5 Great Bowling Shoes For Beginners
The best bowling shoes for beginners should provide more than just comfort. They need to be high-quality to last a long time. However, comfort and quality are only some of the things you need to consider when buying bowling shoes.
The Dexter Kristen Bowling Shoes are the best women’s bowling shoes. They offer durability, comfort, and control on bowling lanes. The Pyramid Path Lite is the best bowling shoe for men, as they are lightweight and breathable.
Learning how to bowl is easier when wearing comfortable shoes. This article will list the best beginner bowling shoes and the features you need to look for when buying a pair.
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The Best Bowling Shoes For Beginners
- Dexter Women’s Kristen Bowling Shoes
- Pyramid Men’s Path Lite Seamless Mesh Bowling Shoes
- 3G Kicks Unisex Bowling Shoes
- KR Strikeforce Youth Flyer Lite Mesh Bowling Shoes
- Brunswick Girls Mystic Bowling Shoes
Bowling requires a special pair of shoes that offer comfort, protection, and help in performance during a game. Here are the best bowling shoes for beginners:
Dexter Women’s Kristen Bowling Shoes – Best For Women
If you are a beginner at bowling, looking for the right shoes can be a real challenge. We recommend the Dexter Women’s Kristen Bowling Shoes if you are still deciding what bowling shoes to get. Available in sizes 7 to 14, these shoes have the style of casual outdoor shoes yet offer everything a bowler needs.
These shoes feature a durable and high-quality EVA footbed, making them comfortable. The rubber heels and sliding pad soles of the shoes make them easy to control during games. They also have a slip-on design, unlike most bowling shoes with laces.
Moreover, these women’s bowling shoes have vented sides that make them breathable.
Pyramid Men’s Path Lite Seamless Mesh Bowling Shoes – Best For Men
The best bowling shoes for beginners should be easy to control, and the Pyramid Path did not disappoint. These shoes have raised rubber heels and microfiber slide pads, providing superior performance regardless of the lane condition. They are also lightweight, which helps you make seamless movements during bowling approaches.
The Pyramid Men’s Path Bowling Shoes are available in sizes 7 to 13. The upper portion of the shoes consists of knitted material. For this reason, you can guarantee breathability. They even have removable footpads that do cleaning and disinfecting an easy task.
3G Kicks Unisex Bowling Shoes – Best For Style
The 3G Kicks Bowling shoes are the best choice for beginner bowlers looking for stylish shoes. Made with cowhide leather, these shoes are lightweight, comfortable, and cool-looking. Still, 3G remembered to ensure the durability of these bowling shoes.
Additionally, the brand offers three colors to choose from. For this reason, these bowling shoes are suitable for men, women, and even kids. These shoes are also available in sizes 5 to 16.
One of the main selling points of the 3G Kicks is its interchangeable soles and heels. Meaning you can find different soles to match your bowling approach. However, these shoes come with universal slide soles, so you need to purchase the replacement soles separately.
KR Strikeforce Youth Flyer Lite Mesh Bowling Shoes – Best For Boys
The KR Strikeforce Youth Bowling Shoes are the best choice for boys who want to make bowling a hobby. Available in sizes 5 to 15, these shoes can also fit some adults, thanks to the regular and wide fit variation they offer.
These bowling shoes come with an engineered upper mesh material, allowing you to ensure comfort, breathability, and optimal protection. The soles are microfiber slide pads paired with KR Strikeforce’s FlexSlide technology. These materials make the shoes the best bowling shoes for beginners.
Brunswick Girls Mystic Bowling Shoes – Best For Girls
The Brunswick Mystic Bowling Shoes are their best footwear if you want to introduce your kids to bowling. The shoes are white and Fuschia in color, so little girls will love wearing them as they practice bowling. These bowling shoes fit kids with a foot size of 1 to 4.
The uppers of the Brunswick Mystic are synthetic leather, while the outsole foam is light rubber. They also have microfiber slide soles, making them easy for children to control. In addition, the insoles of the shoes are soft rubber that offers comfort and protection.
Are Sneakers Good For Bowling?
There is no denying that sneakers are comfortable, especially when you need to move quickly. Sneakers are soft and breathable, preventing your feet from sweating too much. The thought of wearing sneakers when bowling is also tempting, as you no longer have to change your shoes once you get to the bowling alley.
But no matter how comfortable they are, sneakers are not ideal for bowling. Bowling shoes and sneakers have different soles. Bowling shoes have soles divided into two parts:
- slip pads – allow you to control how you slide on the lane during an approach
- rubber or leather heels – help with traction when you need to stop sliding
On the other hand, the soles of sneakers usually consist of rubber, so they will stick on the lanes if you use them for bowling.
Why You Cannot Wear Sneakers When Bowling
Sneakers Cannot Help With Bowling Approaches.
Your approach can make your break your shot during bowling games. If your approach is bad, it can prevent you from delivering the ball well to the target. For this reason, your shoes should provide all the slip and traction necessary.
Sneakers cannot help with your approach, no matter how high-quality they are. Since you wore your sneakers outside, dirt and debris are stuck on their soles. The dirt can make the sneakers’ soles extra sticky on the lane, so wearing them while bowling can make you trip.
Meanwhile, you can only wear bowling shoes inside bowling alleys. For this reason, they do not have anything stuck on their soles. The special soles of bowling shoes also make sliding on the lane controllable.
If you are unsure what shoes to wear on your first bowling game, bowling alleys offer bowling shoes that you can rent. You may also refer to the list above to purchase the best bowling shoes for beginners.
Sneakers Can Ruin Bowling Lanes
Bowling lanes need to be in excellent condition at all times. The reason is that even small dirt on the lane can affect how a bowler slides. If you wear your sneakers inside a bowling alley, chances are the debris stuck under them will scratch the lane.
These scratches are difficult to fix, so bowling alleys prevent such damage by prohibiting bowlers from wearing sneakers.
In addition, the dirt and scratches on bowling lanes can affect how a ball rolls.
Sneakers Do Not Offer Movement Control
Beginners and regular bowlers will find it easier to move in a bowling lane if they wear the proper shoes. For instance, you cannot slide to the foul line while wearing sneakers. Such is one reason why people who want to get serious about this sport seek the best bowling shoes for beginners.
If you are wearing the right shoes for bowling, you can control how you slide on the bowling lane. Stopping is also easy, as bowling shoes have rubber or leather heels that offer traction. (source)
The Different Types Of Bowling Shoes
- Universal Bowling Shoes
- Wide-With Bowling Shoes
- Right-Handed Bowling Shoes
- Left-Handed Bowling Shoes
Choosing the best bowling shoes for beginners is more than just looking for the perfect size. It is also essential to note that there are different bowling shoe types.
Universal Bowling Shoes
You need to consider your dominant hand when choosing bowling shoes. Some prefer shoes that only let them slide on the dominant part of their body, while others want shoes that slide on both. If you choose the latter, you must consider using universal bowling shoes.
This type of bowling shoe slides on the left and right, making it the best for beginners and casual bowlers. Universal bowling shoes are also more affordable than the other bowling shoe types.
Wide-Width Bowling Shoes
Suppose you are a beginner bowler who has already tried universal bowling shoes but experienced pain and discomfort while wearing them. In this case, wide-width bowling shoes may be more suitable for you.
As the name suggests, wide-width bowling shoes offer more room for your feet, thus preventing pressure while you are wearing them. These shoes are also the best bowling shoes for beginners with wide feet.
Right-Handed Bowling Shoes
If universal bowling shoes have slip pads and grips on both the left and right, right-handed bowling shoes only have grips on the right shoes. On the other hand, the left shoe holds the slip pad, so your dominant foot controls the traction, while the non-dominant one is responsible for sliding.
Left-Handed Bowling Shoes
Left-handed bowling shoes are the opposite of right-handed shoes. The right shoe holds the slid sole, while the left holds the grip pad. (source)
Tips For Choosing The Best Bowling Shoes For Beginners
- Set a budget
- Conduct research about bowling shoes
- Decide on the type of bowling shoes
- Make sure that the shoes fit correctly
- Decide if you need extra features
Bowling shoes are a long-term engagement. They also affect your game. For this reason, it is crucial to take note of the following tips before buying a pair of bowling shoes.
Set A Budget
Bowling shoes can be expensive. However, factors like materials, soles, design, and brand can influence the price of your shoes. Fortunately, the best bowling shoes for beginners are usually affordable.
If you want to take bowling seriously, investing in an expensive pair of shoes that you can use for a long time is ideal. However, people only bowling for fun may benefit more from buying less expensive bowling shoes.
No matter what kind of bowler you are, it is vital to set a budget to help you narrow down the many bowling shoe options on the market.
Conduct Research About Bowling Shoes
Bowling equipment shops offer countless bowling shoes, which makes choosing the best one tricky. So, it is ideal to research the brands that people recommend. The research will also help you determine the features you want for your shoes.
Once you have a few choices for the bowling shoes you want, check if their features will meet your needs and requirements. Are the insoles comfortable and high-quality? Checking the insoles are essential, as these parts of the shoes help make them fit snuggly.
The next feature you need to consider is the outsoles. The best bowling shoes for beginners should feature high-quality rubber outsoles. This way, you can ensure that they will deliver proper slides and traction once you use them for the game. (source)
Decide On The Type Of Bowling Shoes
Beginners will benefit the most from wearing universal bowling shoes. This bowling shoe provides the most control, as both shoes have slip pads. They are also easy to find and affordable.
Still, some beginner bowlers may find it easier to bowl with bowling shoes that cater to the dominant part of their body. But if you purchase either left-handed or right-handed bowling shoes, you must consider how serious you are with bowling.
It is because these bowling shoes are more expensive than the universal ones. They may also make mastering the game a bit more challenging.
Regardless of the shoe type you will choose, the best bowling shoes for beginners should provide control and comfort.
Make Sure That The Shoes Fit Correctly
Your bowling shoes will provide the most comfort if they fit properly. If the shoes are even a bit tight, your feet may end up in pain due to the shoes’ pressure after the game. But if the shoes are loose, they may cause chafing due to the repeated scratching of their material to your skin.
The best way to get the right fit for your bowling shoes is to purchase them at a physical store. This way, you can try wearing the shoes to check if they feel comfortable.
If you are buying your shoes online, the best thing you can do to ensure their size is to read reviews. Former buyers usually leave reviews about the shoes’ fit on them. This way, you can find out if the bowling shoes you chose are true to size or if you need to increase or reduce size.
Decide If You Need Extra Features
The best bowling shoes for beginners should usually have features that beginner bowlers will most comfortable with. However, you can also opt for shoes with different added features, such as interchangeable soles, cushioned insoles, and padded linings. Bowling shoes with added features are ideal if you want to minimize your feet’s movement inside the shoes.
If you are still determining what added features to get, it is ideal to stick with the usual features that beginner bowling shoes come with. This way, your focus will be on mastering the game instead of whether or not you should replace your sliding pads.
Is Owning Bowling Shoes Necessary?
Bowling alleys offer rental bowling shoes. For this reason, you may think twice about investing in bowling shoes. If you are not a regular bowler, renting bowling shoes may be more beneficial. The rental fee for these shoes is budget-friendly, so paying for a pair whenever you go bowling will not hurt your budget.
However, beginner bowlers who want to practice frequently can save more by buying one of the best bowling shoes for beginners. The reason is that renting bowling shoes often results in a pile of receipts, which could have been a one-time purchase if you invested in a pair of bowling shoes. If you see bowling as more than just a pastime, owning a pair of shoes becomes necessary.
On the other hand, some bowlers prefer to have their bowling shoes as they are more hygienic. Sharing shoes with people you do not know can lead to the transmission of fungi and bacteria, so some bowlers perceive rental bowling shoes as unhygienic. (source)
Summing Things Up
Bowling is a sport that requires special shoes for both your comfort and protection. If you are a beginner in the said sport, it is essential to know the best bowling shoes for beginners. This way, you can ensure that you get a pair of shoes that offers all the functionality the sport requires.
Moreover, there are different types of bowling shoes. If you are unsure which type will fit you best, it is ideal to settle for universal bowling shoes. These shoes are budget-friendly and offer everything a beginner bowler needs.
We hope this article helps you find the best bowling shoes for your next game.
