UKC

So here go again, resoling! I used George in Greece, who was amazing. I tried to track him down to no avail, I hear he’s moved to USA. Then I tried ShoeDoctor in Slovenia cos I heard good things about them, only to have a package nightmare due to Brexit. Eventually I succumbed and sent 3 pair to Llanberis resoles. Just got them back, very underwhelmed with the quality: no use of official La Spo parts, cut the sole in half (It’s only a half sole in katakis) and very average sanding/shaping, and expensive . I had similar experience with Chesire and Feet First. Ok quality, but with George you got literally brand new shoes and a decent price.

The question is, does anybody know a resole service to the standards of George but in the UK? If I’d use Scarpa I’d sent the to MBC as I think they are excellent, but I use solely Sportiva. If not, what service in Europe you’ve been successful in shipping shoes to?

thanks

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Yep, I’ve had similar problems since George left for America, I was considering using ShoeDoctor. I’m not sure who to use now either as I’ve also tried Llanberis resoles and Cheshire resoles.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

In the interest of balance - I've had about 5 or 6 resoles done by Llanberis and always thought they did a top job. If they do a good enough job for Caff, Emma Twyford et al, then it's good enough for me

In reply to Wide_Mouth_Frog:

Same for me, agree he doesn't use la sportiva official soles but the quality of work he's done on my La Sportiva miura xx (no longer available new so of great value to me) has been great.  The resoled pairs climb as well, possibly better than a broken in new pair, on to the second resole on one of the pairs.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I've used Boldrini for resoling, but mainly because I climb in Boldrini shoes and I really like the rubber, which isn't available elsewhere.  I'm on the third resole on one pair and always think they come back like a new pair.  They do all makes and the process seems pretty reliable - they fix them and then send a link through for payment.

Having used Cheshire shoe repairs for years I didn’t appreciate just how good a resole could be. When someone recommended George I thought I’d give him a go. I had both katanas and miura vs resoled. I was amazed when I received them back, they were perfect. Effectively a new pair of boots but pre-moulded to your feet. I can’t emphasise enough just how good they were. In the end George did a couple of pairs multiple times.

Alas, I now believe he now works for Black Diamond and no longer resoles. Hence I’m left in the same predicament. I’ve seen some of llanberis shoes repairs and they looked ok, so I’ll probably give them a go. The other place I thought I would try is Lancashire Sports Repairs as they appear to be an approved La Sportiva resoler (according to the La Sportiva website). If anyone has any experience of these I’d be interested to know what they are like.

In reply to Wide_Mouth_Frog:

Perhaps they know not to piss off the locals…

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I found llanberis did a much better job than feet first or cheshire. LLanberis kept the old shape and size of the shoe much better in my experience.

In reply to Adam Ellwood:

I left a pair with Cheshire Sports Repairs and they quoted a very long lead time (a couple of months), when I chased them they said they weren't ready so I left it a couple more weeks and chased again at which point they said it'd be a couple of months! I got them back, pretty peed off with the lack of communication. Llanberis turned them around in a week, they look pretty good.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

My experience is different from yours with Llanberis resoles. Torquil resoled my Scarpa Instinct VSs and I thought they were perfect. And I showed them to various climbing partners and they were impressed. 

In reply to Tyler:

Lancashire Sports Repairs? or Cheshire Shoe Repairs? Thanks.

In reply to ericinbristol:

Glad you are happy with Torquil. My post is about whether anybody in here knows anyone matching George’s quality. 

In reply to Wide_Mouth_Frog:

I don’t think he has done a “bad job”, just not as good as I’m used to. It’s all very good he resoles sponsored climbers to promote his business, good for him. I’ll probably use him again failing to find a better option. It’s just once you’ve are used to G’s quality, which is basically a brand new shoe, then Torquil’s it’s just not the same level. But glad you are happy with him. 

In reply to mrjonathanr:

 The ones in Burnley 

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I have two pairs away with Lancashire Sports Repairs at the moment. Sent them at the end of October and got an email saying the approx. return date is second week of March. Four and a half months?!

Fingers crossed the quality justifies the (surprising) length of time.

Will be watching the thread for recommendations.

In reply to Tyler:

Thanks.

FWIW they did a good job repairing my down jacket, but have never sent boots to them.

In reply to mrjonathanr:

In fairness I've heard only good things about them otherwise, I guess everyone is suffering with supply chain and staffing issues at the moment. 

In reply to Ramon Marin: I used shoe doctor in Slovenia prior to Brexit taking effect - they were brilliant - the whole service. (had Miura's, approach shoes and walking boots all done by them) the Miura's were full sportiva soles and like new. Price & delivery was good.  But post-brexit ... I had no confidence in feet first and ended up using Llanberis. Slightly disappointing to get 1/2 soles - but actually really pleased with the result - they seem to be well glued, friendly and rapid service and I will use them again.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Last year I sent a pair of LS Katanas to Feet First and they are unwearable on their return. Quite odd as the last pair I had done came back great. My Katanas look like they have the front of a pair of old trainers stuck on the end and seem to have gone down a size. I really hate getting the boot in at a small company like this, especially as on a personal level they seem like nice blokes.

Dreading my new pair wearing out.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

I’ve had similar problems with feet first and Cheshire in the past, even if the size is (sometimes) retained it’s like the new soles are made from a standard template and then the shoe is confirmed to the sole. Llanberis the old shape is retained pretty well. The randing can be similarly problematic. I’ve had better experiences with FF repairing walking boots though.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I've used show doctor for B3's multiple times and they've always done a good job. Not needed to use them since brexit however.

I take it you got them back in the end? Anyone else used them since brexit and had issues or not?

In reply to Ramon Marin:

The best resoles I've ever had was from Toni Gatos in Spain http://tonigatos.es but that was when I lived there so not sure what the postage/brexit situation is now. Maybe a bulk order with some mates could work

In reply to Ramon Marin:

If it's just the cost to send to Shoedoctor, get a few of you together to share the transport costs. That's what we did sending from France - it's the same price no matter how many pairs.

In reply to jon:

Unfortunately I think there's quite a bit of complexity around getting services from Europe because of Brexit (rather than just purchasing something which is still fine as long as under £135) - not sure shoe resolers would want to be bothered with dealing with UK.

In reply to jon:

no, they get stopped at customs for ages, then customs send them back and you gotta pay charges! Good old brexit

In reply to ATL:

fair enough. it sounds like it’s the only option. 

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I've just had a pair of Muira's resoled and reranded by both CSR and Llanberis in the last month.

Both are pretty good but Llanberis is definitely the better of the two pairs, the shape just seems better.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Hi Ramon. I've had resoles from Cheshire and Llanberis in the past and neither came close to those done with George before he left for the USA. 

I had two pairs done with ShoeDoctor in Slovenia last October which are excellent and comparable to George's. Didn't have any issues with shipping and total cost came in at around the same as having them done here. Posted 15/10 and were back with me 22/11. Communication was excellent throughout and they managed to get them back to me just in time for a trip as well. Will be using them again.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

That's a real shame as they're just the best resoles I've ever had - much like George's were, I guess. They are picked up and returned to your door for 35 euro. Ah, the gift that.......

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Which one is MBC? I've not heard of them. Do they exclusively resole Scarpa shoes?

Also, what do you mean about "no use of offical La Spo parts"? Surely the sole is the only part that has been added? Do you mean that there's no Vibram transfer been put on? Personally, I don't feel there's any point putting the transfer on - I'm sure it gives less friction and it certainly wears off quickly anyway. I'd rather lower costs and shorter time frames.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I am gutted to learn that George has moved to the USA.

He has done multiple pairs of shoes for me over the years that are still going strong. You get back basically a brand new shoe.

I did chat to him and a La Sportiva sponsored athlete about getting something going here but nothing materialised. 

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I have used Greek George for 3 pairs and agree he does a fantastic job.  

I guess things might be different for La Sportiva, but my last pair of Scarpa Instincts from Llanberis have the brilliant feeling of "worn in" comfort with new rubber.  I was apprehensive as I'd had some done years ago which were a notch less good than George, but now I feel there really nothing in it for me.

In reply to C Witter:

For shoes with half soles eg Scarpa Mago or special soles like Genius no-edge, the manufacturers can supply genuine 'spair parts', and are indeed marked as such. This means that the sole is simply taken off and then replaced with a new one and is like a new shoe that is comfortable immediately. They can't really botch it! I guess the re-soler has to be on their approved list.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Wow, I've never used George for resoles, but if everyone is talking about him and tracking his movement globally he must have been some flipping magician with resoling. How people would kill to get a skills reputation like that. Good luck to the guy wherever he is!

In reply to Ramon Marin:

is it really worth £60 though? seems expensive to get some very smelly shoes back...

In reply to Graham Booth:

A brand new pair of good quality shoes are at least £100, often a lot more. I remember....

Having a pair resoled, without rand repair, costs £50 from Llanberis Resoles. 

The performance may not be quite that of a new pair, still very good though. For training, indoor climbing over winter, warm ups outside, longer easier routes they are great and that is a significant saving over a new pair.

Washing them occasionally reduces the smelliness.

SD.

In reply to Climber_Bill:

Washing climbing boots????? Heresy! you will suggest wearing socks next!

In reply to Graham Booth:

As long as they are long, thick, red, wooly and itchy where's the problem?

In reply to Graham Booth:

This is part of the problem - George and various other European places would charge about £30 for the service and do a better job than places in the UK which are expensive, less good and take ages.

In reply to Climber_Bill:

think I'm getting downvoted by boot washing, sock wearing giffers 😉😉

In reply to Ramon Marin:

La Sportiva have a resoling service through their agent in Austria/Germany https://staudinger-schuh.com/reparatur/

In reply to jon:

Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation 👍

In reply to Climber_Bill:

£50?  Mine were almost £70 when postage factored in

In reply to BTphonehome:

Great, I will try again then. What did you write on the package? They said to write "used shoes" but I think that was the problem at customs

In reply to CantClimbTom:

Not so much a magician but a decent guy who simply stuck factory parts back on. Sole, toe patches and rand. None of this cutting half of the sole off.  

I had a pair done like that and they were bloody awful.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Yes, I was told to write "used climbing shoes" on the package with additional advice that shipping time to Slovenia is lengthy and to contact them after 2-3 weeks to confirm package had arrived (and to make sure I saved the tracking number).

As I said above, communication was excellent throughout.

Out of interest, when you said there was a problem at customs, what happened? Did they send them back or did you lose them / incur additional costs?

In reply to Ramon Marin:

You could try Dani Chianelli down in London - I gather he gets 'official' soles from Sportiva and Scarpa (though maybe that doesn't help if they didn't make your shoes). His work generally seems to be well spoken of, though he also seems to be a bit elusive. 

Googling 'Chida Resoles' should get you his contact details.

In reply to Climber_Bill:

I've just received my rock shoes back from Feet First after 4 months. I'm not complaining about this as there was ample warning on the site, and like most climbers, I have several pairs. I haven't tested them but it looks a good job. I have had outstanding results with Llanberis Resoles and George in Greece, but George is clearly not available and Torquil doesn't resole shoes already resoled by someone else for what sounds like good reasons.

In reply to BTphonehome:

the packaged got held at customs and sent back, but had to pay to retrieve it

In reply to Ramon Marin:

mate, you still working in London? There is a guy down there that does a good job according to friends. Send me a message and I'll send his number over. I forget his name but good friends with Seb Bush.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Hi Ramon, 

We don't use the official Sportiva soles but it is the same rubber, we just cut them from a sheet. It shouldn't feel any different in use except for not having the La Sportiva sticker on it. I know some people prefer to have the official part so we're in the process of becoming Sportiva approved so we can get the precut soles. 

As for joining rather than replacing the whole sole on Otakis - I've always felt it's better to only replace the worn section rather than taking the whole sole off. Of a Solution/Skwama that means the whole sole but on the Otakis the back half is never worn so it's better to leave it alone. Cosmetically it may look different but it shouldn't feel any different - have you had the chance to climb in them and see how they feel?

In reply to Steve T Brighton:

It depends who did it the first time - if they were done by George or the Shoedoctor in Slovenia then I can redo them. If it was LSR/CSR/FF etc then it's better to send them back to them. 

In reply to C Witter:

MBC (mountain boot company) are the UK distributor for Scarpa. You can send Scarpa shoes to them to be resoled back in Italy. It's what I'd normally recommend for resoling Scarpa winter boots but I think Brexit/customs etc is making it a bit trickier and slower at the moment.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Since Brexit I just resole all my shoes with sovereignty. Which is fortunate as I can’t afford to resole or buy new shoes anyway as all my spare cash now goes on the heating bill. 

In reply to Paul Sagar:

Is that stickier than the original rubber then?

In reply to torquil:

Thanks Torquil! And, for what it's worth, I think you did a great job of my three pairs - though I popped an A2 pulley before I got a chance to try them, so I've only been able to try them on my skirting board so far!

In reply to nufkin:

Yes, and even better, my shoes are blue now, which is what really matters. 

In reply to nufkin:

To quote Edmund Blackadder:

"Baldrick, we're in a stickier situation than when 'Sticky' the stick-insect got stuck to a sticky bun..."

Unless of course you're the prime minister, in which case nothing ever sticks to you.

"Don't worry. I've got a cunning plan..."(etc)

Anyway... Climbing resoles. I've also used Chida in the dim & distant past, and thought he was okay on a favourite pair of La Sportiva Katanas I had.

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Really interesting to read the thread. General vibe being Llanberis resoles being a cut above the rest of the UK based offerings.

For perhaps contrast the only resole I've ever heard of delaminating (twice) was my partners red chillies when they went to Llanberis. That was about 7 years ago.

I've always used CSR and I agree they feel perhaps a little clunky when you get them back, but I always put that down to suddenly having full depth of rubber on what was paper thin before and the whole shoe being moulded to your foot.

Am I not expecting enough from my resole? It does sound like George or the shoe doctor would have me being the climber I always wished I was!

In reply to Stopsy:

We've definitely had problems with delaminations in the past, we've gradually made changes with our machines and process over the years to get rid of them. It's a common issues with all resoles and I see lots of shoes that have peeled from new too. 

Some models are much more prone to this than others, for example, every pair of 5.10 Gambits I've ever seen has peeled from new and on the resole to the extent that I don't do those anymore. 

In reply to torquil:

That's really interesting to hear, I hadn't considered some shoes inherent ability to take a resole well. Thanks for the response Torquil. ☺️

In reply to torquil:

Just wanted to say thanks for the great resoling you have done for me. A couple more pairs in the post to you as well!

In reply to Mowglee:

Is this a realistic price to expect for a skilled service with a UK wage and business costs including relevant taxes? I wonder how long it takes to process each order and what that would equate to as an hourly wage. Granted it sounds like quality could be more consistent however I suspect some of different people's satisfaction (and expectations) comes from a lack of understanding of how shoes are made.

When shoes are made they are formed a last so if the resolver uses a different last to the one it was made on during the resole it is going to change shape. This is highly likely as it is unrealistic for the resoler to stock every different last shape in every size. 

In reply to kwoods:

I suspect that's as much to do with rubber availability as anything else. I've been waiting for one order since April 2021, shipping/brexit/covid has hit the rubber world like everything else. 

Our current turnaround is 1-2 weeks at the moment (Llanberis Resoles).

In reply to torquil:

Thanks for contributing on here.  I've had your resoles a number of times over the years without any problems but think I can see the difference with the more recent ones in terms of real quality.  In fact I've actually decided that my resoled Miura XXs are better than my broken in newish pair so I'm keeping them as my first choice pair for when it matters on outdoor routes!

In reply to torquil:

Hi Torquil

Thanks for replying and explaining, time will tell how they weather. The previous set I sent you about 2 years ago, the Katakis did well however with the Otakis unfortunately the cut in the sole coincides with where the mid-sole flexes and causing to delaminate on the outer edges. I do feel they loose stiffness compared to other resoles (not with the Katakis). This didn't happen when I got Otakis resoled with full front half sole part. But anyways, let's see how these fair, sounds like you have improved your systems. 

Ramon

In reply to Ramon Marin:

The dark and dirty art of resoling. Such a misunderstood and thankless task. Most climbers have little to no knowledge of how climbing shoes are made, and resoled. 

Resoling is hard work - dirty, dusty, smelly and toxic! And all for not much in the way of profit. 

George was a magician and God only knows how he did it for the price. It was hard to compete with him. I visited him twice in Athens and had some great advice as well as the usual frappe

I remember not long after I had started to take friends shoes to resole on Kalymnos, offering ‘a costs only’ resole in return for feedback initially before going ‘public’, a so called friend of mine literally sat at a table full of climbers and ripped my work to pieces. I’d only just started to resole, and it takes time to refine techniques, learn what works and what doesn't, learn how different shoes are built and how they react to the process. Needless to say I have never, and will never resole a pair for him again, so full respect to Torquil for replying to your initial negative comments about his work in a positive and polite way. 

Most resolers will cut the sole and replace only the worst affected parts, while trying to avoid the main pressure points of the mid sole bend in the process. To replace the whole sole without manufacturers official spare parts would be way too expensive and time consuming for a non approved resoler to do.

The more you resole a shoe, the more micro damage will occur inside, and on the outer edge of the upper/rand as the grinder/finishing process passes over the shoe. Another reason for refusing to resole previously resoled shoes. It also should be noted that once the climber has their pair of shoes back, its up to them to look after the shoes properly, not leave them baking in the sun, or in a hot car, or in a hot washing machine etc etc. It amazes me how badly some climbers treat their £150 pair of rock shoes!!

There is a growing band of resolers popping up all over the place now. With the high cost of new top-end shoes heading ever higher, this is to be expected. High Point in Thessaloniki are new but already getting good results, Athens has a Scarpa approved resoler. Sticky Rubber resoles in Oz are doing wonderful things, I’ve also heard good things about Chida in London. 

I have seen the work of Shoe Doctor in Slovenia and it is excellent, probably the best I’ve ever seen, and while in Europe thats where I would send my own shoes if I couldn’t do it myself. Pep at Goma 2 - Siurana also used to be great but not sure if he’s still working.

In the UK I would have no hesitation in sending my shoes to Torquil at LLanberis. 

In reply to Ramon Marin:

I’ve had a pretty bad experience with Lancashire Sports Repair. Struggle to comment on the quality of the job but their customer service has been awful. It took over 5 months for them to be done. This meant that the Burnley based colleague who dropped them off had left so couldn’t pick them up. Another colleague tried and failed to pick them up as they were closed when he arrived. Not only would LSR not post them for free after all this but instead charged me £8 (which seems to be over double what it actually costs to post rock shoes) and were very unapologetic about the affair. Things have now got a bit weird as they appear to be suggesting that either I or the colleague who tried and failed to pick them up are lying and wanted to know the exact time and date so they could check cctv! Not recommended