Are you one of those Bowling freaks who doesn’t want to miss out on the fun event? Without a doubt, bowling is one of the most favourite fun sports for folks out there. Similar to the other sports, bowling too requires specially designed shoes. But why do you need bowling shoes?
Unlike the other games, bowling doesn’t require the participants to run or jump in continuously. So, it’s pretty natural to have such questions popping up in your mind.
In our tremendously informative guide today, we’d be going through some of the reasons as to why you should have a bowling shoe on while going to the bowling alleys!
Why Do You Need Bowling Shoes?
We’ll discuss why it’s so necessary to have bowling shoes on while participating in the sport in the following segments. We’ll also look at some of the shoes themselves and see how they can help you do better! Let’s dive in!
Is it Necessary to Wear Bowling Shoes?
So, the first thing you’d ask while going bowling is how necessary it is to have one in the first place. Body balance and other related things make it a highly essential item for bowling. Let’s look at some of the real reasons behind it:
Balancing the Body
One of the key factors behind it is the ball’s weight. When you’re running and throwing the ball and instantly blocking the motions, your body may fall forward due to the ball’s weight and its throwing momentum.
So, maintaining body balance becomes a core challenge in this case. And the specially designed bowling shoes equip you with the balance to prevent these sort of hilarious falls that you don’t want to be a part of in front of the entire crowd.
Handing the Alley Surface
Another important factor in this regard is the bowling alley surface. All the bowling alleys have a sanded wood surface which makes it a bit slippery.
Now, the point is not to go against the slipperiness of the surface but instead to use it to glide flawlessly. Now, if you’re wearing other high grip shoes or shoes with a rubber outsole, the chances are that you’d stop all of a sudden and can’t deal with the momentum produced from the heavy ball. imbalancing you.
It helps you channel the momentum as you can skid ahead while throwing the ball.
Increased Overall Safety
Bowling shoes are specially constructed, keeping in mind the requirement of the sport and the type of surface. The other street shoes never consider these factors while manufacturing their pairs.
That’s why you’d find a large difference between the two.
That’s exactly why bowling shoes should be a safer alternative than the regular shoes you wear.
Improved Performance
If you’re someone who’s highly passionate about this sport. In that case, we’d recommend you to have a pair of bowling shoes without any delay because they’ll significantly improve your performance output by a large margin.
With regular shoes, you’ll always have to be cautious while throwing the ball so you don’t fall over.
But with these shoes, you’re not having to be worried about falling, which lets you enjoy the sport and play without any obstacles and secures better results.
Always Have Your Own Shoe
Another issue of not having your own bowling shoe is renting. You may need to rent bowling shoes in the alleys for bowling to your satisfaction. That can make things worse in the long term.
Rented shoes can come with tons of bacteria and other similar issues. As they’re worn by hundreds of individuals every day, these shoes can be a breeding ground for highly damaging organisms.
Because of these issues, you can get warts or other nail infections. Plus, it can also lead you to develop conditions such as, athlete’s foot.
If you don’t want these health-compromising issues to manifest, then we’d suggest you go against renting shoes and getting your own pair of bowling shoes right now.
On top of that, if you look at any professional bowling sessions, you’d find everyone having bowling shoes worn for it.
So, if you consider all these factors, the tremendous essentiality of bowling shoes becomes pretty evident.
Do Bowling Balls Get Sanitized?
Do Bowling Balls Get Sanitized?
Well, this is one of the questions everyone might be asking nowadays. Due to the extreme healthcare emergencies in recent times, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
And that’s why these sorts of questions aren’t deemed to be unnatural anymore.
Bowling balls are sanitized after each use. This is done every day so that any existing germs of other similar microscopic organisms don’t get a chance to stay on top of it.
But how do you make sure they’re sanitizing the ball? There should be a lot less room for you to panic as any alley built after 93 and under the BPAA or Bowling Proprietors Association of America must follow a sanitization process in a 5 step sanitization procedure.
Yet, we’d recommend you ask the authorities and ensure whether they’re doing it for your own safety.
Why Do Bowling Lanes Oiled?
Why Do Bowling Lanes Oiled?
One of the things that may surprise you is the issue of using oil on the lanes. It’s pretty natural to ask why such a thing is done. Let’s learn more about it.
Has it ever crossed your mind how the wooden bowling lanes can withstand the tremendous impact made by these heavy and tough balls?
Well, oil is one of the contributing factors that protect the lane’s upper area. Using oil makes the surface a lot slippery and smooth, which helps the ball glide through the surface.
If the oil weren’t put on the lane surface in the first place, it would not have been that much smooth as you see right now.
It’d have also left a traction mark.
Usually, the oil is spread on the middle part more than the front area for the most effective output.
Why Are Bowling Shoes Slippery?
Why Are Bowling Shoes Slippery?
At this point in the guide, you may want to learn why the bowling shoes are made slippery intentionally. There are chiefly two reasons behind this. Let’s find out what are those:
Slide
One of the reasons behind slippery bowling shoes is their sliding capability. As mentioned, bowling alley surfaces are pretty slippery as well. So, if you don’t have a slippery outsole, there is a large chance that you won’t be able to slide well. The immediate stop while throwing the ball can
Breaking Slides
Well, you now know why sliding is vital for bowling. If you’re not sliding, you have a greater possibility of finding yourself on the ground. But once you’re sliding without breaking, this can also lead to a fall and loss of balance. So, what’s the solution here?
The specially constructed bowling shoes come equipped with smartly integrated rubberized heels. These rubber heels aren’t meant to be used instantly after throwing the ball. But once you begin sliding, you can press these heels against the floor to gradually decrease the sliding momentum for a safe stop.
Now we’ll be going through some of the bowling shoes to get a better understanding of what they’re going to provide in the alleys.
Are You Supposed To Slide While Bowling?
Many, those who don’t have experience in bowling, think sliding is something negative. But the opposite is true.
Sliding is one of the most important techniques while you’re throwing the ball. The intense weight of the ball can make you lose your balance and use its momentum to make you fall forward.
That’s why you must slide a bit while bowling. Sliding is chiefly used for channelling the momentum to a certain degree.
But keep one thing in mind while doing so. Don’t keep on sliding more than you need; once you’ve channelled the momentum, you should try to slow down. Or else, you can lose balance due to long sliding.
That’s why bowling shoes come with rubber heels which can be used to break the slides.
Bowling Shoes Review
KR Strikeforce Aviator Men’s Bowling Shoes
We have the tremendously popular and highly well-received KB Strikforce’s Aviator shoes at the first spot in the list. Let’s have a deep and analytic discussion on the shoe.
Specifications
- Ultra-light construction mechanism
- Easy movement enabled
- Built for improved bowling performance
- Comfort enhanced build
- Improved gliding experience
One thing about these shoes that’d make you happy is the lightweight feel. Coming with an exceptionally lightweight design, these shoes should offer you the required ease to make faster and smoother movements.
Comfort is something this shoe would offer you without any issues. Built to offer the maximum comfy sensation, this shoe should give you longer bowling sessions.
An important area of consideration while getting bowling shoes is gliding performance. With these sleek shoes, you’d get outstanding gliding capability for better bowling performance and increased safety.
Moreover, the design of these shoes is incredible. They come with a stunning appearance and feature three different colour patterns to light up the floor. If you’re someone who values appearances a bit too much, going for one of these shouldn’t be much of an issue.
These shoes are pretty good overall, but they may not be the ones you can use rough. They can be slightly prone to wearing under heavy usage. With that being said, the shoe should offer you unbelievable value, on the whole.
KR Strikeforce Maui Women’s Bowling Shoes
At the second spot here, we have a women’s variant. This one, too, is a KB Strikeforce’s highly appreciated shoe bowling shoes. Time to find out the features it offers.
Specifications
- Uniquely designed bowling capabilities
- Satisfactory sliding
- Standard appearance
- Comfort increased wearing
- Designed for better fitting
Well, as it seems, comfort is one of the core features of the Strikeforce shoes. Because it is highly similar to the KR Strikeforce Aviator Men’s Bowling Shoes, this one too offers an unbelievably comfortable wearing experience. It’ll help you bowl for a longer duration without tiring the feet too much.
Gliding performance is satisfactory with this one. If you’re a professional bowler, then you may need to upgrade. But for beginners, this would do the job.
Fitting is one of the most important areas to consider. Especially if you’re getting shoes online. One of the good things about this one fits pretty well. If you’ve sized your feet right, they should fit correctly without much manipulation.
The design isn’t something exceptional but isn’t that bad looking and should offer a standard appearance without a doubt.
As they don’t have a tongue, it may seem a bit uncomfy for some users. But considering the tons of benefits it offers, these shoes should be a quality add-on for overall performance.
Bottom Line
Well, you may have already seen the amount of value bowling shoes provide. These shoes are specially constructed to give you the edge in bowling. Each sport has its own shoe type, which would offer the best performance output. Similarly, bowling shoes are uniquely built so that you can rule the alleys.
Further, renting shoes isn’t the healthiest alternative right now. And wearing your regular street shoes on a bowling alley can make you fall.
That’s why bowling shoes are the best options for a pleasant bowling experience. So, now you know why do you need bowling shoes. Get your own pair and head to the alleys for the ultimate bowling experience.
