Lebron 18s are some of the best shoes for middle blockers and opposites to jump in and they’re also great for flat feet.
The Good
Most ridiculously bouncy shoes to jump in, awesome for spiking and blocking!
One of the most comfortable shoes ever created – ultra high quality materials.
Fantastic shock absorption and ankle support.
The Bad
Super expensive.
Excessive heel compression (literally too bouncy) means these might not be the best option for all players.
Safest Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet
The first thing you’ll notice about the HyperAces when you pick them up is the excessive amount of internal padding around the ankle area.
This not only makes them absurdly comfortable, but locks down the ankle like no other shoe.
The outsides of the ankles are also reinforced for extra lateral stability which makes this one of the safest, most secure volleyball shoes.
The full length Zoom unit also gives these top notch shock absorption, so your joints will be taken care of.
For anyone with flat feet who’s concerned about doing an ankle, this is one of my top recommendations!
Recommended Use
One of the better options for flat footed folks who are also concerned about ankle support. Suitable for all positions.
The Good
Extensive internal padding makes these shoes super comfortable.
Great heel lockdown offers excellent ankle support.
The Bad
Because the padding is so thick, you can’t really fit ankle braces in these shoes without wrecking them. If you wear ankle braces, I would avoid the Hyperaces!
On the more expensive side. Since these have been discontinued by Nike, prices can get pretty high.
Final Verdict?
The good news is that if you’ve got flat feet, you’re actually spoilt for choice with a whole bunch of really excellent volleyball shoes!
As always, I recommend the Asics Sky Elite FFs as well as the Mizuno Wave Momentums which are two of my favorite volleyball shoes of all time.
They’re both perfectly configured for flat feet as well!
If you’re looking for a great budget option, definitely consider the Adidas Dame 7s and if you’re looking for extremely secure and supportive shoes, the Nike HyperAce 2s are an excellent choice.
Can You Play Volleyball With Flat Feet?
You can absolutely play volleyball with flat feet!
For a lot of people with flat feet, their condition is fairly benign and doesn’t prohibit them from doing activities like volleyball.
For some people, it can be a little painful. For others, it’s completely off limits.
Whether volleyball is appropriate for your particular set of flat feet depends on how severe the condition is and what your doctor has recommended.
Regardless of how asymptomatic your condition is, wearing the right shoes will be the best way of keeping you relatively pain free on the volleyball court.
What To Look For In Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet?
As I understand it, there’s 3 things you really need to look for in any shoe when it comes to flat feet.
These 3 criteria are what I’ve used to select the above 7 shoes, which all do a solid job in these key areas.
Cushioning
People with flat feet need exceptionally good cushioning in their volleyball shoes because landing impacts are magnified when your feet lack their natural capacity to absorb shock.
What I look for is a thick midsole which usually corresponds with a shoe that’s quite high up off the ground.
You’ll notice none of the shoes I’ve listed today can be described as having a ‘low to the ground feel’ and that’s because we require extra tech in the midsole to get adequate cushioning.
The best volleyball shoes have excellent, thick cushions anyway… so it’s not as though you’re missing out on much!
Heel Support
Another way to think of this is what we refer to as ‘ankle lockdown’ which looks at how well the heel stays in contact with the insole of the shoe.
How locked down does your heel and ankle feel when wearing the shoe?
Wearing flip flops, for example, is a terrible idea for flat feet because your heel is not always in contact with the sole and there’s absolutely nothing securing it laterally.
Each of the shoes I’ve mentioned today do an excellent job at securing the heel inside the shoe so there’s absolutely no slippage.
The added benefit of this is great lateral stability, so each of these shoes will keep you safe from rolled ankles.
Arch Support
Arch support refers to a similar concept to ankle lockdown, except we’re referring more to the middle of the foot.
The arches of your foot should always be in contact with some sort of cushioning when you have flat feet.
This means the upper needs to lace down nice and tight over the top of your shoe.
Another great way of achieving this is to have a raised heel which naturally inclines the angle of your foot, taking some pressure off the arches.
Each of the shoes I’ve listed today have a nice raised heel on them, which is largely a function of the thicker midsole.
Volleyball Shoes For Overpronation
Overpronation is technically not the same thing as flat feet, since it’s possible to have flat feet and not overpronate.
But for the most part, overpronation is the resulting movement of the foot when you suffer from flat feet.
Each of the shoes on this list do a great job at combating both flat feet as well as overpronation.
