UKC

I ask simply because I sent off 2 pairs of stickies for resoling and the cost is £98 including P&P.

The resole cost to new-buy ratio seems to have worsened over time. Is resoling becoming pointless?

In reply to Rampikino:

How much were the shoes to begin with? I'm sending off my Vapour Vs today and if it's a good job it'll save me £60 and the need to break in new shoes. First time I've done it so I'll see.

In reply to Rampikino:

Where did you have them done? I recently had my shoes repaired at Chesire Re-soles. They did an excellent job, far better than their work in previous years. I think it cost £36 for re-sole and rand patches and included return P&P so under £40 all in.

In reply to Rampikino:

I've stopped having them done, partly because of the expense and partly because of some pretty poor results. They never feel as good anyway, now I just use the old resoles on the wall,


Chris

In reply to Pete Dangerous:

I've tried a few different ones and the prices are quite similar. I guess when you break it down it's £49 per pair. A new pair of stickies is not a huge amount more than that...

In reply to Rampikino:

I guess it depends on the shoe. If it's £60 for a new pair then I'd go with that, but for £100 pair I imagine it'll be worth a go.

In reply to Rampikino:

Another vote for Cheshire shoe repairs. For me it was £36-00 for the repairs and £4-00 to send them. But it does change shoes, very happy with the job they have done, but my favourite shoes are now my least favourites, and a pair I wasn't keen on, I now love.

In reply to Rampikino:

No idea why re-soling costs so much in the UK. Send them here: http://www.soescalade.com/PBCPPlayer.asp?ID=1276760
Perfect results. Same fit as before. Inexpensive - 20€ pair + return postage. (To give you an idea, within France, including return postage a resole costs 27€.)

In reply to Rampikino:

Another +1 for Cheshire shoe repairs - they're really quick too!

In my case I've been sending my comfy trad shoes (maybe 3 times now) and with my odd sized feet (and therefore odd sized shoes) and the possibility for having extra thick toe rands (because of my shocking footwork, it's a no-brainer. However, I only climb up to E1/6B, and these shoes are not tight in the first place, so the potential slight loss in fit/ slight extra bulk is not an issue for me.

In reply to Rampikino:

I pay about £45, plus postage to the resoler. This is right at the upper limit of what I'm willing to pay for anasazi blanco/verde which are usually around £100, more or less. I wouldn't bother if new shoes were a little cheaper. They do an excellent job but resoles are never the same, perfectly fine for indoor routes when the shoes are still snug or long routes when they've been resoled a couple of times or more!

In reply to Rampikino:

I send my well-fitting wall shoes back for resoles. I have a decent pair for outside. When the latter are trashed (or I just fancy a new pair) those become the new wall shoes if I like them, with a resole as necessary. The upshot of it is, resoles inside, 'first lap' shoes outside.

In reply to Rampikino:

For me it's a fit thing - I've never found a good replacement for my old 5.10 X-rays (suggestions always welcomed), so I just keep resoling them. Never really noticed any changing in shape.

In reply to GridNorth:

i'll second that, i used Cheshire and the boots are good enough for climbing in-doors and dossing around in they cost £36.00 all in.

saying that i don't think i'll get up Indian face in them ....bugger

In reply to Rampikino:

I figured the complete opposite. When Llanberis Resoles do a pair back to razor sharp edges for like £35 including postage or whatever it is, I'm resoling things several times now before I get new pairs of anything. Thats 3 resoles for the price of a new pair of sportivas or similar.

In reply to Rampikino:

Like Jon, I'd also like to know why re-soling is so expensive in the UK, particularly when (as several have pointed out in this thread) the repaired shoes are often only good enough for non critical use.

I've personally had several pairs of shoes re-soled at the Goma 2 shop (near Siurana in Catalunya) and as well as being considerably cheaper than the figures mentioned here for UK repair, the results have been superb — as good as new.

For example, with Vibram XS 4mm or Five-Ten C4 4.2mm rubber the price is €26 per pair (not including postage). Their own-brand rubber works out even cheaper, at €23 per pair. If you need new toe-caps this adds €5 more per shoe.

No doubt business running costs are a little higher in the UK but the difference seems large?

Pete.

In reply to Rampikino:

£98 for 2 pairs does sound excessive. I use Cheshire Shoe Repairs and am happy enough. The problem with CSR as I see it is that they (usually) insist on toe rands which tend to pull the shoe into a rounded front (doesn't seem to matter which model of shoe)

One tip: when sending the shoes make sure the heels are flattened (rubber bands) to avoid paying over the odds postage (I didn't do this one time - £5.20 as opposed to £2.60. CSR always use rubber bands)

In reply to Rampikino:

I don't know about people in here, but I've never paid more than £50 for a pair of shoes. If you just have the patience on eBay and UKC you can get new/once-or-twice-used shoes often for way below that.

The Miura VS I wear cost 36 worn once, the miuras before that 21 about 1/5 worn. My GF's Boreal Lunas were 24 brand new.

It just never made sense to me when there are so many people who buy climbing shoes in the wrong size and need to sell them on.

In reply to neuromancer:

Quite hard to do that if you're buying a new model, pretty much impossible to guarantee a decent fit. Good option if you know what you want, though.

In reply to jon:



Yeah had two pairs done last year - 23€ a pair but they didn't sort the smell out which was disappointing.

(Meet you at Orpierre at 11am tomorrow ok?)

E

In reply to Rampikino:

I've had repairs done by CSR and llanberris and can recommend both. Have had a pair resoled twice by CSR and they are fine for wall mileage. Llanberris did a great job with a good as new finish to the resole of a pair of vintage Boreal Matrix.

Value for money I'm pleased overall- just bear in mind the posting tip mentioned elsewhere about the size of the parcel

In reply to Rampikino:

Another vote for Cheshire Show Repairs, they did an amazing job on my Whites. If anything they were better then they were before. Might have to keep getting them done now they're discontinuing them!

In reply to Rampikino:

I aggree with Jon and Pod 2 great resole places, I had a pair of Muiras resoled last year in Boulder Colorado, at 30$ and fantastic job done.

The resole is expensive in the UK because the overheads cost more saying that the only place to take them for resole in the UK is Llanberis re-sole far better than all the rest in the UK .

keith s

In reply to Rampikino:

The Climbing Academy Shop, online and in the centres, also do a resoling service. We send shoes out to France to be done by one of the major resolers out there. That way you get the quality and experience of the French but at a competitive price - £32 or £37 depending on rubber.
http://tcashop.theclimbingacademy.com/tca-resoling

In reply to Rampikino:

I used to use Feet First who did an excellent job of resoling

Are they still around?

In reply to Rampikino:

To be fair, I didn't start the thread to look at whether the companies are any good - I've always had great service from whoever I've used.

I'm more curious as to what the tipping point is where it stops being worth doing and is better to get a new pair. I guess this just comes down to the cost ratio and the personal preference.

In reply to Rampikino:



To me it's a matter of comfort. I have great difficulty finding comfortable shoes (or boots), so once I find a pair which are comfortable I will go on resoling them until the uppers fall apart. hence my question about Feet First because a second resole is soon due for my rock shoes.

In reply to Trangia:

I've never resoled more than twice, after that the stickies have just started to get quite nasty and it's time for an update!

In reply to remus:

I guess if the shoe has just come out - but then again, why would you be resoling a shoe that has just come out?

I know my size in the only shoes that fit me - either by begging, borrowing or trying on in store.

I think it really makes sense as a way to get shoes.

In reply to Trangia:

Yep. Feet First (in Chesterfield) are still at it. They've always done a decent job for me but the last pair I had done I sent over to Torquil in Llanberis (mostly on the grounds that he posts here occasionally and seems like a very good egg). I was very impressed, he does excellent work.

In reply to Rampikino:

I agree with others, UK prices are crazy. My local French club has negotiated a special rate - 17 euros instead of 27 euros!

In reply to Rampikino:

It would be interesting to discover if by reducing prices they got more business.

At 27 Euros or less I would think it worthwhile if the uppers are still good but at nearer £50 a pop it's just not worthwhile IMO. Chesire Re-soles were the most reasonable and did a good job on mine.

In reply to Rampikino:

I use 'Shoe Goo' available from a well known online retailer. It has kept my evolv defy's going for over two years. That is two pairs of shoes which are used weekly. The holes are getting bigger so I just use more goo! At £5 a tube I think I've had my monies worth!

In reply to Trangia:

Yeah I've used Feet First. Very satisfied with their work(I haven't tried others). The resoles seem to last well. The fit of the shoes wasn't affected either.