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"It's like they walk off by themselves," Davis says. "I guess it's the cool thing to do."

That's the downside of bowling's recent rise in popularity. The United States gained nearly 35 million new bowlers younger than age 24 in the last 10 years, according to American Sports Data Inc. A slew of movies and TV shows added style to the sport, and new innovations at the lanes made bowling trendier with light shows and rock music.

But some bowling alley owners have made the pastime a little too cool for their own good.

"They look pretty nice," says Susan DiIoia of Millvale, regarding her borrowed red-and-green bowling shows at Forward Lanes in Squirrel Hill. "They're comfortable and colorful. I wouldn't mind walking around in these."

Many high-school and college students would agree. Stealing a pair of outrageous shoes with the size written on the back in large numbers seems to be the new cheap chic.

"It's a novel thing to do," says Sally DiAngelo of Crafton-Ingram Lanes, another alley plagued with shoe theft. "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," she says.

"School principals call us and ask if the shoes kids are wearing are ours," says Amy Wilding, a manager at Crafton-Ingram Lanes. "I don't know why they want them. I think they're ugly."

The "cool" shoes came in when many alleys bought new shoes to replace worn-out and faded pairs as a further draw to bowling. After all, most people's idea of fun does not begin with putting on something that has seen hundreds of other feet.

To combat the problem, Crafton-Ingram Lanes insists on a deposit in addition to the rental fee: one of the patron's shoes.

"It stops a lot of the kids when we hold onto one of their street shoes," DiAngelo says. "They probably cost a lot more."

But some people don't mind losing a shoe or two.

"Sometimes people forget their regular shoes," says Aldo Giaccordo of Greensburg's Main Bowling Center. "I suppose they walk off with ours."

Most bowling alleys are forced to jack up bowling prices to afford replacement shoes after thefts. Bowling shoes cost between $65 and $80 a pair.

Dormont Lanes has also lost a significant number of bowling balls, which are often removed in bags and cases or replaced with someone's unwanted ball.

"Someone stole the owner's mother's ball," Davis says. "It was everyone's favorite, with a nice weight and texture. It was a real shame."

As bowling fashions became more popular on the street, several entrepreneurs created business to sell shirts, shoes and balls when they were only readily available at alleys. Custom striping and coloring is available, for example. Most pairs are equal in cost to regular shoes and sneakers.

But as long as shoes keep disappearing, bowling alleys will be on the defensive.

"I have an idea how to keep them here," Davis says. "I don't want to say what it is yet."

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