When most people think about the very first bowling equipment that you need, they will instinctively say it is a bowling ball. This is very true. Without the bowling ball, there is no bowling. But there is another item that is needed if you really want to get better at your bowling game but is often overlooked because it isn’t viewed as essential for bowling. The overlooked equipment are the bowling shoes.

Having the right bowling shoes is a must for anyone who is more than just a “hit the lanes once a year” kind of bowler. Even if you are a casual bowler but have a regular bowling night, you definitely want to have your own pair of shoes.

What’s the big deal of having your own bowling shoes?

Having your very own bowling shoes is probably the best investment you could make when it comes to considering bowling equipment. First and foremost, you don’t have to worry about renting bowlilng shoes that about a thousand other people have worn. You don’t know who the previous person who wore the shoes could be and what kind of foot problems they might have. So hygenically speaking this is a definite plus to having your own shoes.

Another point to consider about owning is that you know that you will always have a shoe that fits you perfectly. With rented bowling shoes, they get stretched out so much and worn out so much that it’s like wearing clown shoes. Having your own bowling shoes allows for maximum comfort whenever you bowl.

In addition to this, your own bowling shoes can improve your game. You will be able to make modifications whether brushing the bottom of the shoes or changing the soles on some shoes or even shorting the laces. Making the shoe fit you means comfort and solid and predictable footing. There are shoes on the market that actually have removable soles. This allows different soles to be used that have properties that are better suited to the lane conditions. House bowling shoes can’t do that. So if you are experiencing excessive stickiness in your shoes there is nothing you can do with rented shoes. But with your very own pair of shoes you would be able to fix that. This will decrease the chances of sticking and disrupting your bowling.

Now this next point isn’t a big deal for most but still worth mentioning. Having your own bowling shoes will save you time at the bowling alley. You don’t have to wait at the counter for the clerk to go back and forth to find the shoes you need. You can go right to the lanes and get bowling.

Probably the biggest positive point is that you will save a ton of money owning rather than renting bowling shoes. Right now, bowling centers are charging anywhere from $3 to $6 to rent a pair of bowling shoes. Let’s say you go on a regulary weekly basis to the local lanes. If you rent each time, you are looking at spending roughly $12 to $32 each month. Now multiply that by a year and you are looking at spending $144 to $384 on just shoe rentals! That doesn’t even include the cost of the actual bowling games. Now it may not sound like a lot but when you compare that cost to the cost of owning your own shoes being around $50 to $150, in less than a year they would have already paid for themselves.

Special considerations for children
If you are thinking about buying bowling shoes for your kid(s) there are some issues to consider:

How old is the child?

Have they stopped growing?

How committed are they to continuing to bowl on a regular basis?

Since kids are still growing, they will eventually outgrow their shoes. In general, most parents will buy children’s clothes a bit bigger to compensate for growth and make their clothing last longer. While this is very frugal, in bowling it can be a hazard. Shoes that are too big may cause awkwardness in the approach and even cause the child to trip. It is better to fit the bowling shoe now and avoid the potential of them hurting himself. Besides, by the time it is time to get new shoes, he may no longer be interested in bowling anymore. So when it come to getting children’s bowling shoes, its best to get ones that fit well.

So finally, as you can see there is a definite consideration that needs to be made when it comes to bowling shoes. In the long run it makes financial sense to purchase your own bowling shoes. But it also makes sense immediately because having your own shoes that fit you and you alone will help to provide consistency and comfort when you are out there bowling for the perfect game.

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