Can I repair my own shoes (temporarily) ?!

I have only been climbing a few months but have quickly worn out the tips of the toes ( I can see my toe) of my brand new evolv shoes. Normally I would just replace them but the rest of the shoe is fine and I hate to have them resoled since its expensive and I have recently done a lot of traveling and am really strapped for cash. I realize that this may only be a temporary fix but can anyone suggest a quick fix to patch the hole?

Your help is much appreciated!

Shauna

Shoe Glue/Gu, or whatever it is, works. It is a vulcanizing rubber thingy.

Your repair will last approximately 2.5 moves.

There are some DIY resole kits with new rubber and whatnot, but it sounds like you've blown through the rand.

My suggestion is to get a professional resole and rand repair. They'll likely be able to patch them up to better than new condition because they'll already be broken in. It's still half the price of new pair.

My next suggestion if yoo really can't drop the money is to just tape over the rand to protect your toe and keep the hole from getting bigger. Depending on what you use to glue them up, how much worse they get before you send them in to a resole shop, and how big of a mess you make repairing them, you might find them unrepairable when the time comes to get a real fix.

I respect the cash constraints, but I've found that shoe-goo and what not are mediocre repairs even on street shoes. They probably won't last you more than a day before having to repair them again and won't have the feel and fit necesary for climbing.

Also, blowing through the rand is a common problem for new climbers because they tend to drag their toes a lot. Focus on cleanly moving you feet from hold to hold and you'll find your technique improving and shoes lasting longer.

Cheers

When I first started climbing I did the same thing. I was in nz where new climbing shoes cost upwards of 250 dollars. I decided to repair the hole in my toe with a bike tire repair kit. It did protect my toes but I could not edge for shit (at that point in my climbinb career I probably couln't have anyway). Also the hole continued to grow anyway. I ended up buyying new shoes the day I got home.

I don't know if this is an argument for or against doing it yourself.?

Stealth Paint:

fiveten.com

Shauna wrote:I have only been climbing a few months but have quickly worn out the tips of the toes...a temporary fix but can anyone suggest a quick fix to patch the hole?

You can use seam grip or shoe goo but it won't last that long.

Barge cement might last a bit longer, especially if you tape it in place, and, leave the tape on as well.

If you're strapped, consider picking up a used pair of shoes. Might be cheaper than a resole and if you're lucky, you'll pick up a pair that has very little use on them.

My hope is you're climbing a bunch and if so, you'll wear them shoes out, which is a good thing!

Cheers,

-Brian in SLC

Donate Plasma! Its what I do when I am strapped and need some gear. Take you like a week and youll have enough for a resole.

Thanks everyone- Would you recommend just purchasing a better pair of climbing shoes instead of sending them out to be repaired (would it be a better move financially in the long run) ? The rand is broken- and I did get a fairly good price on them so its basically going to cost me the same as it did to purchase them to begin with (maybe a little more) I have heard that this is a very common problem with evolv's ? What is a good pair to begin with ? I have been doing 5.10s in the gym and have only been outdoor (to my dismay) a few times. I definitely am climbing often but I really do drag my toes which is painful (and now I realize expensive) so I really need to take the advice offered to me and clean up my technique. Thanks again for all the great advice!

I just sent my Evolvs off to get resoled along with 3 other pairs. I had the same problem, hole all the way through to the toe. The repair was $50 shipped. The nice thing is, you get your shoes back and they dont need to be rebroken in like a new pair. I poped my resoled shoes on and they fit like a champ and were already broken in.
I would recomend down climbing routes in the gym. It forces you to look down and focus on your feet more and helped me to stop toeing things so much.

If you have a bicycle repair kit at home, use one of the small patches to cover the hole. Repair just like a bike tube, scuff it up, paint on some vulcanizing rubber glue, let dry and press on patch. That should hold for a little while.

Shoe gu works better than most people think on climbing shoes. If you catch the problem early enough it can last a good long while. It works better on the rand than the sole, but will hold up ok for either. I have used it to fill good size holes and you can always reapply it if you rip through. Plus it's like 8 bucks. Not something you want to rely on forever but for a while it's fine. I would try to find it in black it will look a little more legit(as legit as it can anyway)

Shauna wrote:Thanks everyone- Would you recommend just purchasing a better pair of climbing shoes instead of sending them out to be repaired (would it be a better move financially in the long run) ? The rand is broken- and I did get a fairly good price on them so its basically going to cost me the same as it did to purchase them to begin with (maybe a little more) I have heard that this is a very common problem with evolv's ? What is a good pair to begin with ? I have been doing 5.10s in the gym and have only been outdoor (to my dismay) a few times. I definitely am climbing often but I really do drag my toes which is painful (and now I realize expensive) so I really need to take the advice offered to me and clean up my technique. Thanks again for all the great advice!

I think getting a new pair of shoes is a good idea. I've had two pairs of evolvs, a pair of beginner-level Five-Tens, and a pair of Katanas from La Sportiva. Hands down, the Katanas climb the best. I've also heard of a lot of other people that like the Katanas. They're not cheap, but I definitely think they're worth it.

Vincent Morton wrote:If you have a bicycle repair kit at home, use one of the small patches to cover the hole. Repair just like a bike tube, scuff it up, paint on some vulcanizing rubber glue, let dry and press on patch. That should hold for a little while.

Given the circumstances, this sounds like the best idea so far - thanks for taking my mind off swine flu for a few minutes!

In my experience, Stealth paint will get you about one session of indoor climbing and approximately 0.002 moves outside on real rock. Just so long as you use them indoors, stealth paint is a way cheaper but if you are climbing outside, new rands are the way to go.

Thanks for all the great advice. I ended up with 2 pairs of five tens - The Galileos (amazing!!!) and a pair of comfy fox's for longer outdoor climbs. Ive also taken a footwork class so I can learn to stop toe drag (and its already working)...I had to stop being cheap but I am soooo glad I did...I am thinking about Katanas for next year as I too have heard great things and know some die-hard fans.

i've actually had really good results with the stealth paint so far. patched up a couple pairs of ultra-beat galileos and they have held up really well.

galileos rule, good choice!