Which shoes, which ball, what to wear and whether you need knee pads — the honest gear list for a safe start in indoor volleyball.
## Introduction The honest answer first: for indoor volleyball you need surprisingly little — cushioned court shoes, a size 5 ball and comfortable sportswear, that's the core of it. By far the most important item is the shoes, and not for style reasons: on landing, 3.5 to 6 body weights act on your joints, and a well-cushioned court shoe cuts the loading rate by around 43% — the protection is strongest exactly when you get tired and your muscle control fades. Everything else is comfort and fine-tuning. Here is the honest list of what you really have to buy and what can wait.
## What you need - Court shoes with good cushioning, lateral support and a light, non-marking sole - A size 5 volleyball (approx. 260–280 g, circumference 65–67 cm) for adults - Freedom-of-movement sportswear (shirt, shorts or tights) - Optional: knee pads for defence - Optional: finger tape and a water bottle
## Step by step ### 1. Shoes first Spend your money here. A court shoe needs three things: good cushioning (protects knee and ankle on landing), lateral support (you move sideways a lot) and a grippy, abrasion-resistant sole. Volleyball has many accelerations and lunges, so forefoot cushioning tends to matter more than pure heel cushioning (practical experience). Running shoes are unsuitable — they lack lateral support.
### 2. Choose the right ball For adults, size 5 is standard. If your forearms resent the bump early on, take a softer soft-touch or school ball — it removes the sting without teaching you a wrong technique. Owning a ball for solo wall practice is, in my view, the best small investment there is.
### 3. Clothing No rules here: anything you can freely bend, throw and jump in works. Many play in a shirt and shorts or tights. More important than the brand is that nothing pinches or slips.
### 4. Protection as needed Knee pads aren't a must, but they make sense once you often go into low defence or throw yourself to the floor — they protect against bruises and abrasions, not tendon problems. Finger tape helps if your fingers are sensitive on the set.
### 5. Care and replacement Wear court shoes indoors only, otherwise dirt gets into the sole and the grip is gone. Wipe the sole with a damp cloth when needed. And replace shoes before the cushioning is completely flat — that is exactly when landing load rises again.
## Common mistakes - Playing in running shoes → no lateral support, sprain risk. Fix: a real court shoe. - Too hard a ball for sensitive forearms → you dodge the technique. Fix: soft-touch ball to start. - Keeping flat, worn-out shoes → cushioning gone, load high. Fix: replace in time. - Seeing knee pads as a cure-all → they protect skin, not the patellar tendon. Fix: add technique and landing.
## Safety notes - Test grip briefly before each session — slippery soles are the number one sprain trap. - Ankle injuries are the most common acute volleyball injury; if you've rolled an ankle before, consider a brace or tape. - Break in new shoes over a few sessions before jumping fully. - Keep fingernails short — long nails plus a hard ball are a bad combination.
## Pro tip If you prioritise only one thing, make it shoe cushioning — noticeably so. A cushioned shoe's protective effect is greatest under fatigue (up to −24% loading rate when tired), exactly the phase of a long match day when most injuries happen. A second pair of fresh shoes for tournament days is not a luxury but prevention.
## FAQ ### Which shoes do I need for indoor volleyball? A court shoe with good cushioning, lateral support and a grippy, non-marking sole. Running shoes are unsuitable because they lack lateral support. Cushioning is decisive: it cuts landing load by around 43% and protects especially under fatigue. Forefoot cushioning tends to matter more in volleyball than pure heel cushioning.
### Which ball size do I need as a beginner? For adults, size 5 is standard (around 260–280 g). If your forearms find the bump painful early on, take a softer soft-touch or school ball — it reduces the sting without you developing a workaround technique. Once your technique sits, switch to a regular match ball.
### Do you need knee pads for volleyball? They aren't a must, but they make sense once you often go into low defence or throw yourself to the floor. Knee pads protect against bruises and abrasions on the hard court — not tendon problems like jumper's knee. Anyone playing a lot of defence will soon value them; pure setting or serving sessions barely need them.
### What do I wear for volleyball? Freedom-of-movement sportswear you can bend, throw and jump in — shirt and shorts or tights are common. There are no rules; it just matters that nothing pinches or slips. In cold halls, a thin jacket for warming up helps, which you take off after the warm-up.
Volleyball: Basic Stance and Fundamentals