Shoe life?

[Blomer]

My shoes are falling apart. This up coming season will be my 3rd season with Dexter's SST 1's. But I also bow a lot outside of league about 10-15 games a week. I'm assuming the shoe life with the bowling I do is normal. Is it? I'm thinking about either getting the Tank or the 9's. Thoughts?

[bowl1820]

I've had my SST 7's for 8 years now (really took care of them, they've seen some action) and finally looking to replace them the traction sole has got hard and slick.

I'm looking at the 9's

[Amyers]

I've got almost that long on my 8's and they still look new but I'm not a toe dragged or anything. My youngest daughter eats bowling shoes. Somehow she drags the toes on both feet.

[John Anderson]

I've had my shoes for six years and they still look fine and work just fine for me. I have Jack's, not even anything in the SST lineup. I don't think having nicer shoes would help me what so ever.

[epiepenburg]

My sst5's lasted over 15 years. I'm in my second year of my sst8's.

[Amyers]

I've had my shoes for six years and they still look fine and work just fine for me. I have Jack's, not even anything in the SST lineup. I don't think having nicer shoes would help me what so ever.

The only real benefits to the SST line is the interchangeable soles. I bowl in a lot of centers and approaches do vary quite a bit. I bowl in about 10-15 centers a year some with wood approaches some synthetic without the changeable soles I'd break my neck. If your only bowling in one or two centers and your fine on the approaches I wouldn't worry about it. I do think maybe the leather uppers on the SST lines do hold up better than the more tennis shoe type uppers on some of the others.

[RobLV1]

I have two pairs of SST 6's. Find a good shoe repair shop, and for minimal expense, they last virtually forever.

[jab5325]

I've had my SST 7's for 8 years now (really took care of them, they've seen some action) and finally looking to replace them the traction sole has got hard and slick.

I'm looking at the 9's

The 9s look great and seem to have solved the toe drag problem.....but I heard replacement soles will be somewhere on the order of $40 each.

That's a bit much for me.

[vdubtx]

I have a pair of SST6's going on 8 years now and they are still working fine for me. I can tell the rubber on the bottom of my push off shoe is cracking, may have to look at getting that replaced. I don't regularly change the soles out on the slide foot. I like extra slide in my approach so there aren't many occasions where the approach is too sticky that I can adjust to it or get it corrected a little by the center.

The THE 9's look really nice, but at $180-200 a pair. I will wait until my current pair blow out or something.

[bowl1820]

I have a pair of SST6's going on 8 years now and they are still working fine for me. I can tell the rubber on the bottom of my push off shoe is cracking, may have to look at getting that replaced. I don't regularly change the soles out on the slide foot. I like extra slide in my approach so there aren't many occasions where the approach is too sticky that I can adjust to it or get it corrected a little by the center.

The THE 9's look really nice, but at $180-200 a pair. I will wait until my current pair blow out or something.

The traction sole on mine has got dried out and cracking as you can see (Plus getting wore in places), when they get that way they don't grip anymore.

The price is high alright, but guy's pay that much for a ball and ball's don't last as long the shoes do.

Back when I bought my SST7's they were $150 and that was high. But shoes are one thing not skimp on, they get you to the line.

http://s5.postimg.org/58n6c3q4n/oldsole.jpg

[John Anderson]

The only real benefits to the SST line is the interchangeable soles. I bowl in a lot of centers and approaches do vary quite a bit. I bowl in about 10-15 centers a year some with wood approaches some synthetic without the changeable soles I'd break my neck. If your only bowling in one or two centers and your fine on the approaches I wouldn't worry about it. I do think maybe the leather uppers on the SST lines do hold up better than the more tennis shoe type uppers on some of the others.

At just over three times the price for the nicer shoes, I'd certainly hope they hold up better. You are right that I only bowl in three different houses. Two use the same AMF lanes and the third uses Brunswick Anvil lanes. The approaches at all three houses are about the same.

[billf]

I had SST5s and was lucky to get a full year out of them. That was at least three full time leagues year round. Bought the Tanks when they came out. After two full years they are just starting to wear the toe. Yes, I tend to drag the toe on my balance leg. A lot will depend of it and how much you drag that toe.

[bobforsaken]

I had SST5s and was lucky to get a full year out of them. That was at least three full time leagues year round. Bought the Tanks when they came out. After two full years they are just starting to wear the toe. Yes, I tend to drag the toe on my balance leg. A lot will depend of it and how much you drag that toe.

I've had my SST6's for about 1 year now. They are in fine shape but the right sole has a Major bevel from dragging my toe so much. It doesn't effect me yet so I'm gonna keep running them, but with the way I drag I will buy 8's or 9's when I replace them.