Which shoes, which ball, what to wear and whether you need knee pads — the honest gear list for a safe start in indoor volleyball.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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