UKC

Do you have your climbing shoes resoled?

Vote up for yes and down for no.

If you don’t, I’m curious as to why you choose not to, so feel free to comment.

Whenever I've resoled shoes in the past, another part of the shoe has worn out before I've got full use out of the new sole. Since I tend buy shoes on the cheaper end of the scale (£50-80) the resole just doesn't seem worth it.

I didn't vote (both yes and no). I've had shoes resoled in the past and they were great, but I've found for the last 4/5 years I've found enough second-hand shoes coming up in my size at a decent price. 

I keep buying them and use my old ones on the board. I should probably get around to resoling the old ones, but all the pairs I've bought have been cheaper than a re-sole with loads of life in them and I just never get around to it. 

I don't. Usually the point at which holes appear in the toes coincides with the smell getting unbearable, and I'm glad to be rid of them. Also on my favourite shoes the strap system can wear out/through at the double-backs, so they're all round irredeemably knackered after about year of heavy use. 

If you want a poll you can create a poll, there's no need to try to use up/down votes for that.

I have had multiple pairs of climbing shoes, approach shoes and walking boots resoled, and its always been a success. However the last pair of approach shoes cost £55 and I dropped and collected, so no P&P and took over 12 weeks, so I am not sure I will bother again. The buying secondhand had never occurred to me.

 

Depends on how much I love the shoe and if I can still buy it!

I've experimented with a few models, Had 4mm Edge put on Mastias etc for a stiffer boot.

Recently had my Katakis done as they don't make them anymore.

Northern Sole by The Foundry does a really good job I think.

Not in the past, for various reasons - upper worn, needed a dws stash, fancied something new with the next greatest design/tech/marketing guff....

But now, as an old punter.... just sent the comfy pair off for a resole, because they are a comfy pair, the uppers are in decent condition and it's far cheaper than a new pair.  No reason not to really.

I've had 2 pairs resoled. On both pairs, the inside is now so grim I won't do them again.

Lost another pair before they were due a resole, so ended up buying another pair anyway.

I don't tend to go through soles that quickly - mainly because I'm just not climbing enough, but also like to think I have good foot placement and don't wear soles out that quick. Also tend to buy in sales, so not much more than having them resoled anyway.

I used to know someone who went through the toes of his so fast he was buying a new pair every few months! Used to give the old ones away to newbies in the club to pay for the resole as a cheap pair!

Usually once.  If the rest of the shoe is close to nackered I just use them indoors though.

I've got a pair of the original Solutions which are on their 3rd resole and going strong. I don't see why I can't get at least another 2 or 3 resoles out of them. Llanberis Resoles have always done a great job for me, even repairing the tabs at the back of the shoe when they went.

Can't vote though as I've turned off the up/down buttons.

I got 3 resoles out of a pair of Scarpa Vapor Vs (old style) before the uppers gave up. Now using Instinct VSRs one pair is on its 2nd resole already and no reason to think it won't make a 3rd.  Given the cost of a new pair it makes total sense to resole.

Old Scarpa Vapour Vs were the best! I have a pair going in for their 4th resole I think, as they're still my favourite ever shoe. Had the rand repaired once as well. Uppers are still fine (heel is starting to go though). I would pay good money to be able to get a replacement pair. 

New grey Scarpa Vapour model not as good/comfy, not going to resole as the uppers are already falling apart. 

I always used to put anti-fungal or other foot powders in my climbing shoes after each days climbing. This prevents smells from developing. The powder also makes it slightly easier to put the shoes on again.

I find that climbing and approach shoes are one of the few things that I know exactly what brand, model and size I need so if I see one pop up I generally try and get it. A lot of people buy them, realise they are too big/small and sell them on quite quickly too. Some bargains to be had!

I buy/use cheaper shoes, so the price of resoling + postage (& waiting!!) isn't much less than a new pair of untainted/fresh shoes, & some resoling (apparently) doesn't satisfy the owner compared to the original sole

Yep... It's annoying to spend £50, get a new sole  and three weeks later end up with a hole in the rand

Quoted £65 for resole and new rand , 12-15 weeks to do repair.

New pair of Boreal shoes £63 

Thank you everyone for your input. Interesting stuff.

For a long time I didn't, I kept finding cheap good enough shoes, but have struggled to find something new I get on with for a while. 

I'm now on my 3rd or 4th resole on a number of pairs of shoes. Most have strap repairs done by myself as well, easy enough with some tough webbing and no real idea how to sew, and no smell issues as I climb in socks. I use a local guy here in Plymouth who does an excellent job. I'd think harder going by the current prices advertised at Llanberis etc. I wear through the toes due to lots of bouldering indoors, so always get the rands patched.  

Resoling got too expensive compared to new shoes. I have 5.10 niad. The price for a resole ( >50€) is more than 50% of a new pair ( around 100€ ) sales price which you can usually find.... and the quality of a resoled pair is not comparable to a new shoes. When I had my shoes resoled, I didn't use them as long just not to make resoling impossible, now I use older shoes for,the climbing wall resp for easier mp routes, for what they are still perfectly fine. That also has to be taken into the count, so for me resoling isn't an option. 

I've found similar. I really really like the Scarpa Quantic that I reviewed here https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/footwear/climbing_shoes/scarpa_quantic_and_... I used them loads and loads for a couple of years and they didn't actually wear through but have got very thin around the toe and under the toes. I was looking at getting them resoled by Scarpa - 70 quid plus postage to the Scarpa UK. Just at about that time they took them out of the Scarpa line up in the UK at least, Scarpa UK clearly sold their stock of that model off to Rock and Run at a knock down price and I bought a new pair from R&R for 59.95 and with a few other bits I needed qualified for free postage! I noticed the Quantix SF from that review have literally just got a tiny split in the rubber, so I might now send them off to Scarpa as their sole is a bit more complex and try one of the other places for Quantic - particularly if they are a bit cheaper than the Scarpa factory service. But when you see shoes regularly for 30 to 50% off - ends of line etc. it does make paying a lot for a resole seem rather expensive.

I just paid £57 for a superb resole on a pair of shoes I can't get new for less than £130. Seems a good deal to me!

I wouldn't buy second-hand adult rock shoes - bare feet makes the inside grim, quite apart from transfer of fungal infections.

The kids have got second hand ones - they wear socks in them and grow out of them so fast, so don't have the issues of adult ones.

Who did you use Fraser?

I have a pair of old Boreal Ballets which are comfortable but nice and snug. I use them for easy routes, long routes and can wear them all day. I get them resoled every couple of years and, despite looking battered, they have kept going. I think over the years they have moulded to my feet and are so are better, for what I want them, than anything I can buy new. They are now 32 years old.

But for harder routes, particularly where I want good edges, I always have another tighter and more precise pair. These I don't get resoled, preferring to buy a new pair when they get worn. They tend to last well - I'd like to think because of my precise footwork, but more likely because I use my old Ballets for easier routes and I don't do that many harder routes.

I think the smell issue is easily rectifiable and doesn't really justify new shoes, just clean your shoes and don't put then away damp.

also the straps are significantly easier to repair than the soles so shouldn't really justify the lack of resole.

Though I have to admit that I don't get resoles as I don't think the pricing is competitive enough so  just buy cheap 2nd hand pairs instead.

I think it really depends on the type of shoe you have and how it's worn out.

regular one piece full soles like anasazi/masai etc are never resoled like new, they're bodged together with a new end piece of rubber to a varying degree of quality. Whereas something like the Scarpa Instincts with a separate front sole piece can be easily resoled to give a shoe that is like new.

A more interesting question would be who uses resoled shoes as their "serious" shoes everyone I know who has resoled shoes relegates them to 2nd tier shoes to use at the wall/warming up etc. so will always buy new shoes too.

For a while I was alternating a new pair of the (previous) Vapour Vs and a resoled pair. Couldn't really tell the difference. As you say, they spliced in the front half and the join is hardly noticeable.

The newer pair has since been resoled and they've both now moved down the pecking order as the midsole has become floppier. Officially 'comfy' shoes now and mitigated slightly by using 'Edge' rubber on the resole.

When I was obsessed, I used to run 3 or 4 pairs of the same shoe in various stages of sole wear. When they were all resoled they became perfect DWS shoes. 
Nowadays, no longer climbing at my cutting edge grade, and unlikely to climb hard enough for good DWS again, second hand pairs pop up much cheaper than resoles.

I havn't bothered getting shoes resoled for a long time. Maybe things have improved, but, when I did, they were usually a shadow of their first incarnation. Anyway, resoles now sound pretty expensive. For quite a while I have been buying all my shoes from people on here hardly used for not too much more.

I'd agree it's probably dependent on the shoe and the wear to a significant extent. 

I currently use the La Sportiva Miura Lace XX (special version of the normal lace from 2017/18) for outdoor sport climbing, a very well constructed shoe with the P3 insert which seems to work well to ensure they retain there shape.  They also seems to have a toe profile which seems to not suffer too much from rand damage (plus I don't use them indoors very much).  I have 4 pairs all of which have been resoled at least once (by Llanberis resoles, sole only) and am currently using the last 2 first resole pairs as my outdoor shoes.  IMO the first resole is as good  as a new shoe and I've done all my outdoor climbing in resoles over the last 18 months.  The second resoles maybe have a small deterioration in performance but they're still very usable.  

I've been in a situation over the last few years where these particularly shoes (stiff, narrow, mild downturn) really work for me but are no longer available so I've had an incentive to make more use of resoles and it's been a positive experience. 

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Torquil at Llanberis Resoles. First time I've used them (after a poor result from a different place several years ago, when the shoes came back like clogs) and I'd definite use them again.  My Instinct VS-Rs came back like new, including the strong downturn.

Goma 2 here near Siurana  does a brilliant job. On first resole I normally  go for the thinest resole, to keep the used boot sensitivity. When they wear out I  invariably will have just worn through  the toe rubber, any thicker resole will mean the leather will also be compromised.