UKC

La Sportiva tx5 low. Amazing approach shoes. I thought at first that I couldn't fault them. Probably the best approach shoe I've owned over the years but Ive just hit a major problem with them. They have a (what appears to be) cool lacing system where the lace wraps around the heel section to tighten around the heel when you tighten your laces. But I frayed and then snapped a lace after only around 3 months of wear. Could I get a new lace threaded into the heel section? Well only after about two hours of trying and very nearly destroying brand new laces by having to use a skewer to thread them. 

Anyone else encountered this? 

I contacted La Sportiva and they suggested I take them to a specialist craftsman to have them re-laced. I kid you not. 

Anyway, interested to hear of any other owners who may have had the same issue and maybe a solution?

A friend used a robust plastic straw cut off into a sharp(ish) point to thread through. I only heard this second hand so not sure how successful it was apart from he managed to do it in the end.

That lacing system looks extremely similar to the Boulder X, where I just stuffed the laces through. I specifically picked pretty stiff laces for that reason. If that doesn't work you'll have to push a guide of some sort through and then fish a lace back.

You could try to use either dental floss or fishing line. Put it through the heel and tie it to the lace, then pull the lace through. This worked for me on the Mythos climbing shoe, which has a similar system. 

What about a 22cm ice screw and an abalakov threading tool? My wife has a pair, great trainers.

I ended up using a straw so thanks for the tip! Still a nightmare but got there in the end!

My dog ate the cord out of my TX5's.  I contacted La Sportiva and a local shoe repair shop and they both said the shoes can't be fixed.  So undeterred I bought these long needles from Amazon and some 2mm cord from Go Outdoors and spend an evening running the cord through.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07N1S579H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o...

Holding the one shore with one hand I used a multitool to push the needle through the leather with a little too much force and jammed the needle up under my thumbnail.  It felt like someone stabbed my thumb with a giant hypodermic needle and smashed it with a hammer at the same time.  

I managed to save the shoes from the rubbish bin and the trail of blood from the living room to the kitchen sink came up with a couple of paper towels.

My dog ate the cord out of my TX5's.  I contacted La Sportiva and a local shoe repair shop and they both said the shoes can't be fixed.  So undeterred I bought these long needles from Amazon and some 2mm cord from Go Outdoors and spend an evening running the cord through.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07N1S579H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o...

Holding the one shore with one hand I used a multitool to push the needle through the leather with a little too much force and jammed the needle up under my thumbnail.  It felt like someone stabbed my thumb with a giant hypodermic needle and smashed it with a hammer at the same time.  

I managed to save the shoes from the rubbish bin and the trail of blood from the living room to the kitchen sink came up with a couple of paper towels.