Resoling climbing shoes: Is it worth it?

Resoling your climbing shoes is a great way to save money, save on waste, and breathe new life into footwear that you've already spent months, sometimes years breaking in. Torquil at Llanberis Resoles (www.llanberisresoles.com/) has been perfecting the art of resoling climbing shoes for the past twelve years, during which, brands like La Sportiva have begun to partner with him to provide the expertise and parts needed to return your shoes better than before.
#rockclimbing #bouldering #climbingshoes
Intro: (00:00)
Llanberis Resoles: (00:31)
When should you resole?: (01:14)
Can shoes perform?: (03:08)
Genuine parts: (04:27)

[@parkerbrown6031]

All of the resole companies here on the West coast of sunny Canada are slammed with business; 2 month wait period. I have a great deal of respect for the rock cobs that bring new life to my shoes. Strong work.

[@dixonleroux1865]

West coast Canada described as sunny isn't something I see often haha. What company would you recommend in the area?

[@a.c.4647]

I'd have to wait 6 months minimum here :(

[@lucacycles8623]

I get my shoes done at Feet First, I swear when they re-sole my instincts they did a better job than Scarpa did originally.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Impressive - that's quite a statement!!

[@zacharylaschober]

Glad to see a name like Neil talking about the performance value of a resole. The environmental aspect of reducing waste, especially for certified resolers with original parts, is great but highest performance in a broken in shoe is just unrivaled. If in the states, I recommend rock and resole to everyone. The quality is phenomenal, and every person who I talk to at gyms and crags who have been turned off by resoling are amazed when I show them my shoes, especially my chimeras where due to the softness of the rubber wrap over the toes and my penchant for toe drags always need a toe cap done, and you can just barely seem the line for that and the outsole is perfect.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Totally, it’s great to see some big names - and big brands - speaking out about this

[@sobyeski]

He's just done my shoes. Absolutely top job 👍

[@ukclimbingofficial]

That's brilliant. Great to have such a glowing testimonial. Torquil (and his re-soling pixies) really do an amazing job don't they?!

[@climb.boulder.mountain]

Yes, been using Llanberis Resoles for years and years, always had a top job done.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

I remember back when he started he was hoovering up all the old climbing shoes in/around the Llanberis climbing scene, just so he could get practise. 12 years on and it would suffice to say he's had a LOT more practise!!

[@chatttenn4814]

I'm glad to hear getting last and the rubber has been an issue with others as well, I'm going through that myself with a resole business in the US, and in Florida of all places. At least I have vibram rubber for now.

[@jacobmacht2183]

Where are you located? I live in FL as well and looking to get several pairs resoled.

[@samps6510]

It's quite shocking to me to see those lines (i.e. " you should try this", "is it worth?") whilst in the country I live in resoling climbing shoes is the norm. Unfortunately not due to environmental reasons but rather economics and lack of access to good quality climbing shoes. Not sure about that but I reckon people here have their shoes resoled about 5 - 6 times before "retiring" them. Thanks La Sportiva/ Neil/ UKC for promoting this.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

That’s brilliant. It feels like there’s a cultural shift underway in the UK, so it’d be interesting to see where we are in a few years time, but I’d hope it’d be like wherever it is that you live 🙏

[@trillbrown3686]

They did my miuras at short notice and they came back perfect. Literally as good as new.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Amazing, such good service!

[@audiojck1]

Living in Germany and usually getting 4ish resoles for a shoe. Sometimes less, sometimes more. My first pairs of Tarantulas had 5 soles. They were super comfy at the end and still a great warmup shoe. Thumbs up for getting stuff repaired 👍 I agree that climbing shoes are best after a (good) second or third resole. Super comfy and fresh, precise edge.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Exactly, it’s about breaking the myth that by resolving them you’re making them worse, where instead you’re actually getting the same pair of shoes - only better!

[@audiojck1]

@@ukclimbingofficial maybe there is a climb somewhere that needs those super stiff clunky new shoes. 😉 But I have a crippled toe and when I can avoid wearing in new shoes, I will will always do that. And I never had the feeling that the shoe let me down.

[@dominik3456]

Where did you let your shoes resole?

[@jonasjohajohanson9517]

@@dominik3456Wanted to ask the same question.

[@Stein1306]

​@@jonasjohajohanson9517same

[@FreshClipMedia]

I've been using Torquil at Llanberis to resole my shoes for a few years now. Always provides a fantastic quality finish and even if there is a defect in the repair process he is really helpful and accommodating even going to far as to redo a pair twice at absolutely no extra charge when the soles were delaminating (Think this was down to some dodgy glue). Cant recommend him enough.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

There's so many glowing reports within this thread now - great to hear

[@jonwilson8178]

I always use Llanberis resoles. Top job

[@ukclimbingofficial]

They're getting a lot of rave reviews on this thread, that's for sure

[@alexkent571]

Absolutely yes, Llanberis Resoles even fixed my broken strap on my Solutions. 100% worth it

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Amazing service isn't it - absolutely above and beyond.

[@suckieduckie]

Is there any shoe that gets used more than the solutions? In my local gym so many people have either solutions or a pair of Tenaya Mastia's because it's a bit more local.

[@micchops3921]

Unfortunately in Australia, we have to pay around $120-$180 for a resole + rand repair, when it also costs around that much to get new shoes (including shipping costs) shipped from Europe. That paired with the inconsist results of the resoles and a 2-4 month waiting period makes it really hard to justify resoling.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

That’s a lot of money 😯 The two times I’ve been to Australia I’ve always been blown away by how much climbing equipment costs - and how everyone buys it from Europe. Amazing place to live (and climb) though…just a shame how much climbing equipment costs…

[@tudorvezentan3529]

Open your own resole shop and make it similar to Europe, it would be a win win for everyone

[@eSKAone-]

Nice tip 💟

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Hope it's of help!

[@rickbijkerk376]

Very interesting video first of all What I do wonder though, how often can you resole your shoes before they're simply done. I can imagine doing it once but would resoling more then once be beneficial?

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Good question. I think a large part comes down to the quality of the shoe you’ve bought, so - if you can afford it - buy something that’s well made then look after it. If you can keep the uppers in good condition they’ll last a fair few resoles. How many exactly is hard to say!!

[@rafemaxwell4143]

Depends on the use of the shoe. For an aggressive shoe that you use for demanding steep climbing they are not as good (IMO) after the amount of use on them that requires a resole. Doesn't have anything to do with the resole itself, just that the shoe itself is worn out. Ill run a few resoles on a pair of anasazis or equivalent comfortable type shoe though.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Scarpa did offer a complete re-build service, which included a new rand; however, I'm not sure whether they're offering this within the UK anymore after Brexit. That said, I've had plenty of aggressive shoes resoled and never had a problem. I think the difference is who's resoled them.

[@Putzinator]

Great video Neil! I got my Skwamas resoled and they just slapped some rubber over the bottom, did a janky hand cut of the Skwama sole, and charged a premium... I saw this video and thought I was getting a LS original spare part and did not... Does anyone know of a US resoler who will do it accurately like in the video?

[@davidsimpson3885]

found a top resoler here in Germany, even when there is a hole in the Material, stiches it and when having to put a New rand on a shoe, works it in with the existent rubber not like most places who just slab a strip of rubber on. Problem is, alot of people who do this are not actually cobblers so there is alot of workmanship and quality missing.

[@chrisfrostik8483]

Hast du vielleicht einen Link zur Webseite? Danke :)

[@inkwhir]

The thing is, if I need to resole my shoes when they say it's best, I need to stop using my shoes waaaay before they're really worn out. I can normally do 6 months with a pair if I wear them out to the last bit. If I want to resole them, I can barely do 3 months in them. Considering a good resoling cost £50-60 and the shoes cost £100, it's almost more expensive to resole them earlier than to wear them to the last bit and just buy a new pair. That is only from an economical point of view, of course.

[@zacharylaschober]

For myself, if I expedite a pair of shoes to me, costs marginally more than a quality resole with caps redone. This said, taking a few weeks to break new shoes fully in does mean that six month pair isn’t quite six months, and end of life means especially stiffer shoes won’t perform near as well thus hack a little further off. Mentioned in another comment but my secret has been cycling between sets of shoes. I have six pairs of boosters which I use for training, and I bring two with me for a session and alternate use for a day. Following day on, different two pairs (label the heel tab) and often a day of rest then another day on with a different two pairs, that original set has had three days for the rubber and plastic of the outsole, rand, and midsole to contract and regain original shape. Means a shoe which would’ve lasted me maybe a month at reduced performance now performs amazingly well every session and lasts me almost a full year with the rubber outsole slowly grinding away which can be safely sent off to be resoled on proper time. Obviously the collection of shoes would be expensive, but having a second pair really does further extend the life of the first if you use them on different days.

[@joshshaw1985]

Really wish you guys had stuck a link to their website in the description.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

I'll get that added in now

[@SnowmansApartment]

i can now see the white part unter the sole, but there isn‘t a „hole“, is it too late too or should i try to get it resoled?🤔..

[@fornavnetternavn6279]

Go for it, I just did it with my skwamas and they are good as new👍🏼

[@ukclimbingofficial]

the impression we got was that whilst that is probably further on that is what would be considered 'best', that is also a very long way from worst too. Worst would be your big toe poking out the front, whereas it sounds like that isn't the case (yet)?

[@torquilbennett]

The best thing is to email me a photo and I can let you know if they are still worth doing. Contact details on the website.

[@RealWorldClimbing]

I've found "used twice" shoes off of craigslist or FB marketplace for as much or cheaper than resoles, however... I do have several pairs I've held on to that are form fit to my foot that would be good candidates for resole. I should pull the trigger, huh?

[@ukclimbingofficial]

The difference in between worn/second hand shoes and resoles is that with a good resole, you're effectively getting a new shoe, so in that regard the two are incomparable.

[@bearinmind9849]

Can you resole very soft shoes? Like a LaSportiva Mantra for instance? I've taken some Team VXI in for resoling twice and both time they were totally ruined with a stiff rubber sole and I'm curious if its a thing that can be done or I just didn't get proper resoling done? Not going to name anyone.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

You can, but there's a caveat. Because Five Ten don't supply the original parts, you'd get a fairly generic resole for that using what I suspect would be 3.5mm Vibram XS Grip, which would probably explain the unsatisfactory results you've received previously. With La Sportiva (and Scarpa), if you're using one of their accredited resolers (such as Llanberis Resoles) you'd be getting the exact same sole as the one that was on the shoe when you first bought it, so it should feel pretty much the same. Hope that's of help!

[@TheManCave563]

I had my boreal diabolas resoled by Llanberis resoles. First of all top service and communication and te repair was done faultlessly. The only thing I found was that they never regained the original stiffness so I found It harder to stand on small edges for long as the tension was lost through the bottom of the shoe. Is that the case with all shoes because I want to resole my skwarmas but feel It might be a waste of money if they don't feel as stiff as new.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

What I would say is that modern La Sportivas and Scarpas are designed far better for resoling and Torquil uses genuine La Sportiva parts, so it's far more likely you'll get a better result than with Boreal shoes.

[@torquilbennett]

Skwamas resole a lot better than any Boreals! As long as you haven't worn them out too much I think you'll be surprised how much better the resole is on a Skwama.

[@shadowalker101]

Its a shame sole resoling is so expensive here in the UK. Looking at around 75+ inc rand repair with postage on-top of a long turn around and the possibility of the getting a bad job.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

I think the key is to get shoes soled before they're totally and utterly battered. If you do that they'll not only be cheaper (£51 at Llanberis Resoles), but they'll also be able to resole them to a much higher standard.

[@MonoChromeo]

The environmental aspect before resoling is, for me, not leaving your shoes at Lower PT when the tide's coming in. No resole will help with that.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Over the years the sea has claimed a fair few of my possessions and infrequently has it ever given any of them back 😅

[@tomadevil1]

How many times can climbing shoes be resoled?

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Good question, albeit a tough one to answer, because there’s quite a few variables. Some brands are better to resole than others - such as La Sportiva and Scarpa - so those going to be able to take more. Beyond that it’s simply a case of what condition your uppers are in. If they’re ok, they’ll likely be fine for a resole.

[@torquilbennett]

It really depends how worn they get each time and which shoe it is to start with, It can be anywhere from 0 times to more than 10.

[@alexbarcovsky4319]

The problem with certified resolers is that once they get certified they can do whatever the F the want. Ive tried 3 official La Sportiva certified resolers and they all fucked it up.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

That’s sad to hear. In the UK there’s only two and the standard amongst those has, if feedback is to be believed, increased the quality of the output - not decreased. All fingers crossed that continues 🤞

[@bazwax77]

Langleys, Edinburgh……do a decent job.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Great, that's another one to add to the list

[@thesii213]

who's this neil guy where's rob

[@ukclimbingofficial]

#bringbackrob

[@thesii213]

@@ukclimbingofficial rob is a star

[@TheAlbinoskunk]

Kind of sad that every single pair of climbing shoes wears out in exactly the same spot....

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Poorer quality models may go elsewhere, such as the uppers, or in/around the rand. In a sense, the end wearing out is the best case scenario, as it's relatively quick fix through resoling, whereas a disintegrating upper is much more complicated to mend.

[@muscularibuprofen69]

I get climbing shoes on sale. I did resole for years including with Llanberis Resoles (granted he his one of the better resolers in the country), maybe resoling twice before retiring the shoes, but the reality is that resoles NEVER perform as well as new shoes. Coupled with the fact that resoling now costs close to the price of shoes on sale or more - not for me sorry - performance is first priority and resoles just haven't cut it. Ask any climber operating at a high level and most will tell you the same.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

Out of interest, have you tried any of the more recent resoles using the official components? The impression I got was that made a massive difference. Maybe it’s not what people at the top level are doing now, but maybe - now that things are changing - it’ll be the case in 5-10 years time.

[@matiask7633]

I just have to point out, either you get your shoes really cheap or the resoling costs are higher there. Where I live, a resole costs like 30-50 euros and the performance is the same as new. I really don't get what could change with performance when they use the same materials that the shoe comes with when repairing. it's the same rubber compound, in the same shape and thickness, attached with the same glue or similar. Perhaps the loss in performance you have noticed has more to do with the shoe getting older rather than the resoling.

[@torquilbennett]

I know many top level climbers that would disagree with that. I regularly do resoles for people who get their shoes for free. If you catch them soon enough they should give you better performance.

[@zacharylaschober]

If I wanted to get a new pair of shoes to me in two days, would cost me less than resoling. I still resole everything, and know many athletes who could always request an expedited shoe and yet always spend their own money to resole. One secret is to cycle the use of shoes. I have sets which I use on different days, giving the rand, midsole, and outsole chances to “recover” rather than degrade at the same rate as the climbing rubber. I have a pair of Chimeras which are three resoles on and another after two resoles which are my favored onsight pairs with me on a trip now.

[@rk12968]

This feels like an advertisement, not a critical look at the pros / cons of resoling.

[@ukclimbingofficial]

I guess the angle of this is to look at it from the professional side, of the processes that are in place and the developments between the brands and the people who're doing the re-soling. We've got another video in the pipeline which is probably more what you're after, which is to actually review a pair of resoled shoes and compare/contrast them to the original. Both have their merits.

[@shinraninja]

cheaper to buy new shoes at their prices - its like £70 a resole

[@Maarzehh]

Shoes are like £140

[@ukclimbingofficial]

It's £48 for a resole and £66 for a resole + rand repair; however, as per the sentiment outlined within the video - it's far better to get them done sooner rather than later, not least because it's cheaper, but also because they can do a much better job. Whilst you could buy a new pair, I think that goes against another ethic we discussed, which is that it's best to keep your old shoes in use (if you can) as opposed to in landfill.

[@MattLamPiano]

@@ukclimbingofficial Is the pricing for 1 shoe or 1 pair?

[@basti1597]

@@MattLamPiano one pair

[@MattLamPiano]

@@basti1597 Thanks! That's definitely way cheaper than getting a new pair