Now when it comes to Volleyball it is worth noting that there are some accessories that are essential to some players and not to others.
With that being said to not include them would be an injustice to many players.
The accessories that are essential to most volleyball players are as follows:
- Volleyball Shoes
- Socks
- Knee Pads
- Bags
- First Aid Supplies
- Exercise Accessories
Now there are more things that can be added to this list such as compression sleeves and elbow pads, however, I don’t feel as these items aren’t anywhere near as popular.
As such I won’t be including them in this list.
Now let’s dive into a bit more detail about these items.
Table of Contents
Volleyball Shoes
Now I have written full in-depth articles about the shoes that are often used for Volleyball.
These shoes are Volleyball shoes (obviously) or the shoes that I prefer to use is Basketball Shoes.
Now it is difficult to keep up with the sheer amount and ever involving basketball shoe ranges however, volleyball shoes are less popular and therefore it is much easier.
With that being said I do think both full lists offers a lot of options and good suggestions.
If you want to read either of these lists you can do so below.
Best Basketball Shoes for Volleyball
With that being said I will put my top 2 recommendations from each list below to give you an insight.
Best Volleyball Shoes
Asics Gel Tactic 2
The ASICS Gel-Tactic 2 is the model up from the extremely popular Gel-rocket.
The main difference between the 2 shoes is the cushioning and width of the footbed.
The sole on the Gel-Tactic 2 is comprised of an NC Rubber compound which is made of more natural rubber whereas the other shoes are equipped with solid rubber options. The NC Rubber offers better traction that is more durable and less friable.
The cushion setup is a double Gel cushion in both the rear and forefoot which makes this shoe extremely comfortable and bouncy. The shoe is set up to give you the you your highest jumps with the softest landings.
Midfoot stability and torsion control is fantastic in this shoe thanks for the lightweight molded Trussic unit.
The upper materials is an open seamless mesh that offers great ventilation and reduces the chances of irritation by removing them annoying seams or stitches.
The shoe is lightweight and the cushion is extremely plush so if you want a shoe that is comfortable in all aspects on the court this is a safe bet.
Mizuno Wave Lightning Z5
Mizuno shake up the game and release one of the most technologically advanced shoes on the market for a very competitive price. The shoe is designed for players who want the lightest shoes with the greatest performance, this is to ensure players are not left disappointed and have a well rounded shoe and with the help of the new technology implemented it far exceeds expectations.
Starting at the sole the Mizuno Wave Lightning Z5 has the X10 carbon rubber sole that is one of the most durable on the market as well as being non-marking.
Much like the previous models there is 3 cushions in the shoe. Pownce, SR Touch and the Waveplate. One thing new thing that has been implemented in this shoe sensorpoint, this is a suspension that connects to the waveplate for better stability.
Pownce which stands for power and bounce is there to provide responsiveness. SR Touch is very much the impact protection cushion.
The shoe also features what is known as D-Flex Groove or Diagonal flexible groove. This is diagonal groove in the mid foot area that allows the player to turn at maximum speed and power by efficiently transferring natural body movement and shift in direction.
Moving on to the upper materials, it is constructed of Airmesh with Intercooler internally. The Airmesh upper is a nice soft flexible material that locks your foot in place whereas Intercooler is a breathable mesh material that forces air out of the shoe to prevent overheating.
Another new feature in the shoe is something known as 360° DynaMotionFit which allows the mesh to contour to every part of your foot to really give you a non-restrictive comfortable experience.
Also on the upper is the Dura shield which is the rubber toe guard so you toe draggers out there don’t need to worry about popping out the end of the shoe.
The tongue and collar are both very plush and padded to offer a nice comfortable playing experience and also help secure that heel in the footbed.
If you require more ankle support they have also released a mid-top version.
Overall this shoe for us is by far the most comfortable, well designed and overall best shoe on the market today.
If you are looking for a shoe that will cater to every situation you need it to the Mizuno Wave Lightning 5 is the shoe for you.
Best Basketball Shoes for Volleyball
KD12
The KD12 is a fantastic shoe and takes the top spot in our list. The sole is constructed of a very robust rubber that has nice deep grooves on the tread pattern making the traction amazing.
Now the rubber is on the soft side so I would suggest picking up something a little different if you are looking for shoes to use in them summer tournaments on grass or general outside use.
The cushion set up in this shoe is really the main draw and feature of these shoes. It is an unbelievable cushion set up and deserves all the praise in the world.
The KD 12 features a full length zoom air setup which arguably still has the be the best cushion there is. When they get these things just right you can feel the air transferring under your foot and it feels extremely plush.
The technology and concept behind these shoes in unbelievable and extremely innovative.
They actually took the zoom air unit and put it directly in the innersole. This means they have actually replaced the strobel board entirely with the zoom air unit.
To avoid puncturing the zoom air unit they heat weld the two together.
Underneath they have a phylon midsole which to be honest you can’t really feel to much as it is heavily caged for good containment.
Another clever thing they have done is core out holes in the underside of the shoe which allows air to be compressed inwards, rather than outwards.
This just adds a little more feel and texture to that midsole phylon unit.
All this technology so carefully constructed together makes these shoes not only extremely comfortable but also nice and bouncy.
The upper materials however, aren’t anything new or that impressive. For the most part they are a mesh material with fuzed panels.
However there is an unsung hero in the upper and that is the quad-axial flywire. This is a fantastic design and it’s main purpose is to lock your foot down and in place and boy does it do this well.
Most people talk about the full length zoom air unit but the quad-axial flywire really is the superstar behind the curtains.
Onto the fit, as with all KD’s they do run quite narrow and these shoes are no different. They run true to size but just note that they are very tight fitting and will take a little breaking in. If you really don’t like the snug fitting shoe but want to rep these you may want to consider going up ½ a size.
KD Trey 5VII
Considering this is a budget shoe it is just amazing how well it performs and that is reflected throughout my in depth article.
It sneaks it’s way into nearly every category that I touched on in the article.
The traction on this shoe is absolutely crazy almost to the point that it is too powerful for the cheap upper materials used.
The KD Trey 5 VII’s deep wave/ herringbone design works wonders in each direction and is easily cleaned of dust with a simple wipe.
The cushion setup is something Nike has called the renew cushion.
It is meant to be a renewed version of the react cushion.
In reality it is more likely a revamped version of the old cushion dual fusion.
Dual fusion was a dual density foam cushion setup that was used in older models.
Whatever the real answer behind the new renew cushion.
It doesn’t really matter as, all we know is this cushion set up feels amazing for such a cheap budget.
The cushion set up leaves you quite low to the ground offering great stability and responsiveness whilst still offering a little bit of bounce and a spring in your step.
Now the reason this shoe becomes a budget model is definitely due to the materials used in the upper.
The materials used in the upper are just a mixture of cheap fuzed panels and firm mesh.
The upper materials don’t take anything away from the shoe by any means, but it certainly doesn’t add anything.
The main concern I have with this shoe is that the amazing traction is almost too insane for the cheap upper materials.
So I just hope no one blows through the side of their shoes.
Being a KD Shoe they always tend to run quite narrow and long so I would suggest maybe go down ½ a size if you want a more snug foot.
If you have a slightly wider foot I would suggest going true to size and using the extra wiggle room.
Socks For Volleyball
Yes you did indeed read that right.
Socks are one of my next essential accessories for Volleyball.
Now for some people socks are simply just cheap and cheerful things that everyone wears and you can buy for the cheapest possible price in a multi-pack.
For others however (me included), Socks are a premium product and have to be right for certain situations.
Now many of you may think im exagerating when I say this but having premium socks is one of the best investments I have ever made.
You know that feeling you get when you put on a brand new pair of socks that are fresh from the store?
Well imagine that feeling every time you put your socks on, this is the luxury you get with premium songs
Now there are a few brands that I strongly recommend.
My overall pick is and always will be Stance socks.
However other good brands include: Nike, Mizuno and Mikasa.
Go with either of these brands and I promise you won’t look back.
Knee Pads For Volleyball
Knee pads are a vital piece of clothing for most volleyball players.
Volleyball knee pads are a fantastic bit of equipment to prevent bruises, burns and even offer support to help aid rehabilitation of injuries or prevent them from becoming worse.
Now much like the shoes I have put together a full list which you read by clicking the link below.
Best Knee Pads for Volleyball.
To save you some reading time if you don’t fancy looking at the other options, my pick from the list are the Mizuno VS1 Knee Pads.
Mizuno VS1
The mizuno VS-1 is 9 inches in length offering a nice full coverage of the knee improving protection as well as offering medial and lateral containment.
The knee pad also features Mizuno’s intercool ventilation system. This improves air flow in and out of the knee pad to ensure your knees do not become too hot and sweaty. When a lot of sweat is present this can encourage the Knee pads to slip down.
One of the main features offered in the Mizuno VS-1 is the strategically placed padding that protects all parts of the knee including the infamous patella.
As well as the strategically placed padding it also sports what is known as DFcut or Dynamic Function cut pad which makes for a superior fit.
One of the main things that makes this Knee pad the winner for me is it ticks all the boxes. It offers great containment thanks to the long sleeve. It offers brilliant padding and fit with the DF Cut cushioning and its extremely durable for the price tag
Volleyball Bags
Volleyball bags can be a very important accessory to ensure you not only remember all your kit, supplies and first aid but also a great place to store your valuables and clothes whilst you’re playing.
Some people prefer full gym bags whilst others prefer simple backpacks.
Whatever your preference they can be essential to ensuring you have everything you need conveniently packaged up.
The product that I have recommended before has not changed and that is the Under Armour Undeniable Duffle 3.0 Gym Bag.
It comes in a massive array of colors, with all the compartments you will ever need.
It also has a selection of available sizes so if you are someone who takes a lot of things to a game you can still pick up this bag.
First Aid Supplies
No one likes to talk about this subject as if you have these things and more importantly require these things during a game it normally means you or one of your team mates has picked and injury of some form.
Although no one likes to think about this subject, it is very important to ensure you have all the immediate medical supplies you might require.
Being prepared might just be the difference between playing on and finishing a game or sitting on the sidelines.
The usual first aid things I like to carry are as follows:
- Medical tape
- Heat and cold spray
- Bandages
- Tubigrips
Medical Tape
Medical tape serves many purposes. It can be used to secure a bandage in a bad cut, slice or gash, it can simply be used to tape a bleeding finger, it can be used to tape broken or dislocated fingers together or just offer additional support to damaged fingers and thumbs.
Heat and Cold Spray
Depending on the type of injury would greatly affect whether you would use the hot or cold topical spray.
If you injury is muscular you might want to keep it warm to prevent it from tearing further.
However if you injury is more impact you may want cold spray to prevent swelling that may affect your range of motion.
Whatever the reason and whichever one you need I would always suggest carrying one of each in your bag just in case.
Bandages
Now bandages are a lot less commonly used than the other two items already noted.
However the other day when playing I was stretching for a ball that was very over set to try and prevent us losing the point and touching the antenna.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to reach the ball in time and ended up falling into the net. To prevent myself from falling over I grabbed the bottom of the net near where the antena was secured.
I felt a sharp prick in my hand but thought very little of it.
Two points go by and I feel my hand is really wet.
I look down and see blood all over my palm. The sharp prick I felt was the bottom of the antenna clip going into my palm and leaving a nice open wound.
The wound itself was not painful but obviously I couldn’t carry on playing bleeding all over the place.
Now, truth time.
I didn’t actually have any bandages on my, luckily my teammate did.
After quickly wrapping the bandage around my hand to hult the bleeding and taping in on, I was back in the action.
Safe to say, I now always have bandages in my bag.
Tubigrips
These supports take on many names so to avoid this getting lost in translation I am referring to the below.
This can be great for those situations where you feel a slight tear in your muscles, a niggly injury or even for those hyperextended elbows that I keep getting when receiving hard hits out of my body line.
So there you have it all the accessories you need for volleyball.
