If you’re new to bowling, you would have been surprised to learn that special shoes are required before you step out to a lane.
At first glance, they look like regular sneakers, so you should wear your casual pair. But when you get to an alley, the manager tells you to rent shoes or you can’t play. They don’t want to deal with any injuries to customers and have to start settling claims in court.
Avid bowlers know this and are always on the lookout for the best shoes they can find. These shoes are made with materials that can absorb the slipperiness of a bowling lane, which is polished to the point that the wooden surfaces begin to look plastic.
Here are some of the best women’s bowling shoes you can buy to improve your bowling as a woman who loves the pastime or wants to become a professional bowler who competes in the PBA circuits!
Top 11 Women’s Bowling Shoes
Let’s take a look at eleven of the best women’s bowling shoes. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran, possessing one of these shoes will help you up your game.
1. DEXTER PRO BOA WOMEN’S BLACK/GREY LEOPARD
Dexter is a big name in the bowling shoe industry. Every bowler has a Dexter shoe or has worn one.
With its wide range of shoes for men and women – another of which will make this list down the line – this company continues to serve bowlers with comfort, style, stability, and efficiency for great performances on all types of lanes.
Dexter is the first bowling shoe company to adopt the BOA lacing system. This is a system that eliminates the time spent lacing up mountain boots, safety boots, and sports shoes.
The laces of shoes with the BOA lacing system are connected to a knob so that when the wearer puts them on, all they have to do is turn the knob to loosen or tighten the shoe.
Couples with its sleek design, this is what makes the Dexter Pro BOA Women’s Black/Grey Leopard a very popular shoe among bowlers and one of the best women’s bowling shoes around.
2. KR STRIKEFORCE LUX LEOPARD
Bowlers who pay attention to how they look when they step out to the lane really love the KR Strikeforce Lux Leopard bowling shoes.
The trendy white leopard print design that stands out and “roars” confidence is a look that makes sure that all eyes are on the bowler sporting them. The shoe isn’t all about its looks, though. The Lux Leopard shoes also deliver, in terms of performance.
These shoes are made for comfort with the lace-up Komfort-FitTM construction, lightweight knitted mesh upper, CMEVA out-sole, and the open cell foam deluxe foot-bed.
Included on both shoes are #8 white microfiber slide pads with FlexSlide Technology™ for ultimate slide control.
The Leopard is one of three variants in the KR Strikeforce Lux line, the others being the White/Black and the Black Crystal. With its unique design, it’s obvious why it’s the most popular one.
However, all Lux shoes from KR Strikeforce can get the job done and come highly recommended by many professional bowlers.
3. DEXTER ULTRA GROOVY BLUE
I know the shoe is called the Dexter Ultra Groovy Blue, but it isn’t by no means blue. The color scheme of this shoe is sure to throw new bowlers off when they go shopping for it. This is why my first advice is to look it up and read articles like this one that tell you what to expect.
As for what to expect, the Dexter Ultra Groovy Blue is a shoe that combines comfort and style. This unique bowling shoe also has molded removable EVA foot-beds and is very light on the feet.
The funky blue swirling color scheme of the shoe will spice up any outfit, making you look great while you bowl. It is responsive to black light (UV light), which means that you can stand out from the crowd with Dexter Ultra Groovy Blues on in a glow bowling alley.
4. ELITE Women’s Kona Slip-On Bowling Shoes
This is the first of three ELITE women’s bowling shoes on this list.
For a small company that’s only gaining traction in the bowling goods-making industry, the guys at ELITE have done pretty well for themselves.
They have one of the most sought-after balls for spares in the market right now (read our article on the best bowling balls here) as well as some of the best bags for bowlers too.
Now, they’re having three entries on this very curated list that features some classics and some groundbreakers.
The ELITE Women’s Kona Slip-On Bowling Shoes are made with lightweight knit fabric and Feather Lite outsoles which provide comfort for your ankles as well as a firm grip on the lane surface. It comes in different colors that also improve your style on the lane.
The best thing about it is that it is affordable, staying true to ELITE’s main mission of making bowling easily accessible to bowlers on a budget!
5. Pyramid Women’s Path Lite Seamless Mesh Bowling Shoes
The light and seamless version of the Pyramid Path women’s bowling shoes is an effort to reduce the weight of the original path shoes on the bowler and a statement of Pyramid’s commitment to providing top-notch quality and performance at an affordable price.
Yes, the price point of these shoes is one of the things that gets people talking, and the fact that they come in several colors also makes for good shopping. They’re athletic in design, which means they feel like trainers on the feet rather than bowling shoes.
Pyramid is also leading the way with their packaging of this shoe. It comes in a bag, not a box, which makes it an eco-friendly effort. It is a great entry-level shoe for new bowlers.
6. KR Strikeforce The Maui Rose Women’s Athletic Style Bowling Shoe
This is a runner-style shoe that ranks at the top of the best women’s bowling shoes for beginners. If your girlfriend, wife, friend or sister wants to get into bowling, gift her these shoes and she will fall in love with bowling as quickly as she can put them on and take them off.
The upper construction of the KR Strikeforce The Maui Rose Women’s Athletic Style Bowling Shoe combined with the EVA outsole makes it an incredibly light and easy shoe to use while out on the lanes.
The shoe is very breathable and promotes circulation throughout the shoe during use to ensure the best experience possible.
The raised rubber heel pod design was designed by bowlers who had bad experiences with the heels of other bowling shoes. It’s a great example of a shoe made for people who use them by people who use them.
Another standout feature of the shoe is the high-quality #8 slide pad in both shoes, which helps bowlers easily change their slide pads.
7. Dexter Women’s Classic Bowling Shoes
As a PBA-endorsed bowling shoemaker, there’s no surprise in seeing the Dexter Women’s Classic Bowling Shoes make an appearance on this list.
The classic design of the Dexter women’s bowling shoe has led many women’s bowlers to championships all around the world.
The Dexter women’s classics have different names like Elin, Ainslee, Delila, Raquel, Kerrie, Abby, and Harper, as well as color schemes that are sure to appeal to different women and their personalities.
They look like runners, too, which makes them stylish enough to wear outside bowling lanes for minimalist women.
They are great entry-level shoes that many end up using for many years without needing to get new ones. They are good for professional and casual bowling and are also great outside the bowling lanes, as stated earlier.
8. ELITE Women’s Classic Bowling Shoe
This leather bowling shoe can be found in many bowling alleys across the country because of its simplistic design. Many managers swear by this pair, having enjoyed lots of positive patronage from casual bowlers.
The ELITE Women’s Classic Bowling Shoe is a super lightweight and comfortable shoe that is 40% lighter than comparable rubber outsoles. It has slide pads on both shoes and comes in two colors: black and purple and pink and gray.
These are colors that are surely going to stand any woman out on a bowling lane, even if they’re not as stylish as the other shoes on this list. They’re optimized for breathability and comfort to allow the woman to bowl without fear of slipping.
Bowlers on a budget also go for these shoes because they’re affordable options – they cost between $39 and $45 to buy.
9. Brunswick Lady Fanatic Women’s Bowling Shoes
As one of the leading makers of bowling goods in the world, it would be weird if Brunswick shoes did not make an appearance on this list. You can take the fact that you waited this long to see one as a testament to the shoe’s impeccable design.
The Brunswick Lady Fanatic Women’s Bowling Shoes, look like low-top Jordan 1s from afar, making them an instant eye-catcher.
The soft leather of the Lady Fanatic merges well with the foam-padded collar and tongue, which provide exceptional comfort and allow you to focus solely on your game without any distractions.
Many bowlers have claimed that the outsole sets these shoes apart. On closer look, you’ll notice that it is an EVA outsole modeled to be extra-light for unparalleled maneuverability, giving you the edge you need to make those precise shots.
It comes in Black/Pink and Black/White color variants.
10. KR Strikeforce Compass Women’s Athletic Bowling Shoe
The KR Strikeforce Compass Women’s Athletic Bowling Shoe is a unique women’s bowling shoe because of its soles. It comes in two variants: a solid black upper with a spatter design on the bottom and a pink upper with a tan bottom.
Not many bowling shoemakers take risks with their sole designs. This difference makes the KR Strikeforce Compass Shoe stand out on a shelf when you’re at a bowling goods shop.
Its uniqueness goes beyond the funky soles it comes with, though. The shoe is made of a soft, durable man-made upper microfiber and mesh upper and a CMEVA and rubber outsole for increased durability. It also has a #8 White Microfiber Slide Pad on both shoes with FlexSlide Technology.
Most importantly, it is comfortable enough that a bowler can stay on the lanes longer. It absorbs shock and friction well so the bowler’s feet hurt less and they can spend more time standing and playing on the lanes.
11. ELITE Women’s Comfort Bowling Shoes
This is the third line in ELITE’s collection of women’s bowling shoes after the Kona and Classic. The fact that all their women’s bowling shoe lines make this list speaks to the company’s dedication to bowling.
The ELITE Women’s Comfort Bowling Shoes look a little bit like the Kona but with a key difference: they’re not slip-ons.
Beyond this lies other differences that’ll take you another glance to notice, like the Bubble Rubber CMEVA outsole with raised rubber heel pod, which provides up to 40% lighter weight shoe when compared to traditional bowling shoes.
This makes the shoes very durable and flexible, which is great for the price at which they’re retailed!
The ELITE Women’s Comfort Bowling Shoes are knitted shoes which also makes them breathable, so those with sweaty feet can enjoy their bowling.
They also come with universal #8 slide soles on both shoes which makes them the perfect entry-level bowling shoe option for any right or left-handed bowler.
Why Do You Need Bowling Shoes?
Let’s take a look at why you need bowling shoes.
You Move Better in Them
Bowling lane areas are very polished to the point of being glossy. This means there’s less friction which allows the ball to roll across the lanes easily. This also means that balls can skid off a lane and cause damage.
If balls can be affected in this way, imagine how it affects a player without the right shoes for the lane! If you’re constantly slipping or sticking to the floor, it can affect your form. Bowling shoes, with their specially designed slippery sole, solve this issue.
They prevent injuries
Slipping and sliding and sticking to the floor while bowling is a recipe for disaster. If you’re a new bowler who’s still getting the hang of the bowling motions, you can easily twist your ankle to sprain or even dislocate it.
There’s also the possibility of muscle injuries or the ball dropping on your foot and injuring your toes.
Worse, you can pop a knee or break your tibia or fibula if you move with a little more force. Bowling shoes solve this. You can read our article on how to bowl properly here.
They Protect the Lanes
It takes a lot to get bowling lanes in the glossy condition you meet them and as such, protective measures are always enforced by the managers to keep them in top shape.
One of those measures is insisting you wear bowling shoes that will prevent slipping and sliding, which can lead to skid marks that quickly devolve into wear and tear of the lanes.
Final thoughts
In truth, most of these bowling shoes are pretty stylish. These shoes come in various styles and colors so you can find a pair that matches your personality!
Also, as human beings, we understand what looking good does for a person’s confidence. Whatever you do, looking good while doing it makes you feel good and perform better. This also translates to bowling, casual or professional.
In comfortable bowling shoes like the eleven best women’s bowling shoes on our list, you feel like a pro who can hit strike after strike. Invest in bowling shoes and become a better bowler today!