# What's the difference between bowling shoes and regular shoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695 "2005-11-18T20:07:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/21 "2005-11-22T00:59:01Z")
It’s not a matter of people being mostly right-handed; it’s a matter of being useable by both. The point is that, for anyone other than a bowler with plenty of experience and an approach which might need it, a “pusher” shoe is unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/22 "2005-11-22T01:09:40Z")
I once bowled one ball while wearing street shoes. I ended up flat on my face and boy, was I embarassed. My friends and I couldn’t stop laughing. I will never again roll another bowling ball without wearing bowling shoes. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/23 "2005-11-22T03:08:48Z")
> [@AThingWithFeathers](#): > > So, what’s the real difference between bowling shoes and your everyday pair of shoes? In addition to the difference in the soles others have noted, most bowling shoes are extremely ugly—not something you’d want to wear outside a bowling alley. I presume they’re made this way to discourage theft. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/24 "2005-11-22T03:11:35Z")
> [@deevee](#): > > Slight hijack but I think bowling alleys would do a hell of a lot more business if they just allowed street shoes. I absolutely refuse to rent and wear a stinking old pair of shoes therefore I will absolutely never go bowling. They would go out of business. Street shoes would ruin the approaches and those things are expensive. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/25 "2005-11-22T22:10:23Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > In addition to the difference in the soles others have noted, most bowling shoes are extremely ugly—not something you’d want to wear outside a bowling alley. I presume they’re made this way to discourage theft. Interestingly, fashion shoes lately have included so-called “bowling shoes.” These are shoes that have the same general appearance of the bowling shoe, and often the same ridiculous coloration. Kids wear them; proving that there isn’t anything that can’t be made fashionable if Madison Avenue is willing to try. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Caelfind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Caelfind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caelfind)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/26 "2013-07-03T20:54:18Z")
It is possible for kids’ bowling shoes to just use the “rubber” bottomed slippers they sell at Target. [![](https://i.stpost.com/acorn-tex-moc-slippers-corduroy-for-boys-in-brindle~p~3819c_01~1500.3.jpg?01AD=3gdU-TUkAMF96D7iZT2tnApl-gO5vn3ah4MP7kdLlXSG5qwVP6mhByQ&01RI=56881D44D216FE2&01NA=na) ](https://i.stpost.com/acorn-tex-moc-slippers-corduroy-for-boys-in-brindle~p~3819c_01~1500.3.jpg?01AD=3gdU-TUkAMF96D7iZT2tnApl-gO5vn3ah4MP7kdLlXSG5qwVP6mhByQ&01RI=56881D44D216FE2&01NA=na) ---
**Author:** ![Caelfind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Caelfind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caelfind)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/27 "2013-07-03T20:55:38Z")
Or gripping socks? They are for kids, so I don’t want to spend a lot for them to out grow them. ---
**Author:** ![Caelfind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Caelfind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caelfind)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/28 "2013-07-03T21:07:33Z")
Ballet slippers? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/29 "2013-07-03T21:43:05Z")
After all this time there is still a question on the difference. The answer is bowling shoes are fugly, to prevent someone with any shoes of their own not to steal them. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/30 "2013-07-04T01:37:15Z")
Bowling shoes are for zombies. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/31 "2013-07-05T19:27:22Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > A couple a bucks you give the greasy shoe-rental guy. Except for the horrible smell and desease they carry. > > Would you rent a toothbrush? Hmmm. For how mu–nevermind; _ **NO!** _ I WOULDN’T RENT A TOOTHBRUSH, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE IT COST! Does it have one of those soft pointy rubber thin–wait, _ **NO!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695/32 "2013-07-06T02:40:27Z")
> [@deevee](#): > > Slight hijack but I think bowling alleys would do a hell of a lot more business if they just allowed street shoes. I absolutely refuse to rent and wear a stinking old pair of shoes therefore I will absolutely never go bowling. Street shoes will destroy the approach to the lanes, which is why they are a bozo no-no. Back when I used house shoes, I never got a pair that stank or was old. Now that I have my own shoes, it’s not something that matters to me any more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-bowling-shoes-and-regular-shoes/331695.md?page=1)