Basically, the original soles of the shoes is removed and replaced with a new one – if there aren’t any additional problems. Austin Beck-Doss is a writer and climber currently based in Salt Lake City, Utah. From long trad routes to short gym sessions, Austin is glad to weave any form of climbing into his days. Previously, Austin has worked as a climbing instructor for various organizations, including nonprofits that focus on adaptive climbers and populations with disabilities. His essays, features, and gear overviews can be found in Climbing, Rock & Ice, The Common Climber, GearJunkie, and other publications. Resoling reduces waste and is much cheaper than purchasing a brand new pair of shoes.
With the full sole you can also replace the entire sole with full replacement piece, but it’s more likely to have a 1/3rd or half sole done. All of this advice and costing varies depending on the person/store doing it. Split sole really just means there is only a sole at the front. With a split sole the front part can just be removed and replaced with an identical part or a new piece shape. Here is an example from West Coast Resoles, originally shared on their Instagram page (@west.coast.resoles).
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Get Max Life And Optimal Performance Out Of Your Shoes With Timely Resoling And Proper Maintenance
It’s important to know your budget and to ask if the price is right for you. If you know what brands you like and what styles you like, then it’s not about having to sell a product to be able to make a living. If your climbing shoes have a hole in the sole, you can absolutely resole them.
A decent new pair of shoes costs $ , and a resole with extras might cost you $50-80. If you get it done at the right time with a good resoler then you’ll probably get a great resole and the same performance, meaning you’ve saved a lot versus a new pair. Wearing the rubber on the sole or rand through to the inner material starts to ruin the integrity of the shoe’s shape. You buy shoes because of the support they give you – specifically for your foot shape.
There are times where dragging your foot is the beta — call it a dynamic flag. Have a close look at the shoes in the next IFSC finals, you’ll quite likely spot a few with small holes up by the big toe knuckle or scum patch from dragging. Taking an average of $10 it will cost you an extra $20 to ship the shoes to and from the resoler. Another assumption is that you are not going to all this trouble for an average or low quality pair of climbing shoes.
It’s not mean to take most of the weight when climbing so it mostly starts to wear through when the front part of the sole is worn through. It also wears down more when climbers drag their toe up the wall to keep balance. There’s a lot of mixed information out there about resoling climbing shoes. There are plenty of repair stores that would fix your shoes for a small price.
Everything You Need To Know About Resoling Your Climbing Shoes
Save yourself the shipping costs and drop them off at the shop, directions here. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. A native of Indiana, Carolyn has been traveling and climbing around the US since 2012.
Again try not to cut too deep into the rubber and be careful not to accidentally cut right through the mid-sole. Try not to dig the brush deep into the rubber to avoid wearing through the sole too fast. To remove large amounts of stubborn dirt, consider using alcohol.
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However, not all resolers are able to perform this kind of resole. If you have a specific rubber preference, it may require some searching to locate a resoler that has the stuff you’re looking for. A half resole replaces the front half of the sole, which is the primary zone of contact between your shoe and the rock. Shoes with a damaged rand will need a new toe cap in addition to a new sole.
The soles on this shoe tend to be thinner and are made with sticky rubber. Moderate climbing shoes are more comfortable than an aggressive shoe, while still being able to navigate more technical and challenging routes than a neutral shoe. The fit and stretch of the shoe depend on the amount of rubber, upper material, and inner lining. When you break in climbing shoes, they should have a snug fit. When climbing shoes fit well, they should feel like they are closely hugging your feet, but new shoes can be painful and stiff. The process of breaking shoes in is not difficult, but it is important to make sure it’s done properly.
When to Resole Climbing Shoes Don’t throw away a perfectly good pair of shoes just because one of the rubber patches on the left toe is missing. While one can take the old sole off with a knife, you need a heave duty sewing machine designed for shoes to sew the sole back on. You might find a local shoe repair store with the correct equipment. We still recommended keeping shoes that still fit but don’t have the performance you need for the project. With proper care you could still have a pair of beater shoes for the gym, a comfy pair for all-day 5.fun multipitches, or a pair to lend out to a friend. You can see the wedge shape where the rand was replaced on the well loved pair below.
Use plastic on your heel for additional protection if needed. A flat, or neutral climbing shoe, has a relaxed fit and is great for beginner climbers and all-day wear. The stiff midsole of these shoes is thicker and has great support. A neutral shoe is great for wearing for long periods of time and for multi-pitch routes and crack climbing. In general we find that shoes can take one or two resoles and about one rand repair before they loose too much shape. Sometimes it’s just not possible to keep the shape of the shoe in the way you wanted – despite the skill of the repair.
Stealth C4 rubber, which are two common climbing soles that are found on La Sportiva and 5.10 shoes, respectively. To resole a pair of shoes with new half soles and toe caps, expect to pay $65-$100. A half resole is the most common type of resole, and it usually costs $30-40 per shoe — before shipping.
Around spring and just before sending season tend to be rammed. The rand is the rubber that wraps around the sides of the shoe and over the top of the toe. The sole is the stiffer piece of rubber that covers the bottom of the shoe, and on most shoes you can see a distinct line where the sole meets the rand. Read on for the answers to some common questions about resoling, and to learn how to get the most out of your shoes, reduce waste, and keep your climbing costs to a minimum. The workers at the resole stores are professionals who have perfected the craft of resoling shoes and making them as good as new.
Not letting the day’s sweat dry out well enough can cause the shoes to mold, which you certainly don’t want. Many places will take between 2 weeks on the quick end, to around eight weeks, or two months on the longer end. This time frame is part of the reason why many climbers keep old shoes even when they replace them; that way, they still have shoes to use while their main shoes are getting resoled.
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