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Beyond the ball, the most important piece of personal equipment a bowler can buy is a good pair of shoes. Picking out just the right bowling shoes, however, can take a little time and consideration. The payoff will be a great pair of shoes that help you avoid the rental stand while rolling a good game.

The first place to start when picking out a pair of bowling shoes is with the price. Setting a budget is not a bad idea. Shoes can range from quite affordable to very pricey depending on what specifications you have in mind.

The next consideration is in the style of bowling you actually intend to do. Serious players very likely will want a pair of bowling shoes that matches their throw style. For example, left handed bowlers can buy special shoes that help them set up for the throw just a bit better. This is a small edge, but one many serious bowlers take very to heart. For those who want bowling shoes, but don't have a big budget, ambidextrous shoes might be in order.

When picking out the right shoes and even setting the budget, it's not a bad idea to consider how much play time you actually plan to put in. The more the shoes will get used, the more likely it is you will be better off going with a more expensive, durable pair. Buying a really expensive pair of shoes for an annual trip, however, probably isn't the best use of extra money.

The last thing to consider (beyond size) is standard play habits. For example, do you happen to play more often at a particular lane where you know the conditions? If so, buy a pair of shoes to fit those conditions. If you tend to move around a lot, shoes that offer changeable soles for different lane conditions could be a good idea.

There are some great reasons for those who bowl more than just once in a while to consider getting their own bowling shoes. They include:

* Cost savings. If you're a weekly bowler, a pair of shoes might end up costing less than rentals over the course of a few months.

* Sanitation. For some people, it just doesn't matter how much disinfectant goes into rental shoes, the idea of wearing shoes someone else did just turns their stomach. A good buy in bowling shoes is ideal for these folks.

* Comfort. When a pair of shoes fits and fits right, it can really make a difference in comfort on the lanes.

* Performance. There's just something about having the right shoes on that tends to make game play improve, at least a little. While a good pair of shoes won't take a player's score and increase it by 100 every time, it can provide a little edge that can actually make a big difference.

Anyone who bowls more than once every blue moon would likely benefit from a good pair of personal bowling shoes. Providing comfort, the right fit and perhaps even some cost savings over the long run, this is a small investment in the game that can make a big difference.