Bowling Shoes
For people who seldom go to bowling alleys for a game of bowling on Friday or Saturday nights, it seems illogical and impractical to buy their own bowling shoes given that these pairs are typically rented from bowling facilities. Yet, no matter how fun bowling is, rental bowling shoes that have been worn by hundreds of anonymous pairs of feet isn’t any fun at all.
The Importance Of Having Your Own Pair
Serious bowlers know better than bowling equipment and accessories just to be able to play. For one, nothing could be more comforting to know the reek in your shoes comes from you alone but besides that, it’s the gotten-used-to-it feeling that makes your performance a bit different than using rental equipment and apparel. At some point, it’s far from being hygienic.
If bowling has developed into a habit, you should consider buying your personal bowling shoes. Sneakers and street shoes simply will not do on the wooden lane and are totally inappropriate for bowling action. Sneakers’ soles are made of high-friction material which can prevent you from performing your best where feet positioning are concerned.
Bowling shoes are designed particularly for the sport itself. In general, they come with one traction sole and one sliding sole. If you’re used to renting bowling shoes you might not have noticed it because the soles of rental bowling shoes are typically the same. These are multi-purpose soles meant for braking or sliding.
When using two-type soled shoes, it is also important to consider whether you’re left-handed or right-handed. If you bowl with your right hand, then the sliding sole should be placed on your left foot. For better performance, you may buy shoes with interchangeable soles so you can use them on various lane conditions. This type of shoes are what seasoned bowlers use to maximize agility and foot work. The latter is very important in bowling since it determines the amount of force you exert in order to roll the ball in the direction you aimed it to.
Being in a tight budget is not an excuse for not being able to buy your own shoes. There are plenty of brands of cheap bowling shoes available in many stores nationwide as well as on the Internet. However, make sure that you take into account the quality of a pair of bowling shoes. With the marked-down price, there might be some glitches with the shoes that would be difficult to mend later on. Therefore, choose wisely among cheap bowling shoes.
Just like buying ordinary pair of shoes, getting the right fit is important in picking out the right pair for comfort while playing. Each pair should fit well both in width and length. You can always ask for assistance from the sports store personnel if it’s your first time to buy.
Another element of comfort is the option between shoe-laced or Velcro bowling shoes. There are advantages and disadvantages to both styles of closures. Shoe-laced shoes are probably more secure than Velcro but it takes a certain amount of time to tied shoelaces, doesn’t it? With Velcro, you simply need to refasten the flaps and off you go. However, Velcro bowling shoes can eventually lose its traction and will hold the shoes no longer usable.
Dexter bowling shoes have Velcro styles with unisex designs. The shoes have anti-sweat feature (through the fabric lining) to keep feet dry. They also have raised rubber heels for ease of movement.
Bowling shoes significantly impact your game, which is reason enough to choose the right bowling shoes, that is, the ones with a great fit, are comfortable, and easy to use on the floor.