UKH

Many moons ago, resoled shoes looked terrible. Horror stories abounded. 

I just watched this - https://www.ukclimbing.com/videos/categories/product_videos/resoling_climbi...

(lovely vid with Gresh asking nice earnest questions to a very skilled craftsman) 

But, is the propaganda true? 

Is it worth me parting with £60 to see if my original, purple 5.10 quantums can be rescued? 

Love to know people's experiences.

Thanks,

BB

I've had good resoles and bad resoles.  IMO they tended to be better with old style shoes like Boreal Aces.  I think I owned more new and resoled versions of these than any other shoe and they were fine. But, and these are are two big buts for me, 1) resoling became more expensive 2) it did not work as well or look as neat on more aggressively, curved models. I now take the view that if the resole is near to half the cost of a new shoe I would buy new shoes but then I am relatively well off compared to some.

The cost has gone up dramatically in the past year or so. When I sent several pairs off to George in Greece and they came back virtually brand new for what worked out about £30 a pair, it was absolutely worth it. 

If only we hadn't brexshitted, I'd be sending the pile I have now to someone in Europe to do. 

Imo, what you get from UK resolers is not worth the cost.

Llanberis resoles are great. As the vid says, you get the edge and performance back with an upper that is already fitted to your foot. I am into several scarpa instinct and vapour resoles from Llanberis resoles, reasonable turn around time and good quality which justifies the price (especially when new is approx 125, resole is about 55). One pair of instincts is onto its 3rd resole (1 original, 2 resoles be llanberis). Just need to time it right to maximise value.

I've got several pairs that are past their best. I'm going to get one pair resoled and judge for myself. At worst I've spent 40% of the cost of a new one and get a shoe I only use indoors. I can live with that.

My closest is in Chesterfield unless anyone knows of one in Sheffield? Anyone have any experience of the Chesterfield resoler?

The one in Sheffield on Woodseats Road, if it is still there, is the same company as the Chesterfield Foundry Lane one, Feet First.

I have had lots of resolves hear over the years and they have always been very good, also for walking boots. But, unfortunately as people have said above it is now relatively expensive and certainly not worth it if you are using £60 to £80 shoes. 

I'd given up on ever getting to enjoy my totally wrecked purple Quantums again, but decided to get them resoled with Feet First and they did a fantastic job - same for the three other pairs that they did at the same time. Conversely, I have friends who've had FF resole shoes and reckon that they did an absolutely terrible job and swear by Llanberis Resoles or Cheshire. Similarly, I know people that sent shoes to Llanberis that came back terrible and swear by Cheshire, or sent them to Cheshire and they came back terrible and swear by Llanberis.

Basically it seems to me that everyone (except George) has done some really good work and some work that people are immensely unhappy with. I slightly wonder if this is down to a combo of expectations - I don't expect a resoled shoe to be as good as a new one in terms of performance, and generally use them for indoors/mileage - and condition - I reckon some people send off shoes with gaping holes in the toes and the soles flapping in the breeze, and are then surprised that what they get back, which has been just about cobbled back together, doesn't work as well as something brand new. 

+1 for Llanberris. They did my Scarpa Instincts  back in September, came back good as new and great straight-forward, quick service. I’d use them again without hesitation as it seems a waste to chuck decent shoes away when only a tiny bit of rubber wears out.

Contrast that with a more expensive resole I got in the States recently on some Blancos, that took ages and started delaminating on the first climb.

I would hope it has come on a bit. I had two pairs of boots resoled in the early 90s, a pair of the green and purple Scarpas and Boreal Sprints which were the best footwear I’d ever used, and went for resoling more because the same shoes were unavailable new. After the resoles it was like climbing in a pair of cowboy boots. I really wanted to get a pair of 5.10s (the Velcro ones with the cushioned and dot-rubber heel) done for the same reason but the experience of the other two put me off. 

I live abroad so no use recommending my resoler to you, but I've been using the same company for years and my shoes come back as good as new.

Having said that, I only get resoles on relatively stiff, structured shoes. I've never even bothered trying to get resoles on very soft shoes like Sportiva Pythons or Scarpa Veloces.

I resole my shoes at least twice and sometimes more.  They come back like new, but already a perfect fit.  My current pair are at the end of their second season and I will ship them off soon.

I use the Andrea Boldrini service in France - 35 euros a pair plus 10 euros postage.  This is because I climb in their shoes and the rubber isn't available in the UK (afaik).  This price is for 'no edge' type shoes - ordinary ones are 27 euros.  Seems a fair bit less than the £55 mentioned in the thread.

I got my shoes resoled a few times when I was living in Europe and paid around 30 euros a pair. £60 just doesn't make sense to me, particularly as I always pick my shoes up in sales for < £100.

kletterschuhe.de I used if I remember rightly.

I've got some Scarpa Vapour Vs that had 3 resoles - two of these done by George (Papoutsi Express) in Greece and even on the third resole they were still really good. It was definitely worth it, but unfortunately sending to the EU doesn't seem to be viable any more. 

I've had some instinct resoled..  Happy with them.  Not by llanberis tho' but they appeared to care enough.  Dont run your shoes into the ground, and have a decent show.. 60 is 60, but instinct arent a cheap shoes.   Its also easier with modern Split sole shoes

You also get the option,  if yiu want to mix rubber.. instincts with 5.10?  Its possible,  pays your  money.

Observation.. instincts come with 3,5mm rubber.  The resole is normally 4,  you feel thd difference 

Overall i think it's worth trying 

That’s me told.

I've had my Scarpa VS/R boots resoled twice now and they are as good as new. Each resole cost £50 at Llanberis Resoles, and a new pair would have cost £120.

The quality & workmanship is high, the rubber is original Scarpa so it is clearly worth it for me. The boots will stand at least 1 more resoling.

Yeah, they're the ones I use. Great service, excellent quality. 34 euros plus postage for my Testarossas a couple of weeks ago

As others have said.

In the past I have always resoled. My now falling apart Boreal Lasers have been re-soled 5 times. However the cost of resoling has gone up to the point where it is equivelant to a new pair of shoes bought in a sale.

I used to take that view, but I now take the view that I should mend and repair as much as I can to limit my use of finite resources (not withstanding the inherent hypocrisy of continuing to drive to crags, treat ropes as disposable, etc.,  of course)

Found the Chesterfield Feet First to be ok - but didnt use them on my last resole as there is a huge lead time. 15 weeks? -  So they are at least popular.   The Sheffield Feet First is  a seperate company these days. They are in Woodseats on S side of Sheffield,

It's funny, I used to live just above Woodseats and never knew they were there. Are they any good?

I regularly cycle past the estate where Chesterfield Feet First are, but still haven't go round to putting in a pair of shoes for resoling there. I do have a pair of Miuras that I'm quite fond of that could do with a resole, maybe I should try having them resoled, but like you mention I had read about the very long wait times seemingly at all the the UK resolers.

Llanberis Resoles for me.  I was in the area and showed him  my 2 pairs that needed doing. He said 1 pair would not be worth doing and would send the other pair to my home address at a very reasonable cost.

Might well be they dont exist now - unless anyone knows better. A search doesnt come up with them.

I used Cheshire Resoles earlier this year and got them back in 10 days (free/included return postage) - was quiet happy with them.

I had a pair of Scarpa Maestro resoled in 4mm XS Grip2 rubber by feet first. They're noticeably grippier on Polldubh slabs - almost grippy enough to compensate for my shite footwork! They did a nice job - not as good as Scarpa factory resole via Mountain Boot Company (expensive) but good enough and they kept the fit well. 

I had a pair done earlier in the year, rand and sole, they came out very well, even put the downturn back in. 
however including postage it was only about £30 less than a new pair, which are often on sale and with discount codes. It’s nice not to have loads of old pairs gathering dust but I have noticed the inner fabric is starting to get a little worn. So I think it might be a new pair next 

I like the idea of resoling and have had a few pairs done. The job was good, they climbed well... then the rands split on two separate pairs. It was nothing to do with the resole workmanship - it was simply that the rubber had got a bit thin where the toebox gets jammed on cracks and dragged on thin slabs, and they went through. Now I have expensive, nearly new soles on holey shoes... somewhat annoying... Reluctant to try it again.

I resole mine. Feet First sadly ruined a pair so I've switched to the one in Cheshire. First pair delivered back to my house after 2 weeks for 50 quid and the job is spot on. New pair would have cost me £120 so it's easy maths and greener.

Just for balance I’ve had several resoles at Feet First, one pair twice with rand repair. Excellent every time

I've had several pairs done at Llanberis resoles. Always excellent and great service / fast postal turn around.

I've been getting my shoes resoled at the same place for 20+ years. (The Rubber Room in Bishop, CA).
Generally have 3 sets of different size shoes in my shoe quiver.
And one new shoe and at least 1 and sometimes a second resole of each size (all shoes are sportiva muira VS... haven't chucked a pair out for many years).
Generally feel that I get the best performance out of the 1st resole of the tightest shoe size (with the tightest unresoled shoes being reserved for routes that require specialized dime-edging) and the first resole of the mid-sized shoe is usually my go-to general-use shoe.
So yes, if it's done well, i feel that a resole can be better than the original shoe.

Also, part of the reason the resole quality is so variable is that the shoes come in to the resoler in all states of repair. If you want a resole to perform well it's better to get the resole done as soon as the rand and/or sole wear through.
 

I’ve had lots of shoes resoled over the years. Nearly all by Llanberis Resoles. I’ve been really happy with the results and think you get the perfect combo of broken in shoes with perfect edges. 

I thought TC pros were better resoled than they were new, as the stiff leather had softened. 

Unless I really like the shoe I don’t normally bother resoling once there is a hole in the rand as it’s more expensive.

TLDR: Resoling is great and is roughly 1/3 of the cost of new boots. 

Thanks all. Maybe worth me dipping my toe in the murky world of resoles to see what can be done! 

Will need the randing looking at too so it'll be the full £66... 

I think I'll try Llanberis. Thanks! I doubt they'll have any 5.10 Stealth Onyx rubber knocking about though...

I did as well but the last time I tried them around a year back I ended up binning a pair of La Sportiva Katana's as the toe box was reshaped too tight and the rubber fixed too far forward. I hope they get back on track.

I find Cheshire Resole much better. they are cheaper as they include a rand patch and the turn round is much much quicker. I usually have my resoles done for indoor use, but the shoes come back quickly and are the same shape as the original but still fitted to my feet. They are excellent!

I've had a couple of pairs of shoes done by Torquil at Llanberis and have been really pleased with the results. I think the crux for me was similar to you with your Quantums - I had a pair of original Five Ten Dragons that I absolutely loved and didn't want to just chuck away. I get quite sentimentally attached to my shoes and like to keep them going if possible. I think the trick is that I caught them really early before the rand had thinned or gone through, so when I got them back the shape had been kept perfectly so it was basically like getting a pair of brand new but broken in Dragons back: perfect. 

So, in response, I think a lot depends on your expectations. It was magical getting those Dragons back and having all the feel but a sharp edge. However, if your Quantums are trashed and need a rand replacement you might not get the shoe back totally as you remember it. Having looked, I reckon a resole is still roughly half the price of the new UP version of the old purples so might be worth a punt:
https://darkventures.co.uk/unparallel-newtro-lace-climbing-shoe-228-p.asp

Thanks for that!

I'm very much hoping that the rand damage isn't too bad. It's just a tiny hole in each so that you can see the fabric. The fabric is still intact. The sole itself hasn't holed through yet either but I'm sure it's not far away! 

Cheers,

BB 

I'd probably get in touch with Torquil and e-mail him some photos - in my experience he's a very responsive guy and will give you honest advice about whether they're suitable for a resole.

Sounds like you should have had a rand replacement too

The impression I got when filming this is that modern Scarpa and La Sportiva shoes are far better for resoling. They’ve been specifically designed to take multiple resoles and you can get the correct parts for them.

That’s not to say that Torquil can’t work his magic with your Quantums. Best to email him with a photo.

I find Cheshire really hit and miss. They are cheaper and get turned around really fast but my ocun pearls come back looking like clogs. All original shape of the shoe gone, and the join of the new rubber path to the rest of the shoe pretty dodgey! Might be my fault for choosing the wrong rubber tho....? Cheshire fine for indoor shoes, but if i'm getting a nice pair resoled, like my five ten hightops which i wear on grit, then i send them to Llanberis. Did a really good job on them but costs a little more, worth the extra cost tho for quality job. 

I should say had other shoes done at cheshire which have come back much better, but just can be a bit variable, maybe it depends who u get doing the job in cheshire

The rands looked fine - no marks, no obvious weaknesses.

FWIW I had 2 pairs of Vapours side by side last year, one new and one a Cheshire resole. No real difference beyond one being ready broken in.

I think resoling is definitely worth it, specially to rescue models that are not in production anymore. I think Llanberis are really good, specially now that have official parts. I’m still not clear whether with Scarpa you get a new midsole and full slingshot rand (not the little patch that’s normally used) when MBC send them to the factory, which would make it a far better job. But anyhow, as Redjerry said, the best resole is the first, then after that shoes loose performance. The stiffer they are the more resoles you can get. The only thing is that resoling in UK is about double than resoling in Europe. But now with Brexit your safest bet is Llaneris resoles. I had my shoes stuck at customs when i sent them to Shoedoctor in Slovenia.

+1..... and you get to pick the rubber. If it goes well you have a bespoke pair of Goldilocks shoes..

I've used all of them over the years. I think they are all good craftspeople, but the difference with Llanberis was I found pre-communication about what I wanted was easier. I think this is important as us seasoned climbers want different shoes for different purposes (long mountain days/grit bouldering ect). I do wonder if the 'clog' comment I've heard on here and IRL is when the resoler has assumed the climber wants a stiff and durable 'workhorse' pair from the resole (which is sometimes the case!).

The Foundry send them off to Feet First Chesterfield. It's probably just as easy to pop down the Dronfield bypass as it's very close to the first roundabout near Lidl. Saves going through town and finding parking, unless your going there anyway. My 5.10's were as good as new. 

Thanks Kristian (and others).  I'm down the foundry tomorrow eve so I'll drop a pair in then.

Thanks

In the past I used FeetFirst and Cheshire and was never at all impressed with the quality, so I gave up with resolving altogether. Now that shoes cost 130 quid, I took a pair of Vapour Vs (the old model that was actually good) and a pair of Miura VCS to Llanberis Resoles and they came back to me basically new, minus a less pointy toe. Definitely worth it for me.

Interesting. Pythons (old model) resoled with 4mm XS Grip 2 are my all time favorite shoes for steep limestone. 

Some interesting opinions.
Worth remembering that in this day and age, recycling, repairing and re-using is surely the way to go. 
As an ex resoler, you should have seen some of the shitty shoes we had to work on, and yes some climbers really do expect miracles and many still have no comprehension of the work involved and the time it takes. 
You send in a pair of knackered climbing shoes, often times with holes in the toes, and/or the rand damaged, because you, the climber, have climbed in the shoe way past the time you should have stopped and sent them away in order to maximise the chances of getting a really good resole in return (don’t climb on the rand rubber). 
Then you abuse them when your get them back, leave them in the car to overheat, leave them in the sun, hang them on your rucksack in the full sun, walk around in the dirt in them, belay in them….and then blame the resoler for the poor repair when its often due to the damage you are causing. It baffles me that we climbers pay a lot of money for a hand made specialist climbing shoe, and then treat them like crap!!! Take them off when not actually climbing in them and keep them clean to make the most of the sticky rubber. They don’t work so well when dirty. Squeak them up!!
The resoler can only do so much, after that its up to the climber to look after their shoes. 

Yup. I have 2 pairs of vapour Vs done there and was very happy with the result.

Same for my Anazazi pinks...

I agree.

I'm definitely a lot more careful with my climbing shoes than I used to be...admittedly that's partly because they are so much more uncomfortable to wear when not climbing than they used to be!

One of the resoles is knackered now and ready for a reresole, so think I'll try same again. They're my workhorse indoor shoe, decades of tightness means I can't bring myself to wear best at the wall and can enjoy the 'good shoe' bonus when I need it. 

I feel bad beginner/intermediates that go Hire > Tarantula > BEST SHOE YOU CAN BUY. Nowhere to go when they need a boost

If you are in Europe or can get stuff sent within Europe and pick it up when you are next there ShoeDoctor in Slovenia are amazing. There is a list of Scarpa approved Resolers and I picked a more local one OFriction once to save a bit of postage, they were still very good but on balance I would always go for ShoeDoctor.

Another plug for Llanberis here. Had a pretty bad experience with Cheshire as they aggressively ground the edge in a way that it undercut the widest part of the shoe rendering it pretty much impossible to use the outside and inside edges. When I had some Scarpa VSRs done at Llanberis, you'd be hard-pressed to even tell they were resoles. 

I've had the best success when you don't leave them too long (easier said than done in practice). Any wear to the rand will change the profile of the toe rubber when resoled. 

I’ve had several resoles of shoes over the past 15 years: 3 times on climbing shoes (one pair resoled twice) & 3 times on fell running shoes.
 

The first pair of resoles I had (one shoe - my choice - of a pair of Evolv Pontas) were done by Feet First. I was happy with the job they did, though wish I’d heeded the advice to do the other shoe in the pair as it wore through only a few weeks late. The second & third resoles were on a pair of pre-Adidas 5.10 Anasazi LV - 10 year gap between resoles (I did stop climbing for a while in that time) - done by Llanberris Resoles. Was really impressed with Torquil’s work, so would happily recommend him. 
 

Fell shoe wise, I’ve used Lancashire Sports Repair & Eric Wrathall of Todmorden to resole Walsh PBs & also stick a fell sole on some old road trainers. Again, pleased with work of both. I think LSR also resole rock shoes. 
 

Yes, resoling has gone up in price but - assuming you don’t get a pair of shoes at cut price in a sale that are your size & fit well (not always easy) - it still saves money of buying a full price new pair. Bonus also that resoles shoes feel well worn in to your foot on the inside with the benefit of new rubber. 
 

I’d absolutely recommend a resole - done in good time before shoes are in holes! - & would definitely get more in the future.