Why to Wear Bowling Shoes

Bowling shoes are specialized footwear designed to optimize the performance of bowlers. Using specific shoes for bowling also helps preserve the condition of the bowling lanes. Bowling shoes can be customized based upon bowling style, bowler weight and size, amount of slide desired and bowler handedness.

  1. Protecting Lane Conditions

    • Bowling lanes need to be kept in excellent condition. This includes waxing the lanes and maintaining consistent approaches to the lanes. Using shoes that are also used on the street will scratch the approach and wear it down more quickly. It will also necessitate more frequent upkeep of the approaches and rewaxing the front portion of a lane when the unavoidable lane violation occurs. Using shoes that are only used inside bowling alleys helps to minimize these problems.

    Slide

    • Wearing bowling shoes with a bottom made of leather or other low-friction material enables a player to slide. Sliding slows the bowler to complete the delivery of the bowling ball with greater ease. Depending on the handedness of the bowler, one bowling shoe has a sole that is made of leather; this shoe goes on the dominant foot of the bowler. The other shoe will have a rubber sole. The high friction of the rubber will help the bowler stop before the foul line. Some bowlers will wear tennis shoes; bowlers who use tennis shoes will use their dominant foot as a plant in their delivery and won’t slide at all.

    Support

    • Most bowling deliveries require sliding on one foot at the finish. Depending on bowler weight, size and strength, different amounts of ankle and foot support are needed. Leather bowling shoes offer flexibility and range of motion. Composite shoes and ankle-high shoes offer greater support, though this comes with a slight sacrifice of flexibility. Due to this, only stronger bowlers with the ability to flex the material or heavier bowlers in need of greater support should use these types of shoes.

    Style

    • Most athletes like to add their own personal flair or style to their outfit. In bowling, this is done through bowling balls, outfits and bowling shoes. Shoes can be customized in color and shoe type. Some shoes are made of material that will glow under a black light, while others feature a classic design to give the appearance of vintage bowling shoes.

    Rental Bowling Shoes

    • Bowling lanes need to maintain lane conditions. Offering rental shoes allows bowling businesses to provide their customers with a lower-cost alternative to purchasing their own bowling shoes. This is especially beneficial to the recreational bowler who only bowls occasionally. Rental bowling shoes generally have leather on both shoes so that both right- and left-handed bowlers can slide.