These shoes are made for bowling

A peculiar trend is afflicting the bowling allies of America. Teens and college students have been stealing rental-bowling shoes to wear as a fashion statement. Perhaps this is in response to an increased interest in bowling fashions, but bowling alley owners are baffled by the phenomenon. "It's like they walk off by themselves," Louise Davis of Brookline's Dormont Lanes told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I guess it's the cool thing to do."

Bowling has become a popular pasttime for young adults. According to American Sports Data Inc. 35 million new bowlers under age 24 have started the game in the past 10 years. Movies and TV shows promoting the game have also fed its popularity. Bowling alley owners have spiced up the lanes with light shows and rock music, making it a more contemporary, hip activity. And now they're being robbed.

"It's a novel thing to do," says another bowling alley owner suffering from this affliction. "I see a lot of high-school kids wearing bowling shoes around here. Then kids saw them on their friends at school and they want their own."

The trend for stealing bowling shoes apparently began when bowling alleys started investing in new shoes to replace the old, warn ones. Naturally a new pair is so much more attractive to wear than a pair that has been worn by hundreds of pairs of feet. One way for owners to counteract the crimewave is to demand a deposit for the shoes, although this is not always a deterrent.

The grown-ups don't understand it. "I don't know why they want them. I think they're ugly," says one bowling alley owner. However, the trend is being picked up by a number of entrepreneurs who are trying to sell shirts, shoes and balls. Some offer the option of custom striping and colouring. Most bowling shoes cost as much as regular shoes and sneakers, according to the Tribune-Review.

The question may be when, if at all, this trend will cross the Atlantic. Our bowling activities are somewhat limited, but then again so are our American football and baseball activities, but that hasn't stopped us from wearing their jerseys.