Are you thinking about investing in a new pair of volleyball shoes? Unsure of what’s a fair price?
I’ve written more articles about volleyball shoes than anyone else on the Internet, so I know exactly what you can expect price-wise when shopping for some new shoes.
Volleyball shoes typically range from $65 for budget options to $160 for the best volleyball shoes on the market.
There are a couple exceptions like the Nike Hypersets which currently retail for over $200, as well as the Asics Upcourt 5s which you can get for $60 or sometimes even cheaper.
In this article we’ll take a closer look at exactly what you should expect to pay for volleyball shoes based on your needs as an athlete.
The Cost Of Volleyball Shoes
As mentioned earlier, there’s quite a large price range when it comes to volleyball shoes.
The shoes on the cheaper end ($60-$80) are often categorized as ‘general purpose court shoes’ and designed more for sports like handball, badminton, netball, and squash.
They’re quite similar to volleyball shoes which is why many volleyball beginners will choose these cheaper options.
Shoes designed specifically for the volleyball court will usually have far superior midsole technology which makes them more appropriate for jumping in.
This will cause the price to double and will put the cost at around $120-$160.
How Much Should You Pay For Volleyball Shoes?
How much you’re willing to invest in volleyball shoes will be determined by a number of factors.
How Seriously Do You Take The Sport?
How often do you play volleyball?
If you’re just a beginner and are just dipping your toes in, perhaps playing once a week, maybe you don’t need to go all in on a brand new pair of top tier volleyball shoes.
If you’re only playing very casually, a pair of general court shoes or budget volleyball shoes will definitely get the job done.
However, for a number of reasons, you should avoid wearing running shoes or tennis shoes while on the volleyball court and should instead get yourself a pair of cheap volleyball shoes if you don’t own court shoes.
If you’re playing or training more than once a week, you should probably be willing to invest $100-$160 in some quality volleyball shoes as your performance on court will be significantly better.
Any volleyballers doing a significant amount of jumping each week should prioritize footwear in order to protect their joints from harsh landing forces when spiking.
What Position Do You Play?
Different volleyball positions require different types of shoes.
From my research I’ve found that liberos and setters might on average spend slightly less on volleyball shoes than hitters will.
This is because liberos in particular require less cushioning and shock absorption in the midsoles of their volleyball shoes.
The midsole is where all of the cost goes which is why you’ll usually see budget shoes having very thin midsoles with minimal tech.
As a result, opposites and middle blockers will usually have less really good budget options whereas liberos and setters are spoilt for choice.
Volleyball Shoe Price By Brand
I’ve created a list of the average costs of my top rated volleyball shoes for each of the popular volleyball shoe brands so you can how prices vary from brand to brand.
Brand | Average Price |
Adidas | $83.75 |
Asics | $103.75 |
Under Armour | $105 |
Mizuno | $135 |
Nike | $181 |
The above prices reflect the current top 4-5 shoes for each brand, including 1 budget option.
Nike’s prices are pretty inflated now due to very low stock worldwide.
Highest Value Volleyball Shoes For Every Budget
I’ve put together a table which displays my shoe recommendations for different positions based on different budgets.
‘Front court’ refers to outsides, opposites, and middles. ‘Back court’ refers to setters and liberos.
All of these shoes are excellent and I highly recommend each of them!
Position | Budget | Image | Name |
Front Court | Low | Adidas Dame 7 | |
Medium | Asics Sky Elite FF | ||
High | Lebron 18s | ||
Back Court | Low | Nike Giannis Immortality | |
Medium | Asics Gel-Rocket 10 | ||
High | Mizuno Wave Momentum 2 |
Cheapest Volleyball Shoes
Here’s a list of volleyball shoes for anyone on a budget.
Note that a number of these shoes are ‘court shoes’ and aren’t the best for players doing a lot of jumping.
Volleyball Shoes Under $100
Image | Shoe | Shoe Type |
Adidas Ligra 7 | Court | |
Asics Upcourt 4/5 | Court/Volleyball | |
Adidas Dame 7 | Basketball | |
Asics Gel-Rocket 9/10 | Court | |
Nike Giannis Immortality | Basketball | |
Mizuno Wave Tornado 5 | Volleyball | |
Nike Harden Stepback 2 | Basketball |
What Are The Most Expensive Volleyball Shoes?
Easily the most expensive volleyball shoes are the Nike React Hypersets which currently go for between $200-$250.
This extremely popular volleyball shoe is also the most expensive and has been sold out for a number of months now.
Prices have gone up lately because of how hard they are to get your hands on!
Are Volleyball Shoes Worth It?
Unless you’re brand new to the sport and are just getting your feet wet, investing in a decent pair of volleyball shoes is an absolute no brainer.
Running shoes simply won’t cut it as they have inadequate cushioning and traction for the sport of volleyball.
If you’re playing/training more than once a week, having a decent pair of volleyball shoes (or even basketball shoes) will make all the difference on court.