Resoles, worth it or garbage?

So I just got my Pontas Laceups resoled at a well known resole company. They were my performance shoes when I sent them in. I got them back to find they had stretched more than 1/2 size and have turned into all day shoes. I am very disappointed. I have emailed them asking if there is anything they can do for me.

I will never get a resole again. I feel I wasted $50 that could have been put towards a new pair of shoes.

How have your experiences been with resoles?

I've gotten quite a few resoles done on various shoes and have never had any stretching or other size change as a result. Maybe I've just been lucky! My resoler of choice is Dave Page; he does great work with fast turnaround time. I used Yosemite Bum in the past and have no issues with the quality of their work, but you better be willing to wait a long time for your shoes to be returned.

I gather you're not mentioning the name of the resoler you used because you're trying to get things worked out. Once this is concluded, you should tell us who it is.

JL

PS -- $50 seems a little steep. Page charges $30/pair.

I paid $50 because I needed soles and rands.

It was actually about a 2 week turn around. So not bad on time.

I really want to tell you who the resoler was, but I will wait until I get something worked out. But after hearing what you guys have to say, I can't believe I am having this issue.

Rock and resole did a good job with two of my shoes, turn around was just over a week and the shoes fit great when they were returned. I think mine was $40 per shoe with the rands but that was with combined shipping for both shoes.

I've had a pair of Pontas velcros resoled at RocknResole 5 times. After the first four resoles they were still my go-to project shoes. Now they've become my warm-up shoes. Turn around was never more than 3 days.

Definitely worth it.

As soon as I get my shoes resoled they officially become my indoor climbing shoes. I've tried them all: Rubber Room, Rock-n-Resole, Friction Fix, Flying Bryan, Yosemite Bum...

I think all these guys do great work, but when it's time to resole my shoes they are already pretty stretched out and wrecked before I sent them in to begin with. There is just no way I'm paying $150 for a pair of LaSportiva Solutions, or Miura VS to pull them out of the box and head on over to the gym! So I wait to get them resoled and then use them at the gym.

Wow. I feel totally screwed. 5 times resoled and still your goto shoes. F'n A!

I've resoled several pairs of my own shoes, and a few for friends. It isn't easy to do a perfect job. I took a different approach recently to modify a brand new pair of shoes:
Last spring I bought some LS Cobras which fit very well. I added 5.5 mm of Evolv rubber to the bottom of the shoe (from the ball of the foot to the toe). The result is a super stiff and precise edge on a slipper.
I absolutely love it. (I know, I know - many climbers would prefer the 3.5mm sole for sensitivity. I like edging power more. Less filling/tastes great.)
When the edge gets a little rounded, I remove the rubber patch and re-glue it about 1/4" towards the toe. That leaves enough material to trim another sharp edge.
The fit of the shoe never changes

I just got my Pontas Laceups back yesterday from Yosemite Bum. They only charged me $28 (including the return shipping) for resole and new rands! This was the second resole for this pair, Rock and Resole did such a crappy job (delaminated after 3 weeks) on the first resole I decided to try YB again. No more R&R for me.

Using high quality resolers is worth consideration. Don't base it on price though as some of the most $$ resoles have yielded the worst results. Yos Bum has for me done an amazing job with excellent turnaround time. I general use them or Rock and Resole with the later being a bit faster on turnaround.

Normally I get at least two soles before the rand goes. With a rand resole I've found the impact to the shoe to be the greatest. Normally once that happens they instantly become the defacto gym shoes.

PS, unless I misunderstood you got charged twice. Call Yos Bum and they'll fix the extra charge. If not. assuming you paid with a credit card call your Issuer and reverse the charges. The Associations are on your side.

squiddo,

I have not mentioned who did the resole and will not until the issue is resolved.

worth it

Problem solved. Just contacted them, Yosemite Bum. They apologized for the sizing issue and told me to send back the old pair, and they will send me out a new pair of Pontas Laceups! YOSEMITE BUM RULES!!!!

My experience has been that once you start messing with the toe cap, the shoes are never the same. It's doubtful the cobbler did anything wrong. My Katanas are on their 3rd sole (thicker rubber than the original) and they still fit perfectly, but the toe cap is still the original.

On a slightly related note, kudos to Eric at R&R who does all my resoling. A little hole was starting to develop in the toe so I took 'em in to avoid doing too much more damage. The soles were still good, so Eric put some goop in the hole and told me to come back when they actually needed some work. No charge.

Republicans win in Massachusetts; Radcliffe posts a warm fuzzy.

What the hell is going on?

John W. Knoernschild wrote:Problem solved. Just contacted them, Yosemite Bum. They apologized for the sizing issue and told me to send back the old pair, and they will send me out a new pair of Pontas Laceups! YOSEMITE BUM RULES!!!!

Now that's customer service!!! I might be switching resolers, after hearing that. Good on them.

Not a surprising end and another benefit of a resole with Yos Bum with Evolv shoes. Good story

Doug Lintz wrote:I just got my Pontas Laceups back yesterday from Yosemite Bum. They only charged me $28 (including the return shipping) for resole and new rands! This was the second resole for this pair, Rock and Resole did such a crappy job (delaminated after 3 weeks) on the first resole I decided to try YB again. No more R&R for me.

If they charged you this little you got a huge discount of some kind.
the normal pricing is 26 for sole + 9 for rand plus shipping.3 dollars more for non evolve shoes. i always have my shoes resoled many, many times and have been very happy with both R&R and with evolve. maybe you guys with resole problems don't know how to climb right.

i'm with jarthur on this one. i never resole shoes. i rarely (pretty much never) really wear through the rubber, but if i do, i just demote them to gym use, or perhaps use them as my warm-up shoe. usually by the time they get demoted, the upper part of the shoe is beyond nasty.

in the past i have always been disappointed by resole jobs. they either totally change how the shoe/toe-box area fits, or they delam immediately. i think it is better just to put the money towards a new pair of shoes.

I think somebody at Yos Bum may have seen this thread and hooked you up for the good cred. Whatever the reason, good for you man! Yos Bum should get more customers now!

Worth it when done right. I feel like I get ripped off when they delaminate for sure.

wow, I'm caught aback about the never resole. That makes shoes really costly.

I've noticed resoling shoes early and not storing them in a bag after use (drying) makes a significant difference in how they "wear". The former much more so in that it helps save the rand/toe cap. I've gotten up to 3 soles on that (original plus 2) but generally speaking it depends on the shoe AND my footwork for how well the shoes hold up.

In fairness though the shoe is pretty stretched after two soles. By then if not sooner I'm trashing them in the gym.