My fat feet need your advice !

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Ballsinthegutter
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My fat feet need your advice !

Post by Ballsinthegutter »

I've been digging into this for over a month now and I'm no farther than I was in the beginning. I have wide and I mean WIDE feet. My actual shoe size is 9.5 H (yeah H width is a thing apparently). In typical sneakers (New Balance, Sketchers) I'm fine with a 10 4E. I'm currently wearing Dexter Jack II's in 10 EE, they're not horribly uncomfortable, but they are a little snug which I've been able to deal with, alas I'm right around the 2 year mark and the material is starting to separate and break away from the rubber soles.

I figured since the jack's weren't a horrible fit I would try the same size and went with the turbo II's this time around. They arrived today and they are definitely way too narrow. Luckily Amazon has a pretty decent return policy.

So I'm back to the drawing board, I've been staring at bowling shoes on several web sites, and reading as many reviews as possible. The problem I'm running into is most of the reviews are from people with size 12+ and nobody actually says what they're normal shoe size is to give me any idea... or the specific shoe I'm looking at has no reviews at all.

At this point I've decided price no longer matters (although I would like to TRY to keep it less than $150 or not much over) . I'm looking at SST6 Hybrids, Hammer Force, Brunswick Frenzy, Even the Linds Classic (which seem to be the only one's available wider than 2E, but the back of the shoe looks like the back of a pair of dress shoes and I worry they will dig into my ankle)

I don't use much slide, if any, I have more of a plant and throw style, so I'm not worried about how well a shoe slides, although being a bigger guy maybe a better sliding shoe might be the answer.

Anyway, I'm putting it out there. Does anyone know if any of the shoes I listed, or any similar to them have a wide enough fit to truly compare to say a 10 4E Sketcher without having to go 2-3 sizes bigger? These Turbo II's fit me like a 9 2E, I can only do one return for a different size and I'm afraid of getting something totally wrong again. I'd rather try a different shoe all together, maybe not from Amazon this time, and get the "correct fit insurance" and just hope I get the right one the first time.

Sorry for being so long winded, I've been struggling with this too long, and I'm running on little sleep and a LOT of coffee at the moment.
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EricHartwell
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by EricHartwell »

I would suggest contacting the manufacturers directly. Maybe you can get a pair custom made.
This may cost more but you would be insured of a proper fit.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by snick »

Buy a Dexter SST Slide sole. Have a shoe repair shop attach it to the bottom of a shoe that fits your foot.
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EricHartwell
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by EricHartwell »

snick wrote:Buy a Dexter SST Slide sole. Have a shoe repair shop attach it to the bottom of a shoe that fits your foot.
Excellent Idea

On that same note you could take your Dexter Jack II's and have them repaired.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by JohnP »

Call Linds and see if they still have their custom shoe option. Several years ago they would send you a template to put dimensions at various points on the foot and ankle 'm plus a hand-drawn outline of the foot. It's been a long time since I ordered a pair, probably 15 years, and the cost was around $200 then. I'm afraid I heard somewhere that they aren't doing that any longer. -- JohnP
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kajmk
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by kajmk »

JohnP wrote:Call Linds and see if they still have their custom shoe option. Several years ago they would send you a template to put dimensions at various points on the foot and ankle 'm plus a hand-drawn outline of the foot. It's been a long time since I ordered a pair, probably 15 years, and the cost was around $200 then. I'm afraid I heard somewhere that they aren't doing that any longer. -- JohnP
I like the Shoe Repair shop in option, perhaps be prepared to explain the mechanics of sliding and breaking too.

My PSO of choice used to do the foot measurements and trace of the feet and order from Linds. Now this was a long time ago, back in the 80's. He now has 3 pro shops, obviously a well established business.

I'm wonder that given the nature of your slide, that you really need shoes with variable attachments.
I'd guess that your challenge would be slick approaches.
Just a thought ...
Not that I advocate planting per se, but if your body is strong and flexible, you might try going to planter style. I'd couple that with strengthening and conditioning of course.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by EricHartwell »

JohnP wrote:Call Linds and see if they still have their custom shoe option. Several years ago they would send you a template to put dimensions at various points on the foot and ankle 'm plus a hand-drawn outline of the foot. It's been a long time since I ordered a pair, probably 15 years, and the cost was around $200 then. I'm afraid I heard somewhere that they aren't doing that any longer. -- JohnP
15 years ago they made the shoes here in the States. Manufacturing has since been moved to China and the quality is not nearly the same. My last pair of Linds Classics did not last 2 seasons before they started to come apart. Eyelets falling out and the sole separating from the shoe.
They lost me as a customer for life.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by sutherngent »

EricHartwell wrote: 15 years ago they made the shoes here in the States. Manufacturing has since been moved to China and the quality is not nearly the same. My last pair of Linds Classics did not last 2 seasons before they started to come apart. Eyelets falling out and the sole separating from the shoe.
They lost me as a customer for life.
As far as I know, Linds doesn't have the full customs anymore...I ordered a pair back in the early 80s and I loved them. They now have what they call semi customs, this is just a Classic you can order in different colors and with different slide soles, push off sole and heels. The sizes and widths are standard. You can order semi customs at https://www.bowlerstore.com/p-2271-lind ... spx...they" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; are like $249.95 with a 12-16 week lead time. Or you can call 1-877-300-2695 OPTION 1 to order as well.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by MWhite »

EricHartwell wrote: 15 years ago they made the shoes here in the States. Manufacturing has since been moved to China and the quality is not nearly the same. My last pair of Linds Classics did not last 2 seasons before they started to come apart. Eyelets falling out and the sole separating from the shoe.
They lost me as a customer for life.

I'll second that on current Linds lack of quality.

In the 70's I got my 1st pair of Linds, and still had them in the 90's when I stopped bowling.
That was bowling almost every day in either scratch leagues or pot games.


In 2012 I started up again, but found that the old shoes somehow disappeared between two coast to coast relocations. So I bought a new pair of Linds. in 2016 the non-slide sole cracked clean in two where the shoe flexes during the power step. That was as most 6-9 games per week.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by JohnP »

Sounds like I probably got one of the last pairs of full Customs made. I bought my first pair in the early 70's and used them until probably the late 90's. The first pair didn't wear out, my feet got bigger and they started hurting. I used the second pair until I stopped bowling two years ago. I used a slide sock with them for about the last 10 years. -- JohnP
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by boomer »

what about getting a pair of shoes that fits and gluing a set of soles/heels on them?

You'd need to find ones that are flat on the bottom - so not running shoes. And fairly firm on the bottom. But I'm assuming you've already found SOME shoes you can wear. . .

I mean, you can buy any Dexter SST sole, right? They're a hook and loop style attachment? You can get a pretty wide variety of hook and loop stuff at mcmaster.com . . . feasible?
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by Ballsinthegutter »

Thanks for all the tips and advice everyone!

I thought about contacting Linds after reading about the possibility of having pair custom made. Unfortunately I havent been able to find any contact info for them, and their website just loads a blank white screen (not sure if it's my computer or what the problem is there).

In response to the comments about being a "planter", I used to slide just fine, but I've put on quite a bit of weight in the last 10 years and right about the time I got my last pair of shoes, I took a few pretty bad falls, at first I stopped sliding because it made me too nervous that I might fall and hurt myself again and after a while it became so natural to me that now I can't slide even if I want to (i've been trying lately in hopes of improving my game) . This search for new shoes has had me wondering if part of the reason I was falling and now not being able to slide might have something to do with the slide sole on my current shoes, and Ive thought of the possibility of having something better I might be able to get it back.

I spent the last couple of days reading up on as much as I can as far as the fit of different shoes, even called Dexter direct, that was a dead end, they couldn't give me any comparison whatsoever as to how their sizes compare to a typical running shoe/sneaker. The lady actually seemed insulted when I told her the pair I just bought felt to be at least a size and a half too small.

I'm trying the SST 6 Hybrids, got the tru fit insurance from bowlingball.com , and ordered a half size bigger than normal (they say they have a wider toe box than other styles), so we'll see how this attempt goes. So far no luck finding anywhere in my area that does shoe repairs to even ask about converting a pair of shoes for bowling, I actually have an older pair of Vans that I think would be perfect, but I'm not a cobbler so I'm not really feeling up to the challenge of trying it myself.


Anyway just wanted to thank ya'll for taking the time to toss me some ideas. I'll let you know how this next pair works out when they arrive on Thursday.
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Re: My fat feet need your advice !

Post by kajmk »

I'm glad you received help and suggestions here. We have some very fine people here.

I understand your concern about the foot work, sliding, and balance.

A couple of items:
Check out the thread on fitness, there are links to leg exercises, (lunge, single leg exercises),
and balance, the Athleanx and Askdrjo YouTube's are good sources.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12401" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On page 3 of the following, Jim included a video illustrating a lunge exercise (from a senior site)
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=14013&start=40" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Remember, you can use a wall, a chair for support as you discover your range.
Emulating the descent, slide and post position as a drill without a ball is a step towards development and confidence. Build on that, add a prop like a lite weight.

Using full length mirrors is a great help, build the body to mind connection, see what you are really doing and how you look.

Most of us put on the pounds as we age, but if motivated, we can shed them.
You don't need a gym or expensive equipment? Remember the Rocky movie where he trained in Russia?
Long before there were machines, there was muscle. Ever see a farm boy who needed barbells or treadmills. Look up bodyweight exercises.

I hope you have many more years in this great sport and some new highs on the horizon.
Divide and conquer.

Good luck.
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and to that freedom for all.

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