If anyone has any clue about volleyball shoes I could use some help. They are impossible to find in the part of the country where I live so I can't just go to a shop and try them on. I play badminton for a while but recently started volleyballin' aswell. I've been using the Yonex SHB 99 MX for a few years and they are great for badminton. I do however feel they lack some cushioning for volleyball with the very frequent jumping. That combined with having achilles + hollow foot inflammation a while back and never recovered 100% from it. I've been using my normal running shoes instead (great Asics shoes) but needless to say the support is just terrible for sports involving quick movement. So my question is; would getting a 'real' volleyball shoe help with my problems? Are their cushioning softer than Yonex badminton shoes? I'm primarily concerned about keeping my feet in a good shape and focusing less on the speed of my movement. I'm looking at some shoes in a shop 200 km away from my place (Asics Sensei 3 or some kind of Mizuno shoes).
Hey Pasch, the shb 99 are very similiar to high end volleyball shoes for the Japanese home market. You can check out both the Mizuno.co.jp and Asics.co.jp. Back in the day, many of the top players even into the 1990's wore paper thin Asics Tiger Rotation model. For badminton, we would wear similiarly thin Dragonfly shoes. We had very few injuries, I think in part because we had very strong feet like the way a gymnast would because they didn't have shoes to support them. Now I wouldn't recommend these shoes for you because you aren't used to them and the advancement in shoe science. The shb 99 would be far superior in cushioning compared to these and a lot higher off the ground. Having said that, if you have a previous problem, maybe you should look at foot / leg strengthening excercises or its just time for a new pair of shoes. I have posted comments previously about Mizuno, Asics, and Yonex shoes for both volleyball and badminton. Having owned and used over 50 pair of indoor court shoes including the latest models you will find Mizuno and Asics are heavier and have better cushioning but the Yonex are lighter and faster. There really isn't that much variation in the lines themselves. I have the luxury of checking all the stock at the largest volleyball shop in North America @canuckstuff.com as well as all the latest Yonex and china brands at local pro shops. Still, I have problems. My shb 101 weren't as grippy as my shb 100, the shb 100 is too narrow and is the only shoe that has ever caused me to roll over my baby toe and knuckle, both my Gel Domain and Wave Tornado were too heavy and gives me plantar fasciitis pain. It is probably best for you to pick up a pair of Mizuno or Asics, but I don't think it needs to be at the top of the range. Good luck with your shoe search!
Buy good volley shoes I play both sports for a long time. I highly reccommend you to buy good volley shoes for volleyball. Volleyball is about jumping - again and again - and badminton shoes simply aren´t cushioned enough for this. My personal strategy is different. As I am 39 and 93 kg I use my volley shoes for both volley and badminton. My current model is Asics Gel Sensei 2. They are excellently cushioned, rigid enough and highly durable. I use these shoes for 2 years and as you may see in the picture, they are still nice. Yes, they are heavier than regular badminton shoes, but this difference isn´t significant for me.
I used ot use Yonex shoes and now use Mizuno. The main reason is that the Yonex shoe does not provide enough arch support for my foot because I am flat footed. When I made the switch, it made a difference because I have the support I need (plus using orthotics) that don't get into shock pain at random when I lunge or jump hard. The current Mizuno shoes I use is the Wave Tornado 4, which is actually a Volleyball shoe and I have no issues with them. I also do have the Wave Smash SG3 which is Mizuno's badminton shoe but have not used them yet until I wear down the Wave Tornado 4 first.
Thanks for the replies everybody, think I'll buy a train ticket some day and try their shoes on. Do you have any ideas if there are any major differences between Asics and Mizuno shoes cushioning-wise? And perhaps any special insoles I could replace the originals with?
I tried several volley Asics shoes and they have excellent cushioning. I have never needed any special insoles. There are different cushioning technologies in Asics and Mizuno shoes. Asics uses gel pads in critical areas of sole. Mizuno uses special wavy plate integrated into sole. But final choice is in your hands. Try to test several models personally.
