This is a very important consideration when it comes to advanced-level performance and execution. Once you’ve obtained an idea of regular shoes intended for bowling, as well as the basic form and technique, you should opt for more customized shoes. It’s important to remember that once you decide to advance to professional levels, you'll need equipment to match that level of performance.

Although some bowlers may have similar preferences, they all have a individual style and method of execution. Thus, everyone has varying preferences when it comes to professional equipment. These preferences involve the comfort side as well as the performance side.

For comfort, it’s a matter of how you overall feel in your shoes. Some players prefer an insole for more cushioning. Others prefer a flat shoe with a thin sole to feel close to the ground as they possibly can for better balance. While this looks unnecessary, and even silly at first sight, customized comfort is something that can, and will, affect your performance.

If you think about for a moment, the greatest athletes in all types of disciplines had their equipment custom made. Manufacturers would make shoes according to their exact feet size, their material preferences, and their performance. There is a reason why Muhammed Ali had his boxing shoes designed for him, and why elite football players do the same. It’s because it makes a huge difference.

You may not be looking for shoes with your exact foot length and width, and that’s fine. Our previous example is just to highlight the importance of individual comfort and preference. You can, however, customize your game for performance, by using gear that suits your performance style. One very common example of customization is the foot-dominant design. Most brands will offer options suited for both lefties and right-handed players. Most professional bowlers utilize equipment based on their dominance.

Many players have multiple techniques – they play differently depending on the circumstances. Thus, being tied down with one pair of shoes for all scenarios isn’t practical for them, and buying multiple pairs of customized shoes isn’t cheap. Instead, they use shoes with removable outsoles. Basically, they consist of outsoles that can be removed and replaced with another. This also serves the purpose of exchanging the left shoe outsole with the right shoe outsole.

Although this technology is considerably costlier than the average bowling shoe, it improves your performance considerably. Removable outsoles allow you to optimize your strategy and practice for pretty much any scenario. It also makes the shoes much more durable, as the outsole is the element that degrades that fastest. This allows you to replace parts of the shoe that are worn, instead of replacing the entire shoe.

The outsole is the key element in a pair of footwear made with bowling in mind and is what distinguishes a professional and amateur pair of shoes. Usually, bowling outsoles are completely flat, however, some designs may feature a heel that’s slightly raised. The outsole surface varies from model to model, and in professional performance, they’re often different from one another (right outsole and left outsole).

This is because the outsole surface of your dominant foot features a different build than your opposing foot. Your dominant foot’s shoe aims at sliding, and the opposite one aims at braking. We’ll enter into further detail about sliding and braking later into the guide. Keep in mind that regardless of what your dominant foot is, the sliding and braking ability depends on the outsole design.

For instance, outsoles equipped with a raised heel provide slightly more sliding than that of flat outsoles. This is because the heel provides inclination to the outsole, making momentum and impulse help you slide forward. Keep in mind that going for too much slide is not the ideal thing to do either – you want to maintain control of your motion as much as possible.

Your foot dominance is also something to take into consideration while looking for the best shoes. If you’re a dedicated player, you’ll want to make sure that your shoes support your performance. This means that your shoes should have opposing outsoles like we explained previously. One foot will slide, while the other outsole will be responsible for stopping the slide.

Opposing outsoles are considerably costlier and are usually only used on professional level equipment. Hence, you might reconsider this feature if you’re just looking for a casual kind of thing. In this case, you can get a universal shoe which has matching outsoles, and depending on the manufacturer they may feature a brake on the back of the heel of both shoes.

If you’re getting started in bowling, but eventually want to take the leap to professional shoes, we recommend getting used to universal designs first. Once you’ve learned proper practice of the approach, the slide, the brake, and the throw, you’ll be ready for advanced performance shoes. Making the switch too soon may make it harder for you to learn the proper technique.

The outsole materials in most cases consist of materials such as rubber, synthetic rubbers, and certain types of fiber. The materials that cover the outsole surface prevent you from moving any more than you actually want to. They are specially engineered to deliver accurate and firm steps, preventing any form of slippage or drag while building the approach. This type of materials delivers unique traction.

A bowling shoe is mostly judged by the quality of its outsole. However, there’s a lot of controversy regarding the “ideal” outsole design. This is because the topic is very varied due to personal preferences and the many different styles of bowlers.

Aside from the ability to exchange soles, it’s important to know which sole to use during specific occasions. For this, you’ll need to learn what the different types of soles are, how they’re different from each other, and how each one works. Exchangeable outsoles are of very little use if you don’t make good use out of them. Having the right sole at the right time will boost your performance. Wear a wrong one, however, and you’ll watch your performance decrease.

The soles are categorized based on their ability to slide. They are graded from 1 to 10 based on this; where 1 is the lowest value, and 10 is the highest. Depending on the type of lane, the game mode, and the weather, you should adjust your shoes for more or less sliding. In most cases, it is the lane condition which determines the amount of slide you should use.

For instance, in circumstances where the weather is warm, you should be opting for more slide. Typically, warm weather makes the surface of the lane drier, and thus less susceptible to sliding. Hence, under this circumstance, it’d be wise to increase slide considerably, perhaps up to 10.

Cold weather, on the other hand, make the lanes much more slippery. The colder the environment, the less slide your shoes should have. Always keep in mind the amount of slide you as a bowler are comfortable with. For example: in neutral circumstances where no factors affect your sliding, you would set your sliding to 3. If the environment is mildly cold, you might switch it down to 1, as the weather will provide you with the other 2-3 grades of sliding.

The physical state of the approach lane has a big impact on sliding. The smoother the lane, the better the sliding. While competitive bowling alleys properly prepare their lines prior to a competition, regular alleys may not. Deterioration and degrading of the lane will interfere with sliding.

The approach is the process of walking up to the foul line before releasing the ball. Walking up to the line is also known as building the approach. Some bowlers argue that the approach is the most important technique in the whole bowling process. While a good approach alone won’t make you a decent bowler, it is very important considering it’s the first step. If you get the approach wrong, things will most likely just get worse from there.

Building an appropriate approach indeed requires practice. However, a good pair of shoes makes a huge difference. And likewise, a low-quality pair of footwear will mess up your approach. Multiple elements in a pair of shoes have an impact on the quality of the approach. For instance, the outsole quality and materials are crucial to an efficient approach, as this is what mainly differentiates a bowling shoe from a regular one.

You’ll require shoes which give you more motion control. The best models have stability features built into them with firm, supportive outsoles, and supportive uppers. The more stable you are, the more precise your approach will be.

Cushioning is one of the elements that can provide you with the added stability you need. You may be thinking that bowling is not the kind of sport that needs cushioning on its performance shoes. However, when you’re seeking the most optimal performance, some cushioning can prevent those slight tilts that may put your aim off.

The best shoes will come with a cushioned midsole. However, the cushioning in this type of shoe is not the same as what you’ll find within a running sneaker. The footwear you use for bowling has midsoles which are much thinner in comparison to most other sports, and they don’t deliver as much absorption. Instead, they aim to stabilize each step by acting as a platform.

If you can’t find the right cushioning in a shoe, or you suffer from foot irregularities (high arch, flat foot, etc.), you can always resort to custom insoles. Personalized insoles are an ideal solution that provides what you can’t find in a shoe. For instance, if you feel your shoe lacks some heel cushioning, a custom insole can make it happen without having to acquire a new pair.

Lastly, stiffness is a key point for stability when it comes to bowling. If you’ve ever owned a pair – or tried rental shoes at the alley – you noticed they are stiffer than your average pair of shoes. The upper build features a hard material that isn’t too flexible; this is to provide a more solid structure. Because of this, it’s harder for your feet to swing laterally while building the approach.

We previously mentioned these two terms in the approach section of our criteria. The sliding and braking motions are heavily accomplished by the outsole. Although these two features are separated in professionally designed shoes, most designs make soles without separation. This latter is used by beginners most times, and is less optimal than the professionally crafted bowling shoe.

Sliding when bowling happens right after the foul line has been approached. Once bowlers have their approach, then lean to release the ball, they slide. Each player uses a different distance of slide as they perform the release. Sliding allows you to keep your fluidity to release the ball as accurately as you can.

For instance, after approaching, some bowlers like to slide to the foul line prior to release, as close as they can possibly get. Professional shoes allow users to implement the brake to affect their sliding. Sliding isn't an easy thing to master, but one key thing to remember is that it’s important to remain in control.

Not everyone goes for the same amount of slide – or the same style. It’s important that you look for a shoe that’s comfortable for you to slide with. Although they may all look the same, the design of outsoles can vary greatly. Depending on the brand (and model) you’ll be looking at more slide, less slide, or no slide at all.

On the other hand, if you’re a planter you should be looking for a flat outsole. The best shoes include a planting feature, which usually consists of small slugs on certain zones of the outsole. When applying pressure to this zone, you’ll instantly stop the current motion with no sliding at all. Keep in mind that the shoes will do the functional part for you; however, maintaining proper balance and technique is a matter of practice.

Lastly, regardless of the type of technique and shoe you employ, there’s one huge factor to consider: obstacles. The outsoles used on footwear made for bowling are extremely easy to disrupt, as the materials, as well as surface, can get dirty with almost anything. For both sliding and planting, it’s very important that the outsole is properly polished and totally free of any objects on it. Likewise, the approach has to be adequately treated in order to achieve the most optimal performance.

Shoes intended for bowlers are more delicate than you would normally think. The only place to wear them is the alley. The outsole of these shoes is not made for any other surface, and not only will it degrade on other surfaces, but they will also get dirty. The dirt that obstructs the outsole is not always visible, and any kind of oil or grease absorbed by the outsole will mess up your sliding ability.