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How To Change Soles & Heels On Your Bowling Shoes Like A Pro
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Upgrading Your Bowling Shoes: Switching Soles and Heels
Improve your game and reap peak performance with the right bowling shoes.Â
Investing in higher-performing shoes with interchangeable soles and heels can work wonders.Â
Adjusting the soles and heels of your shoes is necessary to match various approach conditions. Players have their ideal level of comfort with sliding or stopping. By changing footwear, you can optimize your performance and experience maximum enjoyment.
This feature also allows you to replace just the soles or heels (the quickest part to wear out) and get more life out of your shoes. In this article, we’ll break down the differences in all the soles and heels and help you understand everything there is to know about these performance shoe accessories.
Brake Heels: Heel brakes, usually made of rubber or leather, act as a counterforce to the sliding motion by introducing traction at the end of the slide.
Slide Soles: Bowling shoes usually have a slide sole made of microfiber or leather. It’s situated on the slide foot (RF for left-handed and LF for right-handed bowlers); it helps the foot slide smoothly, leading to a better delivery and better results.
Traction Soles: Bowling shoes have rubber accessories that attach to the traction foot (LF for lefties, RF for righties). These assist with the push away and provide additional stability during the approach.
What’s the purpose of adjusting your soles and heels?
Each bowler is unique with their approach and release. This is where the versatility of interchangeable soles and heels comes in handy, offering bowlers customization options that athletic shoes just can’t provide.Â
Aside from individual preferences, various bowling center conditions can alter the bowler’s slide, from the approach surface to inclement weather. This is especially significant for those bouncing from one bowling center to another.Â
Performance shoes offer superior value compared to their athletic counterparts, providing endless customization options to bowlers.
What Do The Numbers On The Soles & Heels Mean
The number system for soles and heels is easy to follow. A lower number means less slide, and a higher number means more slide. The initial soles/heels of shoes usually sit somewhere in the middle, allowing adjustment either way depending on your preference. However, Dexter soles are unique, with odd-numbered soles creating the perfect balance between high and low sole slides, as shown in the image above.
For more slide, adjust your sole/heel to a higher number, and for less slide, choose a lower number.Â
Achieving the perfect shoe combination may require experimentation and personalization, which can be impacted by external conditions. As such, it’s wise to have a few interchangeable options on hand for when they’re needed. While some performance shoes come with added features at retail, others may only come with soles and heels. Regardless, making necessary modifications to optimize your footwear for any given activity is crucial.
Minor adjustments can be achieved by keeping the sole intact and simply changing the brake heel.
Making Sure You Get The Right Size & Caring For Them Properly
Most soles on the market are designed to fit all shoe sizes, and can be trimmed to match the size of your shoe. Here’s how to do it:Â
1. Place your shoe on top of the new sole and outline it with a marker.Â
2. Using a pair of scissors, carefully cut along the trace you made to create the perfect fit for your shoe.Â
Enjoy a comfortable and customized fit for your footwear!
Regularly scrub your shoe soles with a wire brush to keep them clean. When leaving the pit, wear shoe covers or switch into your street shoes once you take off your bowling shoes. This keeps everything clean on your shoes.
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That was very helpful regarding SST change of soles. I have women’s SST’s and I always wondered how they worked. Now I know. Thank you very much for explaining it.