[old cheese]

Hi,

Advice please. I want to get my old instinct VS shoes resoled to save a bit of dosh and get a little more life out of them. I see on the feet first website that they offer a range of rubbers.

Have any of you had a resole and if so, what rubber did you choose. I am half tempted to get 5.10
Rubber put on just for the craic but would like to here peoples thoughts...

Neil

[tomtom]

Torquil at Lanberis resoles has done a couple of pairs of instincts for me. He loves them as apparently the shape of the sole (split) makes them really straightforward to do.

Last pair I had done with the slightly thinner scarpa rubber (forgot what its called) to effectively make them a pair of VSR’s (which are VS with the thinner rubber). Worked very well for me.

[Duncan campbell]

Haven’t had instincts resolved but can attest to how good Torquil is at resoling. The only person I’d go to now.

My Sportiva otakis are potentially even better second time round

[Hugh]

Torquil at Lanberis resoles has done a couple of pairs of instincts for me. He loves them as apparently the shape of the sole (split) makes them really straightforward to do.

Last pair I had done with the slightly thinner scarpa rubber (forgot what its called) to effectively make them a pair of VSR’s (which are VS with the thinner rubber). Worked very well for me.

XS Grip isn't it? Got mine done by Llanberis in a similar fashion and they're now my default shoe for most stuff.

[T_B]

I’ve had 3 or 4 pairs of Instincts re-soled. No difference between Llanberis resoles and Feet First IMO. As you can no longer get 5.10 Onyx I’d go with the thinner Vibram XS Grip 2. I had my latest pair resoled in the thicker Stealth and they feel a bit clumpy.

[Paul B]

Interesting that nobody has had issues with their uppers?

My VSRs that I had resoled (2 pairs) both tore large holes near the knuckle and in the corresponding place near the smallest toe. They didn't last long after that as the split propergated and to me, it seemed like a false economy.

[tomtom]

Interesting that nobody has had issues with their uppers?

My VSRs that I had resoled (2 pairs) both tore large holes near the knuckle and in the corresponding place near the smallest toe. They didn't last long after that as the split propergated and to me, it seemed like a false economy.

That’s happened to mine too (toe knuckle) but only on my mega painful tight pair..

[Fultonius]

I've just had my instinct vs's, slipppers and boostics resoled in Greece. Cost me £11 to ship 3 pairs (I had 4 in the bag, but that tipped it over the 2kg which would have jumped it to £50!!).

€30/pair if no rand work is required, including return sipping and fuck me they're like a brand new pair that's been custom moulded for me. I think I go through sole rubber quite quickly with very little shoe damage, so I get a lot of use out of a resole. In fact, both my Boostics and Magos have been resoled and I've worn them out, but generally still happy with the shape.

http://www.shoedoc.eu/rock%20climbing.htm







I've had 2 pairs done at Llanberis which were fine, but George is a true wizard with getting the shape back to the original, fully downturned, scalloped Heinz Marriacher goodness!


[about time too, as my shoe collection was down to TC pros, brand new special use only chimeras, vapour V's in a comfy size, worn out styx (which never suited me anyway) and double worn out magos. Touch and go...]

[SamT]

Yeah - another one for Llanberis resoles.

Had my Instinct Laces done there (twice now) and they come back like new.  Downturn intact and everything.

 

[36chambers]

I'm surprised by the positive comments about Llanberis resole, we got a handful of shoes resoled a year or two ago and all of them starting peeling off after not very long at all (including a pair of instincts). I suppose they made okay indoors shoes

https://imgur.com/UM5LTOM

My GF has since gone to Cheshire Shoe Repairs and so far it all seems fine.

[old cheese]

Thanks for all of the comments people. Though llanberis resoles have got a fairly good press I work about 1 mile from feet first in chesterfield so will head there.

On the comment about the uppers I did have that problem with the first pair I bought and was aware of others having the same issue but with the following 2 pairs this hasn’t been a problem. I just though that I learnt how to climb in them!

On one more point, after many, many years of using the Anasazi Velcro I have noticed that, despite preferring the fit of the instincts they do not last as long as the 5 10’s for me

[36chambers]

Interesting that nobody has had issues with their uppers?

My VSRs that I had resoled (2 pairs) both tore large holes near the knuckle and in the corresponding place near the smallest toe. They didn't last long after that as the split propergated and to me, it seemed like a false economy.

The uppers on instincts really piss me off (but I've yet to find a better shoe). They go through long before the bottoms. Llanberis resoles added some toe caps which have worked a treat and even made certain toehooks much better. These actually seem more resilient than the soles I mentioned previously. But when they eventually peel I just use Shoe Goo to stick them back down. I recently transferred some to newer shoes and they seem fine for now.

[tomtom]

£42!

[36chambers]

On the comment about the uppers I did have that problem with the first pair I bought and was aware of others having the same issue but with the following 2 pairs this hasn’t been a problem. I just though that I learnt how to climb in them!

I clearly have shit footwork

[tomtom]

36C - I've had two sets of instincts go through like that on the knuckle - and I moved up a size (from 41 to 41.5) and no more problems (and my feet are happier..)

[36chambers]

36C - I've had two sets of instincts go through like that on the knuckle - and I moved up a size (from 41 to 41.5) and no more problems (and my feet are happier..)

It does take me ages to break the shoes in. You may be on to something here, cheers.

[sdm]

The uppers on instincts really piss me off (but I've yet to find a better shoe). They go through long before the bottoms. Llanberis resoles added some toe caps which have worked a treat and even made certain toehooks much better. These actually seem more resilient than the soles I mentioned previously. But when they eventually peel I just use Shoe Goo to stick them back down. I recently transferred some to newer shoes and they seem fine for now.

Do those toe patches affect you at all when you're on small holds on a vert or slabby wall? They look like they stick out quite a long way.

[jshaw]

Llanberis resoles added some toe caps

What did you ask for to get them to do this for you? I have the same problem w my Instincts and was told [by Llanberis] it wouldn't be possible to repair. It was quite a while ago though.

[Mugabe251]

Seconding Tom's recommendation of Torquil, who did an absolutely superb job on my VSs. I had them resoled with XS edge and it essentially doubled their lifespan, which is impressive considering how long they lasted before a resole. He also added some sort of reinforced rand which helped with toe hooks and was generally really durable compared to the original which blew from sliding down a slab face first.

Not cheap, but far cheaper than buying a new pair and having to re-break em in.

[Paul B]

I clearly have shit footwork

Perhaps we have that in common 

[andy_e]

I clearly have shit footwork

Could also be due to the fact that you climb at Demon Wall Roof for ~90% of your waking hours?

[36chambers]

Llanberis resoles added some toe caps

What did you ask for to get them to do this for you? I have the same problem w my Instincts and was told [by Llanberis] it wouldn't be possible to repair. It was quite a while ago though.

If I remember correctly there was no mention of upper toe repair on their site (this was 2016), but I e-mailed them some pictures and asked if they could give me a quote, I got the impression they had done the repair on plenty of instincts.

[jshaw]

If I remember correctly there was no mention of upper toe repair on their site (this was 2016), but I e-mailed them some pictures and asked if they could give me a quote, I got the impression they had done the repair on plenty of instincts.

Awesome, thanks!

[36chambers]

The uppers on instincts really piss me off (but I've yet to find a better shoe). They go through long before the bottoms. Llanberis resoles added some toe caps which have worked a treat and even made certain toehooks much better. These actually seem more resilient than the soles I mentioned previously. But when they eventually peel I just use Shoe Goo to stick them back down. I recently transferred some to newer shoes and they seem fine for now.

Do those toe patches affect you at all when you're on small holds on a vert or slabby wall? They look like they stick out quite a long way.

That picture make them look bulkier than they are, particularly because the rubber is so new and shiny, I don't even notice them now.

Looking straight down it sticks out to the side very slightly, but that's 15 mm back from the tip of the shoe. It might cause a visibility issue if you have to place the inner part of your foot on something on a vert wall, but I can't recall ever having any problems with it.

[36chambers]

I clearly have shit footwork

Could also be due to the fact that you climb at Demon Wall Roof for ~90% of your waking hours?

Thinking about it, although roofs can be bad for the toe tops, I think the worse thing is when I do rock overs indoors and end up scraping my trailing foot up the textured walls.