8x SVU traditions
17 oktober 2022
5x the best SVU activities
23 december 2022
New season = New shoes
What are thoooosee?
Now that you’ve all settled (back) into the SVU lifestyle, it’s time to make investments!
Those go-to pair of trainers gotta gooo #sorrynotsorry. But how do you decide on the best volleyball shoes and where do you get them?
Choosing the perfect pair of indoor volleyball shoes can be tricky. There are a few factors to take into consideration, such as support, stability and comfort.
A volleyball shoe consists of a gum rubber sole, and rounded edges (as pictured) to allow great traction. This will ensure stability for quick side-to-side movement in the defense as well as landing after that killer block. When trying on the shoe, make sure to jump around a few times or do a lil speed test with them to see how they feel. Don’t forget to tighten those laces to test out the ankle support of the shoe as well. If you feel uncomfortable doing so in a physical shop, you could do what Mayra from Ladies 1 did. “I placed a very large order with all kinds of different sizes and models at the ‘Volleybalshop’, so that I could test them at home. It was an order of €900 but thank god for Klarna these days!” This way, she figured out that Mizunos shoes don’t fit properly and that Asics is her go-to brand now for volleyball shoes. Her advice: “never settle for less if your size is just a bit too small or too big ‘cause you'll regret it!”
Cushioning
For the cushioning of the shoe, it mainly comes down to personal preference. It is a good idea to select volleyball shoes with EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam insoles, they provide great shock absorption. However, they don’t cushion well. If your joints get sore easily, cushion should be the priority. When trying different models, just remember: the more comfortable and safe you feel about the shoes, the more you’ll radiate those same feelings on the field.
Comfort
As for comfort, the breathability and cushioning of the shoe are crucial factors to consider. The upper part of most volleyball shoes is made of synthetic or nylon materials. Synthetic mesh material will provide less weight and better ventilation, allowing the wearer’s foot to breathe. Another great material to check out when testing breathability is high-tech polyester.
Now, it might be too much hassle for you to order 20 random pairs of shoes to jump around in at home. There are many blogs out there claiming to have collected ‘the top 10 volleyball shoes of 2022’, but these can be quite overwhelming too. Luckily, Matthijs from Gents 1 and Kit from Gents 3 have tested a few.
Matthijs recently purchased the new Nike KD15. “Besides the fact they are officially basketball shoes, this shoe is in the top 5 volleyball shoes of the year according to several blogs.” They are comfortably tight, good for directional changes and good for the middle life, or so the tall diagonal player says. “Plus they have an awesome ‘Blue Tiger’ print on them, which ensures that everyone knows you're the star player!” Bought at the Nike webshop.
Kit has two go-to shoes for training and for games. “The first one is the Mizuno Wave Lightning Z6/Z7. This model feels light which makes it comfortable to use but that doesn’t make this model less durable. The second one is the Asics Sky Elite FF. It’s a bit thicker and more padded compared to the usual volleyball shoes like the Mizuno Wave Lightning Z6/Z7. The shock absorption is great with any movements. Good traction, durability and cushioning”. Bought at the volleybaldirect and volleybalshop webshop.
Niels from Gents 1: “Mizuno shoes are always really good.”
Terry from Ladies 3: “I actually always wear Mizuno's myself! I also used to wear Asics but the footbed from Mizuno just fits my feet better. I now have the Wave Bolt but before that I had the Wave Lightning which I actually liked better.”
Tessa from Ladies 1: “I myself have Mizuno as a fave brand, right now I am most fond of the Mizuno Wave Voltage because I have narrow feet and they fit very well.”
One more tip
Hopefully you’re better informed now to start shopping! A few SVU’ers mentioned useful websites already, such as Volleybaldirect.nl and Volleybalshop.nl. According to Terry, you can often succeed with getting a discount at the Volleybalshop, “you can just set your size, see what is available and what price you are willing to pay.” Kit: “both sites have a wide variety of products; shoes, t-shirts, sport bags, you name it!”.
Good volleyball shoes are often quite expensive. Sadly we couldn’t gather any special discount codes for you guys butttt… It’s no coincidence this blog was posted in November! With the holiday season coming, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to purchase a (few) new pair(s) between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And with Christmas around the corner, you’ll just need to add one more thing to your wishlist for Santa to make the investment! What a Winter Wonderland that’d be!
Or, be like Marije from Ladies 2 and wait for the discounts at the end of the summer ;)
Physical stores to check out:
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Intersport Twinsport
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Decathlon
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Perry Sport
Links to shop at:
- Volleybal Shop: https://www.volleybalshop.nl/
- Volleybaldirect: https://www.volleybaldirect.nl/
- Asics: https://www.asics.com/nl/nl-nl/
- Mizuno: https://emea.mizuno.com/nl/nl-nl/home/
- Plutosport: https://www.plutosport.nl/sporten/volleybal/schoenen
- Nike: https://www.nike.com/nl/en/
Sidenote: at Volleybaldirect you can get a 5% discount by logging in with your Nevobo! Find out how: https://www.volleybaldirect.nl/content/nevobo-korting
