Volleyball and Badminton are 2 different sports, yet they’ve got a lot of similarities like the field both sports are played in, the Net, the high playing pace as well as other things …
This pushes many amateurs to think or at least to wonder whether it is possible to use volleyball shoes for badminton as well.
Yes, it is possible to use volleyball shoes in a sport like badminton. This won’t have significant impact on most moves especially if the intent is to practice on an amateur level. However, on a pro level, it is highly recommended to use badminton shoes as these are 100% compliant with the specificities of the sport.
In this article, I breakdown the pros and cons of each shoes and what you need to know before using volley shoes in any other sport, especially badminton!
Using volleyball shoes for badminton (Pros and Cons)
We all know that cost is also a big factor to consider when buying shoes, and if you are a multi-sport person like me then it is not really feasible to have separate shoes for all the sports you play.
That’s why, If you mainly play volleyball, it is best to use a good and sturdy pair of volleyball shoes (Check This example) that you might consider to use for another sport like badminton.
I would recommend you doing so as far as you are aware of these Pros and Cons!
Pros
- Volleyball shoes use low ankle support and also have more space inside for inserting an ankle brace, which lends more support for your ankles when jumping.
- Volleyball shoes offer better shock absorption features than badminton shoes.
- They also have more padding in the front as compared to badminton shoes. This helps provide more protection from the shock of jumping and landing on your feet.
- Volleyball shoes also do not leave a mark on the court since the sole of these shoes are made out of gum rubber, just like the badminton shoes.
Cons
- If you have volleyball shoes for an indoor court, you cannot use them for outdoor badminton. Indoor volleyball shoes are typically made up of gum rubber outsoles, and these outsoles can easily get damaged if you play on rough outdoor surfaces. So it is not advisable to use them for outdoor badminton. You can, however, use indoor volleyball shoes for indoor badminton.
- Volleyball shoes are heavier than badminton shoes, and they will drag you down when you try to jump to take a shot in badminton.
- Wearing shoes that are not specifically made for that sport will increase the chances of injuries (but not much) if the game intensity is high.
Difference between volleyball and badminton shoes …
Here are some of the basic differences between volleyball and badminton shoes:
- The soles of both volleyball and badminton shoes are cushiony, but the difference is in the thickness of the sole. Volleyball shoes need to have a thick cushion as compared to a badminton shoes.
- Volleyball shoes with such thick cushions support the side movement and protect the player from falling, which is not the case in badminton shoes.
- Thin cushioning in badminton soles provides a lower center of gravity and lends stability. This also prevents the shoes from making marks in the court.
- There is more padding available in volleyball shoes, which helps absorb the shock while jumping, which is more intense than in badminton.
- The weight of a badminton shoe is much lower than a volleyball shoe, which allows the fast movement of the player.
- Volleyball shoes provide more lateral support, which improves the ankle strength of the player and prevents ankle injury.
By the way, I’ve recently published an article about the difference between volleyball and lifting shoes that you probably should check!
Badminton moves to avoid with volleyball shoes …
Badminton is a sport that requires a lot of arm action & footwork, that’s why arms and legs should beneficiate from as much freedom as needed …
All the moves that I am about to say should not be avoided like 100%, this is just meant to educate you on the moves that might cause some issues in case you are playing badminton with volleyball shoes:
- Jumping too high: Volleyball players have to jump quite high. In fact, the higher they are able to jump, the better it will be for them to hit or block the ball. Volleyball shoes are designed to allow the player to jump higher. So, since in badminton you rarely see players jumping so higher, that’s why this might disturb your jumping timing.
- Forward movements: Volleyball shoes use an outsole traction pattern that is ideal for side-to-side movement, and it prevents you from slipping. Forward motion is rarely used in volleyball unless you are attacking. However, in badminton, players have to indulge in a lot of back and forth movements. Due to this, volleyball shoes are not suitable for this frequent motion.
- Landing on your feet after jumping: Badminton shoes are made of gum rubber outsole, but they are thinner than the outsole of volleyball shoes. This design provides greater stability and lowers the center of gravity as much as possible. However, volleyball shoes need to have a thick outsole since volleyball players have to jump high and land back down, and the shoes must keep their feet protected when they land back down.
Now, can you use badminton shoes for volleyball?
Badminton shoes are not ideal for playing volleyball because of two main differences – which are the weight of the shoes and the thickness of the sole.
A typical pair of badminton shoes weigh between 250 to 330 grams. On the other hand, an average pair of volleyball shoes weigh between 300 to 400 grams.
Since badminton shoes are lighter, they are not going to provide the protection a volleyball player needs, especially when jumping up and down.
When it comes to the soles of these two shoes, though they are primarily made of the same material, gum rubber, but the soles of badminton shoes are thinner than those on volleyball shoes.
The difference in thickness of soles is more important than you may think. The thin soles of badminton shoes give you a lower center of gravity to improve stability and traction, but the thin soles may hurt your feet when you jump in volleyball, and your feet hit the ground when you come back down.
BTW, I invite you to have a look at those differences between badminton and volleyball net! This will give you a totally different perspective on how things work for both sports …
Any shoe type that can be used for both sports?
Quick Tip: If you do your research properly, there are some shoes that could well fit volleyball and badminton at the same time. For example those quality shoes could be used for both sports at an amateur level without really any problems.
With all the side-to-side movements mixed with constant jumping, both volleyball and badminton shoes are made to absorb the impact of the sport and also stick to the floor when needed.
While you should ideally use specialized shoes that are made for each sport, if you have no option, tennis shoes can still be used for both badminton and volleyball.
Tennis and badminton are very similar sports, but of course, they do have certain differences as well. Both sports have similar movements. Tennis is played on different courts that include synthetic, grass, and clay, and badminton is usually only played indoors/outdoors on the cemented or synthetic courts.
Tennis and volleyball are again two different sports, but indoor tennis shoes are used on soft courts, just like indoor volleyball courts.
Final Thoughts …
Again if you are a multi-sport person like me, then you should certainly have a main sport (in this case volleyball) and additional sports you like to practice …
Of course, having specific equipment for each sport is the best thing you should do, yet if you’ve got limited budget, then I recommend buying the best quality equipment you can (like shoes) for your main sport (like volleyball) and then use those equipment (if it makes sense) for other sports as far as they have enough similarities.
Finally, to expand your knowledge about this topic, I highly invite you to learn about volleyball shoes that professionals use!