Volleyball Shoes - Asics Gel Sensei 2 vs. Asics Volleycross Shoe

Volleyball shoes can effect your play, so it is important to find the right ones for you. There are lots of choices out there and the best ones are not all volleyball-specific.

I’m not a huge fan of combining two things that work perfectly well into one thing for the sake of convenience. Like the hybrid bike and 2-in-1 shampoo, most of these products only manage to do each task half as well.

But I thought I would take a look at Asics Volleycross shoe, which claims to be half volleyball shoe, half running shoe and compare it to Asics’s volleyball-specific shoe, the Gel Sensei 2.

Gel Sensei

The great thing about the Gel Sensei is that it is made with volleyball movement in mind. It has a low heel for good lateral movement. It also has good support and shock absorption for all the pounding your joints will take. But it also has some gimmicky add-ons that weren’t particularly noticeable.

For instance, Asics added what they call an “Impact Guidance System” that is supposed to help your feet perform more efficiently when jumping, landing or changing direction. It even has a Propulsion Plate that they claim helps with jumping efficiency. While all that sounds good, I really doubt that a shoe can really help you jump. So they get points for marketing, but none for actual added value.

Volleycross

Surprisingly the Volleycross is more lightweight (11.9 oz to the Sensei’s 15 oz.), has good traction and can absorb the pounding that volleyball brings. But it also has good support for running sprints or taking a jog without losing much of the lateral movement you need in a volleyball shoe.

One other difference is that the Volleycross has more mesh on the shoe making it cooler to wear. The Gel Sensei is mostly leather, trapping the heat in. I think this shoe is great if you need a quick transition from playing volleyball to running sprints in the gym. I’m not convinced they have enough cushion for outdoor running and I think that much activity would hasten the loss of gym floor traction.

The Verdict

I still think a straight up volleyball shoe is the best bet if you plan on playing multiple days a week. But if you’re not as avid and don’t want to spend money on two separate pairs of shoes for working out, the Volleycross might be your call. Keep in mind though, if you’re really using these shoes to play volleyball and to run outside, they’ll wear out twice as fast which could void any savings. At about $100 a pair for either shoe, you’re going to want to make them last.

Pros and Cons

Gel Sensei 2