i tried out my new linds exxxtra's today and couldn't have picked a worse day to do it. my bowling center has been "working" on the approaches and they were in bad shape and got worse the longer i bowled. i used the buckskin inserts in the soles and the smooth rubber inserts in the heels and that really didn't allow for the type of slide i was wanting. i removed the rubber inserts from the heels and put the st. louis leather inserts in the heels and this really looked like it was going to be "the" setup. i noticed the shoes were comfortable and supportive from the getgo. no problem with breaking them in. i hoping to bowl on some different approaches so i can get a better feel for the soles and heels. the yellow bulletproof sole on the pushoff shoe provided great traction. after i bowled i took these shoes along with my dynorooz sport elite cabretta's and my old dexter sst6 lx's to our trusty shoe repair shop which my parents had used for over 20 years. i asked the owner to give me his honest opinion on the construction and quality of these shoes. here's what he had to say:
1) all three pairs were put together very well. all three had the uppers glued and stitched to the soles. he said this is a sign of good quality in a shoe.
2) he stated that while the dexters were made of kangaroo and the dynorooz were made from sheepskin and the linds from cowhide all three were made with high quality materials. he liked how suppple the dynorooz sheepskin was.
3) he commented on how much more padding there was around the ankle on the dynorooz than on the linds or dexters----he asked me if either was uncomfortable because of that and i told him no. he then noticed how much more rigid and firm the "heel cup area" on the linds was compared to the dexters and the dynorooz. he said this was a sign of high quality in shoes that isn't all that common anymore.
we'll see how these linds perform and holdup in time but right now they seem very nice.
sizing details:
i had worn size 10 1/2, normal width, when i wore dexter sst 4's & 5's. i had always thought they were a hair narrow. when i moved up to dexter sst 6 & sst 6 lx's i wore size 10 1/2, normal width, and these shoes were very wide. both pairs of my dynorooz sport elite cabretta's are size 10 1/2, normal width. they fit just fine. at first, i thought they were a hair narrow but the sheepskin leather has stretched just enough to make them fit very well. when i first tried on a pair of linds exxxtra's several years ago the size 10 1/2, normal width, was too long and not wide enough. so when i bought a pair i got a pair of size 10's, ee width, and these fit great.
Edited on 8/4/2007 7:06 PM
