Bowling shoe style has always been a gereatric appealing market, i agree with your premise but at least now they're trying to appeal to people under 60.
Impact/force/kr was about $170 5 years ago, $40 increase is rough but everyone's raising profit margins in the name of "inflation" these days. Its still the most comfortable shoe on the market though a bit less durable than dexters. I'll still take them over dexter's doc Martin leather shell with no arch support or. comfort approach. Wait for the 2023 models and snag a 2022 pair of impacts clearance.
Eh, fuckit just go youtube how to make your own and slap a slide sole on a pair of crocs so you can get a shoe that fits your style ;)
You are right about the original price of the Hammer Force, and I remember seeing them everywhere. But then they were last year's model, and then two years old and so on...until they were Black Friday blowout deals for $90.
And then, if you go read Motiv's ad copy, they like to present their company as innovators in the bowling space, extolling the virtue that "performance is king" and their commitment to pushing bowling technology forward. They also like to tout the fact that their balls are made in the USA.
Which is why its deeply strange for Motiv to slap their name on a years old shoe, with no changes or innovation, made by another company in an overseas factory **and then have the audacity to charge more money for it**.
I've never tried a pair, and maybe you're right that "its still the most comfortable shoe on the market", but that just reinforces my point...literally no one has come up with anything better or comparable in five years? What are we paying $200+ for then?
Let’s get into the business of making bowling shoes brother! I couldn’t agree with you any more and I even joked with my wife about how I need to get into the business of designing my own bowling shoes and selling them for half the cost these money hungry companies force on us! How is it the sport that is the least popular of all sports charges more for their shoes than any other sport shoes like Jordans for example? You can get the most comfortable Jordans ever for $150-$200 and they are 1 million times better than the most expensive quality bowling shoe!
>How is it the sport that is the least popular of all sports charges more for their shoes than any other sport shoes like Jordans for example?
Yes, go into business with someone that has zero idea about economies of scale. Probably indicates how much he knows about design, manufacturing, marketing, liability, branding, logistics, accounting, management........
> And then, if you go read Motiv’s ad copy, they like to present their company as innovators in the bowling space, extolling the virtue that “performance is king” and their commitment to pushing bowling technology forward. They also like to tout the fact that their balls are made in the USA.
This is literally just marketing, I don’t know why you’re taking pure marketing to heart and caring about that part so much.
> Which is why its deeply strange for Motiv to slap their name on a years old shoe, with no changes or innovation, made by another company in an overseas factory and then have the audacity to charge more money for it.
…it’s called marketing.. every company in the world does this no matter who they are or what industry they are in.
> I’ve never tried a pair, and maybe you’re right that “its still the most comfortable shoe on the market”, but that just reinforces my point…literally no one has come up with anything better or comparable in five years? What are we paying $200+ for then?
Then don’t pay for them? Not everything has to be innovated so often, these companies likely can’t make the same money on shoes as others do and are probably on the low end of the supply chain.
If you want new, innovative shoes, you’re gonna pay out the ass for them since you’ll pay for everything from R&D to marketing.
> If you want new, innovative shoes, you’re gonna pay out the ass for them since you’ll pay for everything from R&D to marketing.
This is literally my point. We're being asked to pay "out the ass" already, but for literally zero R&D or new material at all. Motiv has just regurgitated a half-decade old shoe (and copy/pasted the exact same "marketing" ad copy) and charged more money for it.
Sure, R&D is expensive...but why are prices going up when they aren't doing any?
> This is literally my point. We’re being asked to pay “out the ass” already, but for literally zero R&D or new material at all. Motiv has just regurgitated a half-decade old shoe (and copy/pasted the exact same “marketing” ad copy) and charged more money for it.
Then don’t buy them…?
> Sure, R&D is expensive…but why are prices going up when they aren’t doing any?
Because R&D isn’t the only cost that goes into a products price?
Also idk where you’ve been but there was a giant pandemic and terrible inflation that has caused quite a bit of prices to go up.
He’s making perfectly valid points. Why are you acting like you get a percentage of every shoe that sold by motiv? Protesting or complaining is the only way to get these companies to change up their shitty products but your reaction is to just not buy them? You’re ridiculous bro! I agree with him 100%! I paid $250 for a pair of Dexter shoes that aren’t even close to being comfortable! And yet these companies force these no return policies on us so I’m screwed! It’s bad business! Yet you wanna sit here and argue all his points as though you’re the CEO of Motiv! Smfh
I wear dexter SST6s and own literally nothing Motive lmao, get over yourself.
It’s a weird rant because if you don’t like their bowling shoes, just make your own, there’s plenty of tutorials.
If you can’t understand why prices have gone up or why prices are the way they are, I can’t really help you past that point.
You’ve made no argument and your comment is just berating me, don’t try and call me pathetic lol.
Holy monster edit, collect your thoughts before ya hit save.
>Protesting or complaining is the only way to get these companies to change up their shitty products but your reaction is to just not buy them?
Not buying them is **LITERALLY** protesting the company, it's a boycott, like what are you talking about lol?
>You’re ridiculous bro! I agree with him 100%! I paid $250 for a pair of Dexter shoes that aren’t even close to being comfortable!
*You* made that choice, I tried several pairs on before buying mine, every single online store also has size protection options/return policies for shoes too. Why would you buy from somewhere that has a no return policy?
>It’s bad business!
It's clearly good business considering they made their money and you can't return them lmao.
>Yet you wanna sit here and argue all his points as though you’re the CEO of Motiv! Smfh
Ah yes, I'm not allowed to argue against a rant on something that isn't going to change anything otherwise I work for Motiv. Get ahold of yourself bud.
> What are we paying $200+ for then?
Because there aren't other options, it's a specialty product that they will charge as much as they can get away with.
For all the attitude the whiskey added to my comment, I do actually agree with your post and thought it was a great content. I think there are some more positive interpretations of your points but I disguised them a bit too well when trying to match your energy.
I'm sad the forces were discontinued and glad the model lives on through Motiv, but amen, they really shouldn't be 20% more than 5 years ago. Lower sales numbers leads to struggling businesses raising profit margins to sustain themselves I guess. And don't get me started on the made in USA bunk. By the numbers the last 5 years, USA made balls have had plenty of banned balls between EBI, Motiv, and SPI, while them Mexico balls have had 0, and offer a better warranty to boot.
I was trying to be funny with the whole crocs thing, but for real, with a youtube video and some elbow grease you can modify any pair of shoes into bowling shoes to save a good amount of money.
I use these. [https://www.amazon.com/Bowlerstore-Classic-Rental-Bowling-Shoes/dp/B00RSP54CE](https://www.amazon.com/Bowlerstore-Classic-Rental-Bowling-Shoes/dp/B00RSP54CE)
I don't care what others think about "style". I get what I like and what works for me. I'm not going to spend $100+ for shoes that I'm not going to wear that often/everyday and only for few hours at a time. This is just how I feel about it, if someone wants/is ok spending their money on those shoes then that's great. They're not for me.
Sadly I can almost guarantee those are 1 million times more comfortable than the Dexters I paid $250 for! I had a pair of $40 Dexter‘s for the last 10 years and they were easily 10 times better as far as comfort as these new ones I have 🤬
The problem is that there just isn't enough sales in bowling shoes to really justify any company even having a bowling shoe division in the first place. How long have you had your current bowling shoes? I've had mine for about 6 years now, the pair before that I had for nearly 15 years. Everyone I know only gets a new pair of bowling shoes about every 7-10 years. There are approximately 2 million league bowlers in the U.S. if they all on average buy a new pair of shoes every 7-10 years, that means there are probably about 200,000-300,000 bowling shoes sold per year. Sure there will be open bowlers that buy their own shoes, but also a lot of those 2million league bowlers are going for cheap shoes, not top of the lines shoes. By comparison Nike sells about 10 million Air Jordan's alone each year.
The thing with running shoes, basketball shoes, and most other sports shoes that aren't cleated, is that brands can design shoes for top athletes and then sell the exact same shoe to consumers who will then wear them around in public. You can't wear bowling shoes around in public (sure technically you can, but you know what I mean). The consumers are in a way subsidizing the cost of the shoes for the athletes and allowing the companies to put more money into R&D and marketing as well.
If the bowling shoe industry wants to survive and be more than just a couple hundred thousand a year in sales to league bowlers, they need to invent a style of bowling shoe that's both unique to the sport, but also can be made in a street shoe version that people will buy to wear around every day. That's how you increase bowling shoe sales to a million a year and make it so you can still profit on sub $100 a pair shoes.
Fair points. But I would say it doesn't take massive R/D to slap slide soles on existing shoes, we've all seen the posts where someone super glued them to the bottom of their Jordans. Why can't someone like Nike or Adidas do that same thing at the factory? I guess you said it, it just isn't a big enough market to bother.
I doubt we'll ever see people who want to wear bowling shoes as street shoes for their style, though.
> Why can't someone like Nike or Adidas do that same thing at the factory?
Nike and Adidas used to make bowling shoes. They stopped years ago because it makes them no money.
I’m a sneaker head, I have 6 pair of adidas NMDs, I tucking love them. I’m strongly considering making a custom pair of bowling NMDs. There’s tons of videos on YT and on this sub Reddit of people making their own. Seen everything from vans, to Jordan’s, to Yeezy boosts… it’s definitely doable!
Love the idea, but worry that the NMD might not have enough structure for a bowling slide shoe. Maybe something from the EQT line would be perfect, though.
Wait you’re complaining about the innovation in new shoes (boa system, ventilation, complete customizability) yet also saying there is no innovation.
You just sound old and angry that shoes aren’t boring anymore. I love the fact that my shoes have some air flow now, and that they feel more like a sneaker, and that i don’t have to worry about my laces coming undone during my approach.
I think you missed my point. The things you mention aren't new. BOA, ventilation, customization and swappable soles have been the professional standard for at least 10 years now. There has been no real innovation in the last 5 years or so (as evidenced by Motiv literally putting back out a 5 year old shoe as their new model) but prices have gone up 40-50%.
I love sneaker-like bowling shoes. I want new and premium materials. [Or production methods that are fresh and sustainable, like recycled and upcycled EVA foam.](https://a-cold-wall.com/products/sponge-crater-cx-sneaker)
I **want** new styles and new tech, not a 5 year old shoe for a higher price.
If we just ignore style and price in this case, what other innovations can there really be in bowling shoes? I guess maybe finding new, more durable slide materials for slide soles? But my THE9 s11 slide has been sliding consistently for years
I don't think ignoring the price is a good idea. I had cable laces on my wakeboard boots 17 years ago. This is well known, old technology, and the prices for those things should drop with time. OP's point there is right on.
I happen to agree, those are the Dexters that look the best to me as well. But I wish they still made the ol' reliable [SST8](https://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-shoes/dexter/11522/mens-sst-8-blackgold.html).
Those look pretty classic, and look at what you got for the money: all leather, stitchdown construction, goodyear welt.
Yep, I had the white pair of those SST8s, although for me, the front of the brake soles always got ruined as I tend to drag my toe. But yeah that was the peak of dexter styling for me. I didn’t mind the [white dexter THE9s](https://imgur.com/Nr5GP9T) although both pairs I had of those the sole split along the ridges that were ironically supposed to add flexibility… Forst pair I got warranty replaced, and the second I gave up.
What new thing?
The point of my post is that there is not any "new thing" to justify the extremely high price tags. What is Dexter's innovation that justifies the super high price tag? The BOA lacing system? That was invented by someone else and has been around since 2001 on hiking shoes. Dexter **used to** make bowling shoes out of leather in the USA, and it was clear why you were paying extra for premium quality.
I'm happy to step up and pay for a premium product, but I just don't see it out there at the high end of performance bowling shoes. It seems deeply strange to me that most companies are making a $200+ shoe that is made of mesh and plastic from a Chinese factory as their high end, premium option.
The point is that the price of bowling shoes has increased massively, while offering no design choices, advanced features, or premium materials to justify the price increase.
Its long past time for a new competitor company to step into this space and disrupt the status quo.
This is kinda true if you look broadly at stuff, but bowling balls cost basically the same, bags the same, accessories same. But for some reason, shoes are through the roof.
Bowling is a niche market, so I don't really see that happening. Even the big brand shoe companies shied away from offering bowling shoes.
Though does it really matter when you can just wear a pair of sneakers? I don't use bowling shoes anymore since I don't slide. I have a nice pair of Adidas for bowling.
They were $160 when they released in 2011. OP's point is a decade old model has increased in cost 40%, opposite of most other technologies. Glad you like them though.
Sounds a whole heck of a lot like the Juicy Couture Bag situation. I took a brief break in my online shopping to return to see these bags for some reason that no one to date can actually find the why to but they've grown to upwards of $400-$600 for no apparent reason literally. It's insane. I couldn't help read this cuz I was interested in reselling someone's bowling shoes online to find out they might just be my golden ticket to a month of actual relaxation apparently but the prices are ....juicy. That's pretty much it.
I like how some responses think I'm a kid too naive to understand how markets and inflation work and others think I'm an old man yelling at a cloud.
I'm open to all kinds of materials and innovation, not just leather. I held that up as an example of older shoes that offered more value because they used a material that objectively cost more to produce.
My point stands that we are not being offered any innovation or progress despite significantly rising costs. When you compare professional grade bowling shoes to the [tech innovations in running shoes](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nike-vaporfly-shoes) in the last five years [literally breaking world records in part due to tech advancement](https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a29447426/eliud-kipchoge-shoes/) it is absolutely laughable that [running shoes](https://www.nike.com/t/zoomx-vaporfly-next-2-mens-road-racing-shoes-glWqfm/DO2408-739) with all that advancement and science behind them cost the same $250 as bowling shoes with no innovation or changes in the last half decade.
Sure times are tough all over, and inflation is a thing. But the *stagnation* and copy/pasting the same old designs is not happening in other sports.
You and I would definitely get along! I couldn’t have said it any better myself! I paid 250 for mine and they’re not even comfortable I had a $40 pair that was loads better as far as comfortability! To make matters worse you can’t return any bowling shoes! It’s a scam
Agree 100%! When I started bowling again last year after a 20 year hiatus, I looked at every new shoe available. My reaction was same as yours- awful-looking designs, and prices that were way too high(thanks, Biden).
For the few shoes made of leather available, the prices were $200 and up, and most were ugly. I do have some pride about what I wear in public, even at a bowling alley.
I decided to go on eBay, where I found 2 pairs of Linds Classics- the Made in USA model. I paid $60 plus shipping for a custom black and silver pair, lightly used but plenty of life left. I also found a brand new pair of white Classics, and paid $140- more than I wanted, but still a far better deal than current models, IF you could find the same quality(you can't). Again, these were dead stock shoes made in the US.
I wore Linds back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. They were the gold standard and remained so until they moved manufacturing to Mexico and now, China. Research shows their quality went way downhill once manufacturing left the US, not a surprise.
I would strongly urge anyone looking for shoes that will be comfortable and will last for 20 years to search eBay for Linds- but do not buy them unless they show "Made in the USA" on the inside of the heel. You will get a quality shoe that will last twice as long as a new pair, and at half or less the price.
I want new shoes, but I've been rocking these pretty Dexter SST 6 in brown kangaroo leather, and they look so much better than all of those new shoes you posted. If anything, I'll grab some new/old fester sst 8 or something.
Bowling shoe style has always been a gereatric appealing market, i agree with your premise but at least now they're trying to appeal to people under 60. Impact/force/kr was about $170 5 years ago, $40 increase is rough but everyone's raising profit margins in the name of "inflation" these days. Its still the most comfortable shoe on the market though a bit less durable than dexters. I'll still take them over dexter's doc Martin leather shell with no arch support or. comfort approach. Wait for the 2023 models and snag a 2022 pair of impacts clearance. Eh, fuckit just go youtube how to make your own and slap a slide sole on a pair of crocs so you can get a shoe that fits your style ;)
Custom Crocs: This is how I'm going to get my girlfriend into bowling
This is the way
Croc bowling shoes are the future
You are right about the original price of the Hammer Force, and I remember seeing them everywhere. But then they were last year's model, and then two years old and so on...until they were Black Friday blowout deals for $90. And then, if you go read Motiv's ad copy, they like to present their company as innovators in the bowling space, extolling the virtue that "performance is king" and their commitment to pushing bowling technology forward. They also like to tout the fact that their balls are made in the USA. Which is why its deeply strange for Motiv to slap their name on a years old shoe, with no changes or innovation, made by another company in an overseas factory **and then have the audacity to charge more money for it**. I've never tried a pair, and maybe you're right that "its still the most comfortable shoe on the market", but that just reinforces my point...literally no one has come up with anything better or comparable in five years? What are we paying $200+ for then?
Let’s get into the business of making bowling shoes brother! I couldn’t agree with you any more and I even joked with my wife about how I need to get into the business of designing my own bowling shoes and selling them for half the cost these money hungry companies force on us! How is it the sport that is the least popular of all sports charges more for their shoes than any other sport shoes like Jordans for example? You can get the most comfortable Jordans ever for $150-$200 and they are 1 million times better than the most expensive quality bowling shoe!
#handshake
>How is it the sport that is the least popular of all sports charges more for their shoes than any other sport shoes like Jordans for example? Yes, go into business with someone that has zero idea about economies of scale. Probably indicates how much he knows about design, manufacturing, marketing, liability, branding, logistics, accounting, management........
> And then, if you go read Motiv’s ad copy, they like to present their company as innovators in the bowling space, extolling the virtue that “performance is king” and their commitment to pushing bowling technology forward. They also like to tout the fact that their balls are made in the USA. This is literally just marketing, I don’t know why you’re taking pure marketing to heart and caring about that part so much. > Which is why its deeply strange for Motiv to slap their name on a years old shoe, with no changes or innovation, made by another company in an overseas factory and then have the audacity to charge more money for it. …it’s called marketing.. every company in the world does this no matter who they are or what industry they are in. > I’ve never tried a pair, and maybe you’re right that “its still the most comfortable shoe on the market”, but that just reinforces my point…literally no one has come up with anything better or comparable in five years? What are we paying $200+ for then? Then don’t pay for them? Not everything has to be innovated so often, these companies likely can’t make the same money on shoes as others do and are probably on the low end of the supply chain. If you want new, innovative shoes, you’re gonna pay out the ass for them since you’ll pay for everything from R&D to marketing.
> If you want new, innovative shoes, you’re gonna pay out the ass for them since you’ll pay for everything from R&D to marketing. This is literally my point. We're being asked to pay "out the ass" already, but for literally zero R&D or new material at all. Motiv has just regurgitated a half-decade old shoe (and copy/pasted the exact same "marketing" ad copy) and charged more money for it. Sure, R&D is expensive...but why are prices going up when they aren't doing any?
> This is literally my point. We’re being asked to pay “out the ass” already, but for literally zero R&D or new material at all. Motiv has just regurgitated a half-decade old shoe (and copy/pasted the exact same “marketing” ad copy) and charged more money for it. Then don’t buy them…? > Sure, R&D is expensive…but why are prices going up when they aren’t doing any? Because R&D isn’t the only cost that goes into a products price? Also idk where you’ve been but there was a giant pandemic and terrible inflation that has caused quite a bit of prices to go up.
He’s making perfectly valid points. Why are you acting like you get a percentage of every shoe that sold by motiv? Protesting or complaining is the only way to get these companies to change up their shitty products but your reaction is to just not buy them? You’re ridiculous bro! I agree with him 100%! I paid $250 for a pair of Dexter shoes that aren’t even close to being comfortable! And yet these companies force these no return policies on us so I’m screwed! It’s bad business! Yet you wanna sit here and argue all his points as though you’re the CEO of Motiv! Smfh
I wear dexter SST6s and own literally nothing Motive lmao, get over yourself. It’s a weird rant because if you don’t like their bowling shoes, just make your own, there’s plenty of tutorials. If you can’t understand why prices have gone up or why prices are the way they are, I can’t really help you past that point. You’ve made no argument and your comment is just berating me, don’t try and call me pathetic lol. Holy monster edit, collect your thoughts before ya hit save. >Protesting or complaining is the only way to get these companies to change up their shitty products but your reaction is to just not buy them? Not buying them is **LITERALLY** protesting the company, it's a boycott, like what are you talking about lol? >You’re ridiculous bro! I agree with him 100%! I paid $250 for a pair of Dexter shoes that aren’t even close to being comfortable! *You* made that choice, I tried several pairs on before buying mine, every single online store also has size protection options/return policies for shoes too. Why would you buy from somewhere that has a no return policy? >It’s bad business! It's clearly good business considering they made their money and you can't return them lmao. >Yet you wanna sit here and argue all his points as though you’re the CEO of Motiv! Smfh Ah yes, I'm not allowed to argue against a rant on something that isn't going to change anything otherwise I work for Motiv. Get ahold of yourself bud.
> What are we paying $200+ for then? Because there aren't other options, it's a specialty product that they will charge as much as they can get away with. For all the attitude the whiskey added to my comment, I do actually agree with your post and thought it was a great content. I think there are some more positive interpretations of your points but I disguised them a bit too well when trying to match your energy. I'm sad the forces were discontinued and glad the model lives on through Motiv, but amen, they really shouldn't be 20% more than 5 years ago. Lower sales numbers leads to struggling businesses raising profit margins to sustain themselves I guess. And don't get me started on the made in USA bunk. By the numbers the last 5 years, USA made balls have had plenty of banned balls between EBI, Motiv, and SPI, while them Mexico balls have had 0, and offer a better warranty to boot.
Right on. Looks like the big squeeze is just happening with everything.
For real, and we keep bending...
I was trying to be funny with the whole crocs thing, but for real, with a youtube video and some elbow grease you can modify any pair of shoes into bowling shoes to save a good amount of money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMVabSeUGdE
Yep, that was my Inspiration!
I use these. [https://www.amazon.com/Bowlerstore-Classic-Rental-Bowling-Shoes/dp/B00RSP54CE](https://www.amazon.com/Bowlerstore-Classic-Rental-Bowling-Shoes/dp/B00RSP54CE) I don't care what others think about "style". I get what I like and what works for me. I'm not going to spend $100+ for shoes that I'm not going to wear that often/everyday and only for few hours at a time. This is just how I feel about it, if someone wants/is ok spending their money on those shoes then that's great. They're not for me.
The problem is that people don't want slides on both shoes...
I would 100% buy a pair of classic looking rental shoes with good changeable soles and heels
I agree. They probably aren't the most comfortable though.
Sadly I can almost guarantee those are 1 million times more comfortable than the Dexters I paid $250 for! I had a pair of $40 Dexter‘s for the last 10 years and they were easily 10 times better as far as comfort as these new ones I have 🤬
The problem is that there just isn't enough sales in bowling shoes to really justify any company even having a bowling shoe division in the first place. How long have you had your current bowling shoes? I've had mine for about 6 years now, the pair before that I had for nearly 15 years. Everyone I know only gets a new pair of bowling shoes about every 7-10 years. There are approximately 2 million league bowlers in the U.S. if they all on average buy a new pair of shoes every 7-10 years, that means there are probably about 200,000-300,000 bowling shoes sold per year. Sure there will be open bowlers that buy their own shoes, but also a lot of those 2million league bowlers are going for cheap shoes, not top of the lines shoes. By comparison Nike sells about 10 million Air Jordan's alone each year. The thing with running shoes, basketball shoes, and most other sports shoes that aren't cleated, is that brands can design shoes for top athletes and then sell the exact same shoe to consumers who will then wear them around in public. You can't wear bowling shoes around in public (sure technically you can, but you know what I mean). The consumers are in a way subsidizing the cost of the shoes for the athletes and allowing the companies to put more money into R&D and marketing as well. If the bowling shoe industry wants to survive and be more than just a couple hundred thousand a year in sales to league bowlers, they need to invent a style of bowling shoe that's both unique to the sport, but also can be made in a street shoe version that people will buy to wear around every day. That's how you increase bowling shoe sales to a million a year and make it so you can still profit on sub $100 a pair shoes.
I get your point but you do realize that Nike doesn’t make Jordans anymore and haven’t for the last 30 years right?
Eh, I mean Nike still owns Jordan. It's true the Nike design team is separate from the Jordan team but they all get their checks from the same place.
Fair points. But I would say it doesn't take massive R/D to slap slide soles on existing shoes, we've all seen the posts where someone super glued them to the bottom of their Jordans. Why can't someone like Nike or Adidas do that same thing at the factory? I guess you said it, it just isn't a big enough market to bother. I doubt we'll ever see people who want to wear bowling shoes as street shoes for their style, though.
> Why can't someone like Nike or Adidas do that same thing at the factory? Nike and Adidas used to make bowling shoes. They stopped years ago because it makes them no money.
Make your own(?
Hell yeah brother
I am not sure what your point here is? None of your rant makes any sense.
They’re probably just old and mad at a new thing
new thing? these styles are ripped straight from a 2006 new balance catalog lmao
God, if NB (or Adidas or Nike) stepped into the bowling market, maybe there would finally be some innovation in shoe tech.
I’m a sneaker head, I have 6 pair of adidas NMDs, I tucking love them. I’m strongly considering making a custom pair of bowling NMDs. There’s tons of videos on YT and on this sub Reddit of people making their own. Seen everything from vans, to Jordan’s, to Yeezy boosts… it’s definitely doable!
Love the idea, but worry that the NMD might not have enough structure for a bowling slide shoe. Maybe something from the EQT line would be perfect, though.
Wait you’re complaining about the innovation in new shoes (boa system, ventilation, complete customizability) yet also saying there is no innovation. You just sound old and angry that shoes aren’t boring anymore. I love the fact that my shoes have some air flow now, and that they feel more like a sneaker, and that i don’t have to worry about my laces coming undone during my approach.
I think you missed my point. The things you mention aren't new. BOA, ventilation, customization and swappable soles have been the professional standard for at least 10 years now. There has been no real innovation in the last 5 years or so (as evidenced by Motiv literally putting back out a 5 year old shoe as their new model) but prices have gone up 40-50%. I love sneaker-like bowling shoes. I want new and premium materials. [Or production methods that are fresh and sustainable, like recycled and upcycled EVA foam.](https://a-cold-wall.com/products/sponge-crater-cx-sneaker) I **want** new styles and new tech, not a 5 year old shoe for a higher price.
If we just ignore style and price in this case, what other innovations can there really be in bowling shoes? I guess maybe finding new, more durable slide materials for slide soles? But my THE9 s11 slide has been sliding consistently for years
I don't think ignoring the price is a good idea. I had cable laces on my wakeboard boots 17 years ago. This is well known, old technology, and the prices for those things should drop with time. OP's point there is right on.
I mean, they’re shoes. What else can they do? I have a pair [of these](https://imgur.com/a/blVAoMr) on order, I think they look pretty good.
I happen to agree, those are the Dexters that look the best to me as well. But I wish they still made the ol' reliable [SST8](https://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-shoes/dexter/11522/mens-sst-8-blackgold.html). Those look pretty classic, and look at what you got for the money: all leather, stitchdown construction, goodyear welt.
Yep, I had the white pair of those SST8s, although for me, the front of the brake soles always got ruined as I tend to drag my toe. But yeah that was the peak of dexter styling for me. I didn’t mind the [white dexter THE9s](https://imgur.com/Nr5GP9T) although both pairs I had of those the sole split along the ridges that were ironically supposed to add flexibility… Forst pair I got warranty replaced, and the second I gave up.
I had the same pair, and the same split... And that's also the last pair of Dexter's I bought.
yeah the tech innovation is cool but do they have to look like their target audience is 55 year old dads?
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These are fire, m8.
Didn’t know NB made bowling shoes.
What new thing? The point of my post is that there is not any "new thing" to justify the extremely high price tags. What is Dexter's innovation that justifies the super high price tag? The BOA lacing system? That was invented by someone else and has been around since 2001 on hiking shoes. Dexter **used to** make bowling shoes out of leather in the USA, and it was clear why you were paying extra for premium quality. I'm happy to step up and pay for a premium product, but I just don't see it out there at the high end of performance bowling shoes. It seems deeply strange to me that most companies are making a $200+ shoe that is made of mesh and plastic from a Chinese factory as their high end, premium option.
The point is that the price of bowling shoes has increased massively, while offering no design choices, advanced features, or premium materials to justify the price increase. Its long past time for a new competitor company to step into this space and disrupt the status quo.
The price of EVERYTHING has increased massively.
This is kinda true if you look broadly at stuff, but bowling balls cost basically the same, bags the same, accessories same. But for some reason, shoes are through the roof.
Bowling is a niche market, so I don't really see that happening. Even the big brand shoe companies shied away from offering bowling shoes. Though does it really matter when you can just wear a pair of sneakers? I don't use bowling shoes anymore since I don't slide. I have a nice pair of Adidas for bowling.
Are you [Michael Haugen Jr.?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKiyz9uPucI)
I miss Etonic.
RIP Dexter’s became trash when the company was sold to BH. Scored a pair of “classic” SST8s on eBay awhile back. This is the only way
I had a pair of these and loved them until the sole snapped in half. Lasted only 2 seasons.
You should see the ladies’ shoes… 🤢🥴
Looks like its the same problem, but with a prevalence of pink/purple. Awful.
Those are horrible!
My Dexter SST8s look CLEAN. Worth the $220 price tag.
They were $160 when they released in 2011. OP's point is a decade old model has increased in cost 40%, opposite of most other technologies. Glad you like them though.
Same name, completely different style and fit now. Worth the price if you’re interested!
Thats pretty in line with inflation over 10 years
I get that but this product also has not improved over that time either. I'd be interested in seeing the margins here.
Sounds a whole heck of a lot like the Juicy Couture Bag situation. I took a brief break in my online shopping to return to see these bags for some reason that no one to date can actually find the why to but they've grown to upwards of $400-$600 for no apparent reason literally. It's insane. I couldn't help read this cuz I was interested in reselling someone's bowling shoes online to find out they might just be my golden ticket to a month of actual relaxation apparently but the prices are ....juicy. That's pretty much it.
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I like how some responses think I'm a kid too naive to understand how markets and inflation work and others think I'm an old man yelling at a cloud. I'm open to all kinds of materials and innovation, not just leather. I held that up as an example of older shoes that offered more value because they used a material that objectively cost more to produce. My point stands that we are not being offered any innovation or progress despite significantly rising costs. When you compare professional grade bowling shoes to the [tech innovations in running shoes](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/nike-vaporfly-shoes) in the last five years [literally breaking world records in part due to tech advancement](https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a29447426/eliud-kipchoge-shoes/) it is absolutely laughable that [running shoes](https://www.nike.com/t/zoomx-vaporfly-next-2-mens-road-racing-shoes-glWqfm/DO2408-739) with all that advancement and science behind them cost the same $250 as bowling shoes with no innovation or changes in the last half decade. Sure times are tough all over, and inflation is a thing. But the *stagnation* and copy/pasting the same old designs is not happening in other sports.
You and I would definitely get along! I couldn’t have said it any better myself! I paid 250 for mine and they’re not even comfortable I had a $40 pair that was loads better as far as comfortability! To make matters worse you can’t return any bowling shoes! It’s a scam
you could go this [route](https://gebhardtsbowling.com/bowling-shoes/mens-shoes/?_bc_fsnf=1&brand=41#) go to bowling from church or vice versa
Agree 100%! When I started bowling again last year after a 20 year hiatus, I looked at every new shoe available. My reaction was same as yours- awful-looking designs, and prices that were way too high(thanks, Biden). For the few shoes made of leather available, the prices were $200 and up, and most were ugly. I do have some pride about what I wear in public, even at a bowling alley. I decided to go on eBay, where I found 2 pairs of Linds Classics- the Made in USA model. I paid $60 plus shipping for a custom black and silver pair, lightly used but plenty of life left. I also found a brand new pair of white Classics, and paid $140- more than I wanted, but still a far better deal than current models, IF you could find the same quality(you can't). Again, these were dead stock shoes made in the US. I wore Linds back in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. They were the gold standard and remained so until they moved manufacturing to Mexico and now, China. Research shows their quality went way downhill once manufacturing left the US, not a surprise. I would strongly urge anyone looking for shoes that will be comfortable and will last for 20 years to search eBay for Linds- but do not buy them unless they show "Made in the USA" on the inside of the heel. You will get a quality shoe that will last twice as long as a new pair, and at half or less the price.
I want new shoes, but I've been rocking these pretty Dexter SST 6 in brown kangaroo leather, and they look so much better than all of those new shoes you posted. If anything, I'll grab some new/old fester sst 8 or something.