SAVING YOUR SOLE | FAQs | Anatomy of a Rock Shoe
When should I resole my climbing shoes?
If you want the best return for your dollar you've got to send your shoes to us before the sole wears through the rand. This will insure that with a new sole your shoe will perform well and that you can have several resoles per shoe.
Can you resole all types of rock shoes? If you can climb in it we can resole it. As climbing shoe design advances so must the techniques required to resole them. We've kept pace with the times and look forward to preserving your favorite shoes.
My shoes are almost brand new and I've hardly used them at all, why did they wear out? Are they defective? Climbing shoes wear out, rock and plastic climbing holds are very abrasive. Chances are your shoes are not defective, it is very rare that we see defective shoes resulting in premature wear. You pay a price in durability to get the great sticky rubber the shoe companies have developed.
Which rubber is the best? All the rubber we use is high performance sticky rubber. For your resole we use 5.10 Stealth C4, Sportiva's Vibram XSGrip, Stealth Onyx and Acopa RS. The choice is yours.
How do I get the stink out of my shoes? This often asked question has no good answer, but keeping your shoes aired out will help. A gentle wash with a toothbrush inside the shoe can remove dirt. Rock shoes do not belong in the washing machine, they come clean but they tend to shrink and become stiff. Foot powder doesn't seem to fix the problem. Talcum powder is very slippery, not a good thing to have all over your climbing shoes. Baking soda doesn't seem to be much better. Incense cedar works well. When we get really toxic shoes, we spray them with Lysol, it can help kill the bacteria that causes the smell.
Just the tips of my shoes are worn out, can you fix the rand and not replace the sole? Sorry, the construction of climbing shoes is such that the rand wraps under the sole, in order to repair the rand the sole must also be replaced. That said, on the road, quick fixes, can include the use of a bicycle tube patch or a dab of Freesole or Aquaseal. Prompt rand repair is very important to extend the life of your shoes. (see Anatomy of a Rock Shoe for more info)
How many times can I get my shoes resoled? The life expectation of your climbing shoes depends on many factors: how badly the rubber is worn, what type of shoes they are, the quality of their previous resole, and the overall condition of the shoe. We have seen shoes that are too far gone to even get one resole and we've also seen shoes going strong after half a dozen. Take care of your shoes and send them to the Rubber Room for the best resoles on the planet!
What is the difference between a 'Half Sole' and a 'Full Sole'? Typically, climbing shoes only need a half sole replacement rather than a full sole. For a half sole, we replace only the front portion of the sole, after all, that's where most of the wear occurs, and leave the rear portion of the sole untouched. Every now and then we see a sole that has been worn or damaged along the entire length of the shoe, in that case we replace the entire sole, that is why a full sole replacement is more expensive.
How much is it going to cost?
How do I send them? Pack your shoes in an old shoe box, priority mail bag, or similar. Print and fill out the repair form and calculate the cost. Payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order.
If you have any questions, contact us.
- Half Soles...................................$34.50 / pair
- Full Soles (rarely needed).................$48 / pair
- Rand Repair (often needed)...............$9 / shoe
- Approach Shoes (dot rubber)..............$48 / pair
- Return Shipping.............................$7.00
- T-Shirts......................................$16 / ea
- Stickers......................................$1 / ea
