the Mall is across the street.
Yes, life is good....
Look what I found when I was looking for the article about the accident...ICK..who would want to steal bowling shoes?
Who says people in Atlanta don't know how to dress?..they even took a survey..
YOUR VIEW
Under what circumstances would you steal bowling shoes?
If they look cool. 3% 6
If my friends are doing it. 1% 1
To sell them on eBay. 11% 22
I would never steal a pair of bowling shoes. 85% 169
Total Votes 198
By Amy Winn
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
Will y'all please stop stealing those bowling shoes? PHIL SKINNER / Staff
The fresher, more fashionable appearance of bowling shoes has made them a hot commodity among trendy Atlantans.
Kitty Osborn, manager at the Azalea Lanes in Marietta, says that an increasing number of rental shoes at the bowling center are walking out on the sneaky feet of customers who would rather steal them than buy them.
It's a nationwide trend, er, problem: Bowling shoes are so anti-fashion, they're a "hot" fashion statement, for both men and women. Bowling center managers say more men's shoes disappear than women's.
"I don't see what the attraction is - they are not attractive shoes," said Azalea Lanes' Osborn. "I used to joke that people could just have them if they really wanted them, but I can't do that anymore. In fact, it used to be people would refuse to rent them. They didn't want to be seen in them in public."
At Peachtree Lanes in Norcross, assistant manager Lou Pellizzeri says the rental shoes "are always being stolen. It's the retro thing, like bowling shirts are sometimes popular."
Bowling-style street shoes are widely available, for sale, in stores. At Shoemakers' Warehouse in Midtown, Wanted brand shoes that closely mimic the bowling lane variety sell for $40. Bill Hallman's Virginia-Highland shoe boutique sells Camper brand men's bowling sneakers in camel for $149. At the nearby Catwalk boutique, there are Soul Out women's shoes in camel and brown for $32. Also at Catwalk are Tredair men's shoes in dark red for $120.
Putting moral values aside, Pellizzeri suggests would-be thieves would be better off buying the bowling-style street shoes, even if they are more expensive. Unlike rentals, they are made to be worn all the time.
Miscreants may consider it "bargain shopping" when they pay the bowling centers $2-$3 and walk out with a "new" pair of shoes.
Monica Garcia, 23, of East Atlanta said a friend stole a pair "because he's too broke to buy new ones." To Garcia, the shoes aren't worth stealing. "I think they are kind of silly, like clown shoes. And they are so uncomfortable."
The shoes cost the bowling centers $13-$20 a pair, and although it's difficult to find a manufacturer who will sell rental styles to individuals, it is possible. A recent search for "bowling shoes" on eBay.com turned up more than 150 pairs for sale, in various colors, styles, vintages and prices. And with a little honest effort, bowling shoes may also be found at thrift stores and garage sales.
Rick Hetzel, 33, of Oakhurst said: "I think part of the attraction is that they are stolen. Of all the people I know that have stolen them - not me, of course - they don't actually wear them. It's more about the act of stealing them. If the alley owners asked, they'd probably bring them back."
At Express Lanes in Midtown, there are many empty bins in the racks of men's shoes. Manager Elma McIntire has strong words for the thieves: "There's nothing right about stealing, but they do it all the time. They are the scum of the earth."
McIntire recalled going out to dinner at Cowtippers in Midtown and discovering her waiter wearing rental shoes from Express Lanes.
"I asked him, 'So does this mean my steak is free?' " |
