Do shoes really matter?

Dexter SST Tank

Let me start off by saying, yes they do! This is of course if you actually care about bowling. I bring this up because last night as I received my new SST Tanks by Dexter and was comparing them to my Etonic Pros which have been abused for the past few years.

First off, to the point of shoes being important, they are your foundation. Bowling is all about muscle memory and balance. Being smooth over having raw power. There is just no other way to say it, than if you have a faulty foundation, the house will fall. Now having said that, your league bowler will certainly buy based on looks and price. There just isn't a need to fine tune the feel on the approach as you would if you were a competitive bowler. In any case, I have to say that if you can find a shoe that works for you AND allow you to look fabulous? I say buy it up and strut your stuff.  This interestingly comes into play when buy balls, gloves, towels, and other gear, but that is a discussion for another day. Back to shoes.

Now that's style

I see shoes in four categories. House shoes (those stylish rentals owned by the center), Entry Level, Performance, and finally Pro. House shoes are the ones that bring back nostalgic feelings of  birthday parties, Friday nights when there was nothing else to do, and an innocence of simple clean fun. When a bowler makes that jump from casual bowling to joining a league, that is when you are in the market for your own gear. Shoes are a great place to start. For $30-$50 you can get something that only your feet will be inside of. Plus, there are tons of styles and colors to choose from. By all means, express yourself.

Soles make a difference

When you have outgrown the need to be flashy and are focusing more on your slide on the approach, this is the time to start exploring the ranks of performance shoes. You will have fewer options on looks, but have shoes that are focused on the soles. As well as dedicated shoes for left or right handed bowlers. Giving the bowler a chance to have great traction on the pivot foot and even consistent motion on the slide foot.  The construction of these shoes are also noticeably better. Sitting in the $75-$100 range, they are a bit more expensive, but like any shoe, it is an investment. At this point you are probably bowling more than once a month or even once a week. Your feet are important, take care of them. Not to mention, as your game advances, you will be generating more power and need to ensure that you have the tools needed to keep you stable at the line. Finally we have come to the Pro lines of shoes. These puppies can set a bowler back anywhere from $150-$200+. Looks are not what it's about at this level, it is about function. Pro quality shoes and even some of the top end performance shoes give you the option of replacing the sole and in some cases the heel of the shoes to match up perfectly with your style of play and the conditions of the approach.

Etonic E-Pro Tournament Action

This brings me to my own shoe situation. I was a long time fan of Dexter shoes, to the tune of about 20 years. I still remember my first pair of SST8's I purchased. Struggling with having to spend so much on shoes that would only be used when on the lanes. It was the right choice for sure. Being able to change out the sole to a surface that allowed me to slide when the approaches were tacky to being able to reduce my slide when I felt like I was on ice gave me an edge that I saw other bowlers enjoy time and time again. About four years ago I had a year old pair of SST8's split right where the slide velcro started on the bottom of the shoe. Thinking nothing of it, I took advantage of the warranty and got them replaced. Six months later, same thing. By this time I am getting pretty upset, because it blew out on me in the middle of a tournament. Hearing that I was not alone with this particular issue, I made the jump to another manufacturer, Etonic. The E-Pro Tournament Action was my weapon of choice. They were amazingly comfortable and I was able to cut down the Dexter soles to fit them (I'm not a brand fan-boy, I do what works). With my mixed brand set up, I was able to bowl without issue for several years, until last week. Sadly, the upper part of shoe was separating from the sole. I knew the day would come, but unfortunately as time went by, Etonic had made the decision to no longer manufacture bowling shoes, shifting their attention to their golf line. With a heavy sigh and not many options at the top level of bowling shoes, I went to take a look at Dexter again. Days of research later, I found that Dexter had in fact fixed their issues as well as released a new SST called the Tank. What better name for a shoe for the abusive bowler such as myself. Like a kid at Christmas, I was tearing through the box and looking at my options on the slides and heels. I was also quickly falling in love with the military issue look of the shoe itself. Instantly reminding me of my issued jungle boots from back in the day. After a full inspection, you can tell that Dexter put some serious time into the design and construction of these shoes. They have the proven foundation of the interchangeable soles, a much lighter and more flexible upper portion, and look like they will take the beating they are about to receive. Mission one completed, replaced the stock laces with my ever present checker-boards. Mission two scheduled, hit the lanes and score big...