When I was training full time as a volleyballer, my number one obsession was increasing my vertical jump.
If you’re anything like me, you only want to wear shoes that enable you to jump as high as humanly possible while on the volleyball court.
Over the last year I’ve spent a lot of time researching the various midsole technologies inside a variety of popular volleyball and basketball shoes to determine which kicks offer the biggest bounce.
I created this list based on what I feel the two most important criteria for jumping are: bounce and impact protection.
Just how much extra spring does a shoe offer when jumping?
And how well does the cushioning system absorb landing forces?
Today I’ll be answering each of these questions for each of these shoes, as well as discussing some other aspects of performance to be aware of.
Let’s begin!
Asics Sky Elite FF Volleyball Shoes Best Overall Volleyball Shoes For Jumping
The Asics Sky Elite FF was rated as my top volleyball shoe of all time. In that article I go into great detail as to why it’s the best volleyball shoe money can buy, so I’ll try to keep it brief today.
Historically speaking, volleyball shoes haven’t had a crazy amount of ‘bounce’ in them.
They usually feel fairly neutral to jump in and you wouldn’t feel any extra springy sensation…
…Until now.
The Sky Elites have an incredible full length FlyteFoam cushioning setup in the midsole which is easily the best midsole design we’ve ever seen from a volleyball shoe.
It’s got a great bit of extra pop to it, so you feel super springy when jumping in these.
More importantly, the impact protection is as good as I’ve ever felt from a volleyball shoe.
This is super important, especially if you’re doing a lot of jumping, as it’ll prevent your joints from turning to dust over time.
I could go on and on about the incredible heel toe transition, out of this world traction, and top tier lateral support, but all you really need to know is that this shoe absolutely slaps!
Recommended Use
The Sky Elites have one of the best cushioning systems of any volleyball shoe, making them some of the best choices for high flying athletes.
The Good
Extremely good traction and grip on court.
Top tier heel lockdown and amazing ankle support (especially with the mid top design).
Ultra responsive cushion with a good bit of extra bounce and world class impact protection.
The Bad
On the more expensive side.
Best Volleyball Shoes For Jumping – Runner Up
Nike Lebron 18 Yes, the Lebron 18 is a basketball shoe.
And yes, you can wear basketball shoes for volleyball!
The reason the Lebron is on this list is because it’s one of the craziest jumping experiences any type of baller can have.
The full length Zoom Strobel unit combined with the rear Air Max unit creates one of the springiest feeling rides when on court.
The heel compression is ridiculous.
As far as impact protection goes, this can only be described as ‘God tier’.
You can play a day-long tournament in them and your feet and knees will feel great.
I recommend the Lebrons for the heavy hitters: middle blockers and opposites who need to be jumping their highest and aren’t overly concerned about passing or defending.
These shoes might be a little too high up for passer hitters.
Recommended Use
For anyone who doesn’t mind the very high off the ground feel, the Lebron 18s will provide the most bouncy jumping experience you can have!
The Good
As far as bounce goes, it doesn’t get any better than this!
Impact protection is also of the highest quality.
Fantastic choice for middle blockers as the super responsive midsole allows you to get max air on your toe jumps when blocking.