Volley
Australian footwear brand known for durable canvas sneakers, tennis heritage and the Volley International silhouette.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Volley is an Australian footwear brand whose roots date to 1939, when Dunlop Australia introduced the Volley OC as a high-grip tennis shoe. The shoe was developed with input from Adrian Quist, an Australian tennis player and Dunlop employee, after Quist encountered a boat shoe with a herringbone outsole during a Davis Cup trip to the United States. He encouraged Dunlop to create a sports shoe with comparable grip. The resulting canvas shoe used a vulcanised rubber sole and was designed for traction on court surfaces. The Volley became associated with Australian tennis through use by prominent players including Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ken Rosewall. Its sporting visibility helped establish the shoe as a recognizable national product, while its practical construction also attracted customers outside competitive tennis. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Volleys were widely used by roofers, wood choppers, painters, hikers and other workers or outdoor users who valued the outsole's grip and the shoe's relatively simple construction. From 1978 to 1985, the brand experienced a particularly high level of sales in Australia and the shoe was described as a standard tennis choice in the country. The brand's best-known design development came in the 1970s, when Dunlop introduced the Volley International. This version revised the upper and used a direct-injection thermoplastic sole. The familiar green-and-gold detailing associated with the Australian identity of the shoe emerged during this period. The standard contemporary appearance is generally a white canvas upper with woven three-stripe tape at the heel, while green-and-gold and all-black variants have also been offered. The basic visual language has changed relatively little since the original model. Volley also developed specialist and adjacent versions. In the early 1980s, Dunlop briefly offered a high-top or basketball-boot interpretation of the Volley International. The design extended the canvas around the ankle, providing protection and reducing the entry of debris without being intended as a supportive performance ankle boot. The model became valued by some rafters and bushwalkers because of its grip, low weight and suitability for wet or rocky environments. Volleys have also been associated with Australian canyoning because of their traction on wet, slippery rock. The footwear was issued to the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force until the late 1980s and has been reported as continuing in use with the Royal Australian Navy, sometimes alongside substitute products. Production and brand management changed over time. Dunlop Footwear moved production offshore in 1998, and Dunlop Sport became part of Pacific Brands in 2004. By 2009, the Dunlop Volley label had expanded into numerous casual slip-on products and was reported to be affected by quality problems and frequent supplier changes. In 2011, Dunlop separated Volley as a stand-alone brand, restored the Volley International's 1970s styling and returned the original OC and SS models to the range. A High Leap variation followed in 2012. Between 2014 and 2017, the brand introduced additional styles, including Grass-Court, developed in collaboration with Tony Bianco, and positioned some products at prices above AUD100. The brand is now manufactured by Brand Collective. Brand Collective was separated from the wider Pacific Brands structure and sold to Anchorage Capital Partners in November 2014. Volley remains positioned around classic Australian sportswear, canvas construction, recognizable heritage styling and everyday wear rather than highly technical contemporary performance footwear.
History
Volley began in 1939 as a Dunlop Australia tennis shoe. Its development is linked to Adrian Quist, an Australian tennis player and Dunlop employee who saw the potential of a boat-shoe-style herringbone sole after borrowing such footwear during a Davis Cup tournament in the United States. On returning to Australia, Quist persuaded Dunlop to develop a high-grip sports shoe. The first model, the Volley OC, used a cotton-canvas upper and a vulcanised rubber outsole. The initials OC were associated with the model's orthopaedically correct positioning. The shoe quickly acquired a place in Australian tennis culture. Players associated with Volleys included Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Ken Rosewall. The product's value was not limited to professional sport: its grip and straightforward construction made it useful for workers and outdoor users. Roofers, wood choppers, painters and hikers adopted the shoe, while later Australian canyoners valued it for traction on wet rock. A notable sporting moment came in 1976, when Mark Edmondson won the Australian Open wearing Dunlop Volleys. In the 1970s, Dunlop launched the Volley International. This version changed the upper construction and introduced a direct-injection thermoplastic sole. The model's green-and-gold stripe around the ankle and heel became an important visual marker, although plain white versions had preceded it. The period from 1978 to 1985 brought especially strong Australian sales, and the Volley became a broadly recognized tennis shoe. The product was also used by the Australian defence services: it was standard issue for the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force until the late 1980s, while the Royal Australian Navy continued to issue it according to the available historical account. Dunlop experimented with a high-top basketball-boot version of the Volley International in the early 1980s. Although it was not designed as a technical ankle-support product, its extended canvas upper protected the ankle and helped keep sand and debris out. Rafters and bushwalkers appreciated the lighter weight and herringbone traction compared with conventional hiking boots. The version was no longer available by 1983. The manufacturing and corporate context changed in the following decades. Dunlop Footwear moved production offshore in 1998. In 2004, Dunlop Sport became part of Pacific Brands, a broader Australian consumer-products group. The Volley label later suffered from range dilution, supplier changes and reported production-quality issues. In response, Dunlop re-established Volley as a stand-alone brand in 2011. The company restored the 1970s-era Volley International design and brought the OC and SS models back into the product assortment. The High Leap variation was introduced in 2012. From 2014 through 2017, Volley expanded the range with new fashion and lifestyle interpretations. One example was Grass-Court, made in collaboration with the Tony Bianco footwear brand. These products drew on older Dunlop tennis silhouettes and helped move some Volleys into a higher retail price tier, with reported prices exceeding AUD100. In November 2014, the Brand Collective business containing Volley was sold by Pacific Brands to Anchorage Capital Partners, a private-equity firm. Volley is identified as being manufactured by Brand Collective. The brand's heritage continued to be used in public and cultural settings. Dunlop Volleys formed part of the official Australian Olympic team uniform for the Tokyo 2020 Games. The footwear also retained a specialist reputation among Australian canyoners because of its performance on wet, slippery rock. Contemporary Volley designs continue to use the brand's core formula: canvas uppers, rubber soles, simple court-derived shapes and restrained retro detailing. The standard design is generally white with three-stripe woven tape at the heel, while green-and-gold and black versions provide alternate expressions of the established identity.
- 2020
Tokyo Olympic team uniform association
[1]Dunlop Volleys formed part of the official Australian Olympic team uniform for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
- 2014
Brand Collective sold to Anchorage Capital Partners
[1]The Brand Collective business containing Volley was sold to Anchorage Capital Partners in November 2014.
- 2012
High Leap variation released
[1]Volley added the High Leap variation of the International model.
- 2011
Volley becomes a stand-alone brand
[1]Dunlop separated Volley from the wider label, restored the 1970s Volley International styling and reintroduced the OC and SS models.
- 2004
Dunlop Sport joins Pacific Brands
[1]Dunlop Sport became part of the Pacific Brands group.
- 1998
Dunlop Footwear moves production offshore
[1]Dunlop Footwear shifted manufacturing outside Australia.
- 1983
High-top basketball-boot version discontinued
[1]The briefly offered high-top or basketball-boot version was no longer available by 1983.
- 1978
High-volume Australian sales period begins
[1]The Volley entered a period of particularly strong sales in Australia, continuing through 1985.
- 1976
Australian Open visibility
[1]Mark Edmondson won the Australian Open wearing Dunlop Volleys, increasing the shoe's public sporting visibility.
- 1970
Volley International developed
[1]Dunlop introduced the Volley International with a revised upper and direct-injection thermoplastic sole. The exact launch year is described as the 1970s rather than a more specific date.
Products and positioning
Heritage Australian casual-sports footwear emphasizing durable canvas uppers, court-derived grip, recognizable retro styling and everyday versatility.
Heritage tennis sneaker · 1939
Volley OC
The original Volley model introduced in 1939 as a tennis shoe. It used a cotton-canvas upper and rubber sole, with the design focused on dependable court grip and straightforward construction. The model was returned to the range when Volley was re-established as a stand-alone brand in 2011.
Heritage athletic sneaker · 1970
Volley International
Introduced in the 1970s, the Volley International updated the original shoe with a revised upper and direct-injection thermoplastic sole. It became the defining Volley silhouette and is associated with the brand's green-and-gold detailing, court heritage and broad popularity in Australia from the late 1970s into the 1980s.
Heritage sneaker
Volley SS
An older Volley design brought back into the product range during the brand's 2011 stand-alone relaunch. Available source material identifies its reintroduction but does not provide a fuller current specification.
High-top sneaker · 2012
Volley High Leap
A higher-cut variation of the Volley International released in 2012. It extended the classic Volley concept into a more elevated silhouette while retaining the brand's heritage athletic styling.
Fashion tennis sneaker
Volley Grass-Court
A style released between 2014 and 2017 in collaboration with Tony Bianco. The model drew on older Dunlop tennis silhouettes and contributed to Volley's move toward more fashion-oriented products and higher retail price points.
High-top canvas sneaker
Volley Hi-Top
A high-top expression of the Volley design language. Historical high-top versions were associated with basketball styling and outdoor use, but the available reference does not establish whether every current Hi-Top product is directly descended from the early-1980s basketball boot.
Brand decisions
2014
Sale of Brand Collective to Anchorage Capital PartnersM&ABackground
Volley was part of the Brand Collective business separated from the wider Pacific Brands structure.
Action taken
Pacific Brands sold Brand Collective to Anchorage Capital Partners in November 2014.
Aftermath
Volley continued under the Brand Collective manufacturing and brand structure, while new styles were introduced during the 2014–2017 period.
2014
Expansion into fashion-led tennis silhouettesProduct launchBackground
Volley sought to build on its heritage while broadening its lifestyle and fashion appeal.
Action taken
The brand released styles including Grass-Court in collaboration with Tony Bianco, drawing on historic Dunlop tennis shapes.
Aftermath
These styles helped elevate the brand and some Volleys were sold at retail prices above AUD100; no specific financial series is available.
2012
Launch of Volley High LeapProduct launchBackground
Following the 2011 brand relaunch, Volley expanded its core International silhouette.
Action taken
The company released the High Leap variation of the Volley International.
Aftermath
The product extended the brand's classic court styling into a higher-cut format.
2011
Separate Volley from the broader Dunlop labelStrategyBackground
By 2009, the Dunlop Volley range had reportedly broadened into many casual slip-on products and faced production-quality and supplier issues.
Action taken
Dunlop made Volley a stand-alone brand, restored the 1970s Volley International design and returned the OC and SS models to the range.
Aftermath
The move refocused the brand on its recognizable tennis and heritage identity. A High Leap variation was added the following year.
Recent events
VB and Volley launch the Reliable Travellers shoe[3]
Reported:
Victoria Bitter and Volley collaborated to launch the special-edition ‘Reliable Travellers’ sneaker ahead of Christmas 2020. The shoe features the VB logo and uses Volley’s Heritage High silhouette.
Sources3 sources
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