When you go bowling, you must wear bowling shoes. This special type of footwear features softer soles which protect the approach area surface while also helping you deliver a better shot.
Most beginners rent bowling shoes from the alley, which costs you just a couple of bucks.
But if you look at the math, you’ll see that even a casual bowler will benefit from buying his or her own pair.
It’s common for a pair of rental shoes to cost $4 at a bowling alley. A wide variety of bowling shoe models, including the popular BSI 540 white/black style (right), cost $24 or less.
This means that if you plan to go bowling at least six times, buying a pair of your own will save you money.
I know some beginners who go bowling more than this in a single month!
Even the most casual of bowlers will make back their investment in a very short time.
Browse the most popular bowling shoes on Amazon.com
Advantages of Custom Bowling Shoes
In addition to the price, there are many more reasons why getting your own pair of bowling shoes is a good idea.
Rental shoes are usually older, cheaper and more worn-out. Bowling alleys don’t usually want to spend the money to replace them.
Also, many bowlers don’t enjoy putting on footwear that has already been worn by hundreds of other people.
You can find affordable bowling shoes that come in a variety of colors and much cooler designs, and they will also have added features such as padded insoles and linings.
Also, as is the case with a custom ball, your own pair of bowling shoes will fit you much more comfortably, which will help your balance and facilitate and easy delivery.
Using the same equipment every time will provide consistency, which will allow you to focus completely on your bowling stroke.
Performance Bowling Shoes
The basic type of bowling shoes for beginners are known as athletic shoes.
If you’re a serious bowler, however, you’ll want to learn about the other variety available: performance shoes.
These special bowling shoes are made with different types of soles for each foot, depending on which hand you bowl with.
The softer, sliding sole will only be on the foot opposite your bowling hand, which is known as your lead foot.
That means that a right handed bowler’s pair will have a sliding sole on the left shoe, because that is the one he or she slides with on the approach.
The other shoe will be constructed to have more traction to slow down and stabilize your body as you make your delivery.
In order to avoid confusion, you pick performance shoes as Right or Left Handed, which may sound strange at first, but it makes the most sense if you think about it.
If you’re doing a general search, you can look for the words “Right Hand,” Left Hand” or “Performance” in the item title or description to identify performance shoes.
They will usually be a bit more expensive and are usually reserved for more experienced bowlers. Check out a few different models of performance bowling shoes here.
Where to Buy Cheap Bowling Shoes?
There are a couple possibilities for buying bowling shoes. Some might opt to browse a large department store, but these will usually have very little selection and poor quality.
You can also try the pro shop at your local bowling alley, which will have many more options. But in general, you’ll find the biggest selection and best discounts by shopping online.
Our recommendation for buying bowling shoes online is Amazon.com They allow several bowling retailers to compete in their marketplace, which results in the cheapest prices anywhere.
And you get the benefits of the most trusted online vendor in existence, reviews from other buyers, and lots of handy ways to browse products.
Here are a few of our favorite models for a first pair of bowling shoes at Amazon. Click on a shoe to view its details, and browse the other available styles if these designs aren’t your favorite.
View best-selling bowling shoe models at Amazon.
We hope this article has been helpful in explaining the benefits of picking up a pair of bowling shoes.
All in all, you’ll save money, feel more comfortable, and almost certainly feel your game improve. If you have any questions, please let us know!