5 Best Volleyball Shoes For Wide Feet (2022)
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Finding the perfect volleyball shoe fit can be challenging, especially if you have wide feet. So, what are the be volleyball shoes for wide feet?
The best men’s volleyball shoes for wide feet are the Under Armour Embiid 1 for their superior stability, widened base, and comfortable EVA material sock-liner.
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For women, I recommend the Asics Ballistic Netburners for their reliability, superior grip, and wider-than-average build compared with other volleyball shoes.
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If you’ve ever experienced tightness in your shoes that you shouldn’t, it might be because of your foot shape. There are many different foot shapes, and while some sports take shoe precision to the extreme – like ballroom or Latin dancing – others are a little more general.
Having too narrow a shoe can lead to ingrown toenails and other foot pain, none of which is conducive to playing great volleyball. Avoid this by buying shoes with the right foot shape for you, and get out there and dominate the court.
In addition to breaking down the 5 best volleyball shoes for wide feet, I’ll also discuss:
- Factors to consider when buying wide shoes for volleyball
- Must-have features for wide volleyball shoes
- Whether basketball shoes (instead of volleyball shoes) are suitable for wider feet
Factors to Consider When Buying Wider Shoes
1. Don’t Limit Yourself to Just Volleyball Shoes
While volleyball shoes are the best options for the sport, as they’re designed to meet all the needs of volleyball players, it’s important to remember they aren’t your only options.
Running shoes don’t have the right grip necessary to play indoors, so avoid them at all costs.
However, anything labeled as a “court shoe” works fine, and basketball shoes, in particular, are a great alternative option for wider feet.
Check out my article: Are Basketball Shoes Good For Volleyball?
2. Brand Sizing
It’s important to realize that while different brands might provide the same size shoe, they don’t necessarily make them in the same shape (in fact, they rarely do).
This means that most people have a range in sizes that they fit from within half a size to several sizes between. This can make finding the right size not only costly but incredibly tedious.
For volleyball shoe brands, there’s a quick general rule to follow when thinking about sizing:
- Asics and Nike run wide
- Mizuno and Adidas run narrow
Keep that in mind, and even without trying shoes on in person, you’ll find better fits faster, with way fewer returns.
3. Price
This can be hard to hear, but the price really does make a difference.
At the end of the day, the more you are willing to pay, the better quality of shoes you’ll find.
I know that some shoes can range into the hundreds – rightfully or not – and that can be intimidating. Some of the shoes in this article are expensive, but they’re included because they’re worth it (if you have the money).
That’s not to say that more affordable options aren’t on the table, but they can have issues that more expensive products won’t. Unfortunately, a big factor in that is shoe shape. The better quality the shoes, the more likely you are to find shoes that truly fit right.
If you’re playing volleyball seriously, I would recommend investing in a good pair of shoes. The right fit is a game-changer, and definitely worth the money to help you perform better and – more importantly – avoid injury.
5 Best Volleyball Shoes For Wide Feet
The five best volleyball shoes for wide feet are:
- Under Armour Embiid 1 – Best Men’s Overall
- Asics Ballistic Netburner – Best Women’s Overall
- Harden Vol 1s – Best Toe Width
- Dame 7 – Best Ball (Foot) Width
- Asics Volley Elite FF – Best In-Between
Under Armour Embiid 1 – Best Men’s Overall
Lightweight and designed with open-hole mesh for ultimate breathability.
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The best men’s volleyball shoes for wide feet overall are the Under Armour Embiid 1s.
It might surprise some readers to see Under Armour at the top of this list, and believe me – I’m just as surprised.
While these shoes may not immediately feel as nice as more famous name-brand basketball shoes like Kobes or the Dames (also included in this list!), the benefits these shoes offer players with wide feet at the price point they manage to make them more than worth looking into.
The Embiid 1s are lightweight and designed with open-hole mesh for ultimate breathability – an important feature for volleyball as we want to reduce our jumping fatigue as much as possible. With its wrap-around rubber outsole and unique traction pattern, this shoe has fantastic lateral movement and truly uses a player’s wider feet to its advantage.
The Embiid 1s have great ankle support with a high collar, but they perform well in comfort too with their EVA material sockliner that makes them easy to slip into and molds well to your foot when wearing. With their widened base – plainly intended for wider feet – this shoe is literally built to cater to your needs.
I would highly recommend the Embiid 1s to any player who has struggled with shoe sizing and comfort around the balls of their feet and doesn’t want to drop a fortune on custom-sized shoes. A good shoe, and a great choice for volleyball.
Pros:
- Wide base
- Unique traction pattern
- Affordable
- EVA sockliner
- Good stability
- Ankle support
- Breathable
Cons:
- Not as durable as competitors
- Inferior outsole rubber material
Asics Ballistic Netburner – Best Women’s Overall
Known for having great, affordable shoes that fit well and consistently perform at high levels of athleticism while being comfortable.
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The best women’s volleyball shoes for wide feet overall are the Asics Ballistic Netburners.
Asics is known for having great, affordable shoes that fit well and consistently perform at high levels of athleticism while being comfortable, and the Netburners are another great example of this at work.
Designed specifically to be a little heavier and stable than other Asics options, the widened base offers players a little more leeway when it comes to finding shoes for wide feet. While the EVA sockliner and shoe shape comfortably accommodate space in the ball of the foot, it does fall somewhat short of toe space as it tapers to a point.
Very reliable, the Netburners showcase Flytefoam technology in the midsole to give extra support and “bounce” when running for a ball. Asics’ premium gum rubber outsole has – as always – amazing grip and is my favorite material for volleyball shoes, hands-down. With its specially textured pattern on the ball of the foot, it gives additional support and traction when you need it.
Last but not least, the Netburners have an EVA sockliner to heighten your comfort even further. This Ortholite insole is removable and easily washable, meaning that keeping your shoes clean, sweat-free, and smelling nice is easier than ever!
Convenient and reliably excellent, I would recommend these shoes to any women’s volleyball player looking for shoes for wider feet.
Pros:
- Superior grip
- Wide base
- EVA sockliner
- Removable insole
Cons:
- Toe tapers to a point
- Can be expensive
Harden Vol 1s – Best Toe Width
They have great toe space, fantastic grip with their gum rubber outsoles and "Responsive Boost" and are comfortable to use.
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The Harden Vol 1s have the best toe width for wide feet.
My feet are pretty narrow except for my toes, which always end up getting squished together uncomfortably in shoes, whether I’m on the court or in a suit. Because of this, flip flops are probably my favorite footwear (or hiking boots), and if you have the same problem I bet you can relate.
The Harden Vol 1s are built for people like us, and while the midfoot is rather narrow the forefoot is very spacious yet secure, thanks to an additional layer of upper textiles that gives it stability.
They also have a fantastic grip with their gum rubber outsoles and “Responsive Boost” midsole that amplifies your power when mid-motion. This, combined with its sock-like construction that makes them extremely comfortable to slip in and out of, means that you’ll always be in control – foot secure and not sliding around – whether you’re setting, passing, or spiking on the court.
While the Harden Vol 2s (and up) are available, I’ve found that they are a little less roomy in the forefoot. That said, they continue to build upon their comfort, adding better ankle support and superior grip as they go, and may be worth checking out if you find success with the Vol 1s.
Pros:
- Good toe space
- Gum rubber sole
- Comfortable
- Mid-range price
Cons:
- A little narrow in the heel and midfoot
- Slightly outdated design (series goes up to Vol 6 currently)
Dame 7 – Best Ball (Foot) Width
With a stylish outer design and a flexible interior cushioning for maximum comfort, this shoe adapts to your foot to get the best possible performance possible.
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The Dame 7s is a great option in terms of needing more ‘ball’ foot width.
When it comes to foot width options for volleyball, basketball shoes are definitely the way to go. Within that, the Dame 7s is one of the best options on the market.
With a stylish outer design and flexible interior cushioning for maximum comfort, this shoe adapts to your foot to get the best possible performance possible. Lightweight in terms of basketball shoes, the rubber outsole provides great grip on the court and is ideal for both defense and offense.
The wide construction of the base is consistent throughout the sole, meaning that there shouldn’t be any point where you feel uncomfortable.
The sizing for the Dame 7s is in men’s sizes, but these shoes are great for unisex use also. Women’s players should size down either 1 or 1.5 sizes to get an accurate fit, but if done properly should benefit men’s and women’s players equally.
Overall, a great shoe and a fantastic general (“mixed”) option for players with offensive and defensive roles, and wide feet.
Pros:
- Complete widened base
- Lightstrike cushioning
- Solid construction
- Unisex
Cons:
- Expensive
- Doesn’t benefit any individual position
Asics Volley Elite FF – Best In-Between
These shoes are a bit of jack-of-all-trades. A breathable mesh upper provides durability during movement on court.
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The Asics Volley Elite FF shoes are a great ‘in-between shoe’ if you need a slighter wider shoe, but not as wide as the rest on this list.
These shoes are a bit of jack-of-all-trades, with a wider base without being built specifically to cater to that market. A breathable mesh upper provides durability during movement on the court, and the lace design seats the heel properly with its heel-lock eyelets (or “volleyball eyelets”).
An Ortholite sockliner provides cushioning, while its Trusstic System technology in the midfoot helps control twisting, making these shoes not only more stable but safer to play in also. With GEL technology in the heel to support spikers and blockers’ landing with shock absorption, this shoe is incredibly flexible in different roles and has a lot of potential throughout a team.
As always, the Asics superior gum rubber makes up the outer sole of these shoes and gives a high level of traction on the court.
I would recommend these shoes to anyone who has struggled to find a happy medium between a normal shoe and purely wide-footed options, as it gives more room while maintaining a secure fit that will not work for many true wide-footed players.
Pros:
- Wider design
- Heel-lock
- Good traction
- Great shock absorption
Cons:
- Not for “true” wide feet
- Expensive
Learn more about Asics shoes in my article Best Asics Volleyball Shoes.
Features to Look For In A Wide Volleyball Shoe
I’ve listed quite a few desirable features to look for in a volleyball shoe – whether it’s officially titled that or otherwise – but this requires slightly more explanation in terms of wider feet.
Volleyball shoes are traditionally lightweight with great grip. Good shoes will have either heel-lock eyelets or ankle support, and great shoes will have all four of these things. But if you had to sacrifice one, I would choose the weight.
Heavier shoes mean more tiring jumping, but that also means more of a workout when playing. You will eventually get used to them and it will become less of an issue or noticeable. It becomes a non-issue, as opposed to the feature of traction and grip strength that soles should offer.
Traction is non-negotiable in volleyball: you need it to play. Not only that, you need it to be safe. It affects everything from reaction time to how we land, and everything in between.
Luckily, those of us with wider feet have a larger area to contact the floor with, increasing our potential power on push-off. This makes it even more worthwhile to have shoes with good traction, and equally damaging to be without it.
Final Thoughts
The best men’s volleyball shoes for wide feet overall are the Under Armour Embiid 1 for their superior midfoot stability, widened base, and the comfortable EVA material sockliner that provides additional support and cushioning.
The best women’s volleyball shoes for wide feet overall are the Asics Ballistic Netburners for their reliability, superior grip, EVA sock liner, and wider construction than other volleyball shoe brands offer.
While good shoes can be expensive – especially when faced with basketball shoe options – a good shoe is a solid investment into your body, health, and performance that pays itself back over and over again. A better shoe means a better fit and can help you play happier and better than ever before.
Other Volleyball Shoe Resources
- What Shoes Do You Wear For Volleyball (Features Explained)
- Can You Wear Basketball Shoes For Volleyball? (Pros and Cons)
- Do Mizuno, ASICS, Adidas, or Nike Make Better Volleyball Shoes?
- What are the Differences Between Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Shoes?
- How You Should Clean and Take Care of Volleyball Shoes
- Best Volleyball Shoes For Flat Feet
- Can You Wear Volleyball Shoes Outside? We Asked A Coach
- Best Nike Volleyball Shoes
About The Author
Ailan Samuel is a writer and athlete who has played volleyball at the university, club, and national level since 2012. He has competed successfully in both beach and indoor competitions, resulting in four silver and two gold medals, and was awarded the Half-Blue while playing in Scotland. He received his MA in English and Medieval History from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and is currently studying for his MA in Publishing and Creative Writing at Bournemouth University.
