[csl]

I've got an ever growing collection of shoes which I planned to get resoled, but having never done it before I'm wondering if its worth doing?

[dunnyg]

I've used resoled ones indoors previously, was cheaper than buying a new pair, and i'm not too fussed about indoors. Saying that I currently have a growing collection I've not got round to doing.

[Ross Barker]

I like to resole my shoes, I've used Llanberis in the past. On the other hand I have a friend who has a dozen or so pairs of solutions and he won't resole as to him the fit is never quite the same. FWIW he's also a much stronger climber than me.

I'd say it's worth trying so at least you know whether it works for you.

[haydn jones]

You just need to resolve before going through on the toe. If you need a toe patch the shape will change and then it's fucked. I've done most of my hardest ascents in resoled shoes as it literally makes zero difference for ne in the toe. However I would say heel hooking becomes more difficult as the heel tends to become a bit baggy. So if I come across a hard heel hook I tend to have to use a newer shoe

[cheque]

As Haydn says, If you don’t need to get the rands done it is totally worth it. I wrote a post extolling the virtues of getting them done at the right time on a similar thread on here a while ago.

I felt less than smug however when the resoled Anasazi velcros I’d expected to climb trad in this year unexpectedly developed a hole in the rand the third time I wore them . To be honest I think a lot of the rand wear was from climbing offwidthy heel-toe jamming stuff and a period when I had suboptimal footwork due to nerve damage so won’t apply to most UKB users and I stand by my advice.

[csl]

Thanks everyone, yeah mine are all instinct VS's and none of them have gone through the toe. Will send a pair off and see how I go!

[SamT]

Totally worth it.

Used llanberis serveral times and got some instinct Lace done.  first time, I was gobsmacked at how good a job they'd done. managed to keep the toe down curve etc, but fitted like a glove first time on.  I've had the same pair done again, and they put a rand patch on this time, and whist its totally fine for wall and tradding, its not quite as good as before.

[mrjonathanr]

Totally worth it.

Yes. Torquil and Feet 1st have both done me proud.

[remus]

Personally I've never gotten on very well with resoled shoes. Periodically I read a thread like this, think "maybe Im missing something" and get a pair done, but they just seem to lose that lovely precise fit you get from a a new pair. 'Sloppy' would describe how my resoled shoes have felt.

I've tried Llanberis resoles, the chap in chesterfield and another I can't remember the name of. The quality of the resoles seems pretty technically good (i.e. shape of the shoe is reasonable, no rubber peeling at the edges) but the fit just feels a bit off.

[Fiend]

I've used resoled ones indoors previously, was cheaper than buying a new pair, and i'm not too fussed about indoors.

  quoted for truth. To "indoors" you could also add "warming up", "easy climbs in general", and "steep jug pulls with big footholds".

[duncan]

It depends...

...on the shoe and the resoler.

Well-made shoes like your Scarpas should take multiple resoles. 5.10s don’t do as well, although I’ve had good results from Dragons probably because they are fairly soft in the first place. Whites don’t miraculously become stiff again so resoles have been relegated to training shoes. Possibly not strictly economic when you consider the price of second-hand shoes, but I like getting stuff repaired if at all possible.

If you’ve got a favourite shoe that is no longer available or only in a different version - like old Vapours - a resole is well worth trying. 

I’m not sure who the most cost-effective resolers are at the moment. Possibly better value outside the UK, until the end of December at least.

[moose]

I've had a lot of value from resoles.  If you tend to have RP projects at crags with limited conditions windows, the last thing you need is having to spend valuable weeks wearing in a new pair of shoes.  The benefit of a good pair of resoles is that they are useable straight-away - feel nicely worn-in but still with a decent edge.  The problem is that the mid-soles of rock shoes seem to degrade and a resole doesn't fix that.  So, even if the rubber is replaced well, stiffness is lacking - maybe not a problem for indoor volume wrestling or slopey grit but not good for UK limestone.

[teestub]

I’m not sure if I just wear mine for too long before I’ve had them resolved but my experience is similar to Remus. For me it seems to be the stiffness in the midsole that goes and makes them no where near as good as a new pair. I guess this makes sense as it’s just a bit of plastic in there.

It’s interesting to me that so many people get on so well with them, maybe it’s generally stiffer models to start with where there’s more life left in the midsole.

[tomtom]

(I was going to send some off to try out - different thread - but not done it yet)

Similar to Remus and Stubbs - never really liked a resoled shoe as much as the original. The new soles seem to peel away where they’ve been glued on. Maybe it’s my foot shape or how I stretch them or something...

[kingholmesy]

If you wear a pair until you can only just start to see through the rubber on the toe, do they still need a toe patch?

Or is a toe patch only required when you started to wear through the leather/synthetic/whatever it is?

Shoes always feel at their best time just before they wear the through the toe, so I would be reluctant to send the off too soon.

The other reason I’m sceptical is that towards the end of their life I often tear one of the laces’ eyelets or the uppers are otherwise starting to look at bit tired.  I’m not sure whether they’d last the same time again if I got them re-soled.  What are people’s thoughts??

[mrjonathanr]

It’s interesting to me that so many people get on so well with them, maybe it’s generally stiffer models to start with where there’s more life left in the midsole.

Be interesting to see what the split is between those who primarily climb on grit vs limestone vs volcanic rock.

[Fultonius]

I've had a few pairs resoled, 2 x bostics, 1 x instinct slippers, 1 instinct vs. My first pair of resoled boostics became my go to trad shoes, as they were a little less still than the original, which actually suited me perfectly.

I'm nearly worn through my slippers a second time, and they seem fine. Mainly use them at the home wall.

My second pair of boostics are my main indoor wall shoe and nearly worn through too. Can't say I notice any real performance disadvantage.

I've had most of mine done the George in Arthens.

[Moo]

I had a set of Booster S resoled last year at feet first in chesterfield. They did a superb job and the shoes felt like they'd only just been worn in when I started climbing in them again.

[Coops_13]

I sent four pairs of solutions to the Cheshire place and they all returned brilliantly. Problem is now those boots themselves have fallen apart (not just straps) before I’ve gone through the second layer of rubber 

[Plattsy]

I have a pair of old Vapour Vs that are on their 5th resole and at least one new rand - no change in shape. They're excellent for cruising on gritstone and occasionally for harder stuff.

My old Otakis needed a rand and they did change shape which I thought had screwed them up but they still fit nice and are fine for cruising.

My Instinct VS have been resoled and seem fine. Don't think the resole is holding me back.

I remember seeing a video where the designer at La Sportiva (Heinz?) said he has his shoes resoled and designs shoes to be resoled.

[Dolly]

Same as Moo re Feet first. Pair of instinct slippers and Sportiva approach shoes done. Both excellent
Resolving is soooo much better than it was years ago. You can hardly see the join on the slippers

[M1V0]

I sent four pairs of solutions to the Cheshire place and they all returned brilliantly. Problem is now those boots themselves have fallen apart (not just straps) before I’ve gone through the second layer of rubber 

Another advocate for Cheshire. I think I've had three pairs resoled by them, I have another three to send their way at some point. I even asked them to resole some Futuras and put a Stealth Rubber edge on them, they turned out to be the comfiest board shoe I've ever used.

[remus]

I remember seeing a video where the designer at La Sportiva (Heinz?) said he has his shoes resoled and designs shoes to be resoled.

I bumped in to Nathan Hoette (the other scarpa shoe design guy, appears in all the tradeshow vids explaining the new shoes) at the crag once and he mentioned that scarpa do a resoling service at the factory where they basically rebuild the entire shoe with fresh rubber on. He said he basically just did that and tended to get the best fit after the second or third resole. Apparently it's fairly cheap too, though obviously dependent on being able to get your shoes to the scarpa factory in the first place.

[sdm]

 I know a few people who have had them done by Scarpa. They said they did a great job, including fixing toe hooking rubber (always the first thing to go on my instinct VS) and straps etc but that they were expensive.

I think they said they were £60 or £70 but I may be remembering wrong.

Could be exchange rate differences and not getting an employee rate and free shipping etc.

[remus]

... but that they were expensive.

I could well be misremembering. He may have said it was cheap for him which would make more sense!