If the shoe fits, wear it for 4-5 games

The Free Press is talking shoes, if you couldn't tell from my dopey headline ((It was going to be that or "there's no business like shoe business.")).

SHOES BY THE NUMBERS:

1 The number of shoe free agents on the team. Ben Wallace is the only Piston without a deal. He sometimes borrows shoes from teammates.

3.2 Number of miles an average NBA starter runs during a game.

4-5 Number of games most NBA players wear one pair of shoes.

32 Jersey number of Richard Hamilton, the Piston who goes through his shoes the fastest. He wears one pair for about two games before getting bored with the fit and style. "I've always wanted to wear the newest shoes, ever since I was a little kid," Hamilton said.

60 Number of games Ben Wallace wore one pair of shoes during the championship season. That's unheard of in the NBA. But Carlos Arroyo is on his way to a similar streak. He has worn only one pair of his custom-designed And1s this season.

Can someone tell me why Ben Wallace doesn't have a shoe contract? He's one of the most recognizable guys in the NBA, surely that's worth something, right? It has to be by his own choice if a guy like Carlos Arroyo is sporting custom kicks:

Who wears what?

Chauncey Billups: Adidas T-Macs.

Richard Hamilton: Jordan-brand shoes.

Tayshaun Prince: Nikes.

Carlos Arroyo: And1s emblazoned with his initials and Puerto Rican flags.

Carlos Delfino: Custom Adidas.

Maybe Wallace has his reasons, but I'm surprised that some company out there hasn't overwhelmed him with an offer to help make up his mind. It's too bad the Freep didn't dig a little deeper on this one -- it seems odd to just toss out a curious fact like that and not provide any context or explanation. And how about a full list of who's wearing what? Would that have taken too much time to figure out and report? My curiosity is piqued -- it's easy to find out what the starters are wearing, but what company gave Darko a contract? Or Amir Johnson? Or Alex Acker? Does Acker sell his extra shoes on eBay to help make ends meet? I want to know!

The sole of the Pistons [Detroit Free Press]