UKC

Hey

Does anyone know where I can buy sheets of rubber (e.g. Stealth C4, Vibram XS Grip)?

Thanks

In reply to cha1n:

Don't know, but if you soak climbing shoes in boiling water the sole will delaminate and come out as a complete sheet. I did that to one of my old and knacked pair of shoes in attempt to use the rubber to patch another pair. I glued a small 1 inch by 1 inch patch on the toe area and shaved the edges. It lasted well on indoor wall but once I start smearing outdoor the patches peeled off.

Interested to know if anyone have a better solution or know what is the best type of glue to use. I tried a few types and found the urethane based glue (Freesole/Seamgrip/Unibond Extreme) to last the longest. The glue itself seems to work OK on its own as a filler for patching small holes too.

In reply to jamestheyip:

I've been doing a bit of research and it appears that Barge Cement is the best adhesive. It seems hard to get hold of outside of the US but Tandy ( http://www.tandyleatherfactory.co.uk/home/department/Leather-Cement-Glue/Le... ) sell Barge Cement and hopefully sell a cheaper equivalent, but I'm waiting for a reply from them.

In reply to cha1n:

The only place I've seen close to the UK that would have a regular supply would be Boreal's half-sole rubbers which you can see at http://www.e-boreal.com/ing/comienzo.htm (click Products then Accessories and you'll see). I've resoled shoes myself with both Boreal and FiveTen half sole kits with good effect. Sort of blabbering here now, but it's equally effective to deactivate the glue bond with direct heat (over a stove) and then gradually roll off the old sole using needle nose pliers. If you're wanting to purchase for commercial purposes or at bulk, I think you can contact the manufacturer directly and they might help.

Any more questions and I'll try to help or maybe somebody wiser will come a long!

In reply to mlt:

Also on a side note... depending on what you want to use the shoe for, I have used cheaper sheet non-climbing rubber bought from some specialist hardware shops. It might sound daft, but it works a treat if you just want to resole a shoe for your kid or a beginner but see no point in flashing more $$$.

In reply to mlt:

Thanks for the reply Matthew.

I'm toying with a few ideas to use the rubber for, but initially it would be for a DIY resole. The rubber on my Miuras (XS Grip) are fast approaching a premature end (in my opinion) and after seeing some of the butcher jobs that the UK resolers have done would rather risk doing it myself..

I've seen the C4 kits for sale in the US but not here, did you buy your kit in the UK?

I'd prefer XS Grip or C4 to be honest, I'm considering contacting Vibram but I doubt that they would supply in the small quantities that I require..

In reply to cha1n:

Hey there,

Cool, I think self resoling is the way forward. It's actually a lot easier than I ever expected, rewarding and saves a lot of cash!

I bought my kit in Hong Kong and the US... it seems near impossible to get the Five Ten resole kits outside the US... I'm sure if you contact Five Ten or Vibram you'll be able to request something... at bare minimum I think Five Ten could send you just the half soles (with no glue or plastic packaging) at a very reasonable price. Maybe contact a friendly retailer/distributor to see if they could order in a small batch?

Have a look at a short instructional article I wrote on RC.com about shoe resoling, might be helpful for you: http://www.rockclimbing.com/Articles/Gear_and_Reviews/Resoling_your_climbin...