An Endorsement: New Bowling Shoes

“It’s gotta be the shoes!”

Strike after strike, I kept repeating the 1989 Nike Mars Blackmon ad campaign slogan at Ten Pin Lanes last week, on my way to a 212 game.

That’s because my UPS guy had just delivered my brand new bowling shoes, from BowlingShoes.com. The shoes replaced the pair I’d been using (Pictured Here) with a foot-wide crack across the sole.

Now, being cheap, I had learned to be comfortable with the flawed shoes. I didn’t figure new equipment would make much difference in my game, which, by any measure, is mediocre. If I can get somewhere close to the 160s, I’m good. Actually I pay more attention to my average number of beers per night.

But the previous week I’d been way off, throwing miss after miss on my way to 3 totals in the 120s. Something had to give. So, new shoes.

Of course, I went online to get them. With all the noise and confusion and chaos involved in shopping at a retail store during the Christmas season, finding the right bowling shoes at some mall seemed like a ludicrous idea, when the right equipment was right at my fingertips. I’ve long been an online shopping enthusiast. I’ve bought racquetball shoes and gloves online since it’s been possible. I bought a Steve Forbert CD last week. And, except for my usual last-minute Christmas Eve shopping expedition, I buy my Christmas presents online.

There’s some elation involved in arriving home to find a little box on the doorstep.

Now I must tell you, the bowling shoes I got retail for about $40. They’re really comfy. I won’t guarantee your score will improve by 50 percent, like mine did, but new shoes will improve your game in any sport.  Somehow, the nice people at BowlingShoes.com somehow found out I ran this site, and offered to let me try them for free. I might just go back for well — a new ball, maybe?

Want me to try something out here in Louisville? Drop me a line at LouisvilleKY.com.