Best resoler

Just another plug for Greater Tahoe Gripworks. I've used Rock & Resole, Plattsburgh Shoe Hospital, and New England reSoul. All were fine, but GTG has been the best of the bunch consistently. 

John Yuwrote:

Greater Tahoe Gripworks: Really fine work for La Sportiva shoes. Good pricing at the start when I sent in my first pair awhile back and now has become pricey. But I continue to use them for La Sportiva resoles cause they do really good work. Haven't tried sending in Scarpa shoes in yet since they started taking Scarpa shoes recently. 

Their work on my two pairs of Drago LVs was top notch. No size changes or hot spots, still fits like a glove. Same S-tier craftsmanship as I'm used to them providing for La Sportivas. 

I used the Rubber Room in Bishop for 30 plus years and never had a bad experience. Bishop is on my way for half the climbing I’ve done so drop off and pick up is simple.

Would not go anywhere else.

Just got a pair of Scarpa Instincts resoled by Greater Tahoe Gripworks and their work is the best of the best. The owner is also a solid dude! I will be getting all of my shoes resoled there.

I switched all my shoes to Sportivas just so I could do all my resoles with Greater Tahoe Gripworks - he does consistently excellent work and was a really kind person when I dropped by his old shop in Tahoe. Stoked to hear he's resoling Scarpas now too!

Since moving near Rock and Resole, I've had a few pairs resoled there and they've come back looking just fine as well.

Maybe this thread isn't the place to post a negative experience but it happened recently and is hopefully relevant to someone looking for a resole.

V12 Resole in the bay area did kind of a bad job with my solutions, as one of them started peeling a little to the lateral side of the toe like day 1 that I got them back. It wasn't obtrusive at first but spread to the front of the toe and it got really annoying. Figured I'd reach out because it is a small mistake and I'm inclined to support what is probably a small, climber owned business and it could have been a one-off. However, like right as I was about to reach out I went on one outdoor day to a crag with sharpish rocks and both toes like gave out on me, even the one that looked like it had a lot of life left. In the bit that peeled off I could see that the rubber they used seemed a little thin, and they only lasted me a month after the resole, so I think I might just eat the L and not reach out. Maybe it was just a dud pair and I don't want to indict their whole operation on one pair of shoes but I can't hide that I'm pretty disappointed and that $65 could've just gone towards a new pair of shoes that would have lasted me 5 months.

Milan Damjanacwrote:

V12 Resole in the bay area did kind of a bad job with my solutions

This is unfortunate to hear but also a useful data point. I'd definitely reach out - they guy behind V12 has been pretty responsive to me by email in the past (I was just asking for advice on rand repair or not). It's possible they recently hired a new cobbler or something and will be grateful to know there are QC issues. I've gotten pairs of Acro's resoled by them 4 or so times over the last few years and each has lasted a normal amount of time for a resole, so they're definitely capable of good work. Post-resole they've performed as well as any shoe I've had on small edges/crystals.

Can anyone point me to a resoler that will do futuras and genius shoes (aka no edge)? I've been using Rock and Resole but they've just become so expensive and I typically end up paying $115 per pair of shoes. I looked at Tahoe Grip Works but he doesn't accept shoes that have already been resoled by another resoler for some reason? So that doesn't work for me because most of my shoes have been through one resole already. 

Timo G

I can't really recommend Valley Shoe Repair in Yucca Valley, CA. I had a pair of TC Pros resoled there this summer and they came back smaller. Unfortunately, this was my comfort pair that I used to be able to wear with socks but can't anymore. Other than the size change the the quality seemed fine and the turn around time was excellent. 

I'll be going back to Rock and Resole in the future.

Lauren Errichiellowrote:

Can anyone point me to a resoler that will do futuras and genius shoes (aka no edge)? I've been using Rock and Resole but they've just become so expensive and I typically end up paying $115 per pair of shoes. I looked at Tahoe Grip Works but he doesn't accept shoes that have already been resoled by another resoler for some reason? So that doesn't work for me because most of my shoes have been through one resole already. 

R&R resoles are $60.00, with an additional $10.00 upcharge for LS edgeless shoes. I’m not quite sure  how you get $115.00.  Unless you need strap repair or sewing, there should be no additional cost as the half-sole and rand come as a single part. I’ve had several done and it was never over $70.00. 

Frank Steinwrote:

R&R resoles are $60.00, with an additional $10.00 upcharge for LS edgeless shoes. I’m not quite sure  how you get $115.00.  Unless you need strap repair or sewing, there should be no additional cost as the half-sole and rand come as a single part. I’ve had several done and it was never over $70.00. 

It was $60 plus $30 for toe caps plus shipping costs both ways. Hence the $115. That was for a pair of TC pros, not even edgeless shoes.

Lauren Errichiellowrote:

It was $60 plus $30 for toe caps plus shipping costs both ways. Hence the $115. That was for a pair of TC pros, not even edgeless shoes.

TCs are not edgeless shoes as you pointed out. Futuras are edgeless. Edgeless shoes do NOT need toe caps because you use the LS “spare part.”  So, it is a simple $60 with a $10 edgeless upcharge. No way it should run $115. You can just call R&R and get the same info, but I resoled many Futuras, Geniuses and Mantras with them. 

Frank Steinwrote:

TCs are not edgeless shoes as you pointed out. Futuras are edgeless. Edgeless shoes do NOT need toe caps because you use the LS “spare part.”  So, it is a simple $60 with a $10 edgeless upcharge. No way it should run $115. You can just call R&R and get the same info, but I resoled many Futuras, Geniuses and Mantras with them. 

I did not know that, thanks. I'm still frustrated with Rock and Resole because it takes months to get my shoes back.

Lauren Errichiellowrote:

Can anyone point me to a resoler that will do futuras and genius shoes (aka no edge)? I've been using Rock and Resole but they've just become so expensive and I typically end up paying $115 per pair of shoes. I looked at Tahoe Grip Works but he doesn't accept shoes that have already been resoled by another resoler for some reason? So that doesn't work for me because most of my shoes have been through one resole already. 

Jay at Backcountry Cobblers does no edge for $60. Unfortunately his lead time has gotten long because his work is so good and it’s a small team.

https://www.backcountrycobblers.com/_files/ugd/0061bb_08f0b755b70c4da98ac3e92955dbfa07.pdf

Garrett Genereuxwrote:

Jay at Backcountry Cobblers does no edge for $60. Unfortunately his lead time has gotten long because his work is so good and it’s a small team.

https://www.backcountrycobblers.com/_files/ugd/0061bb_08f0b755b70c4da98ac3e92955dbfa07.pdf

Thanks!!!

Garrett Genereuxwrote:

Jay at Backcountry Cobblers does no edge for $60. Unfortunately his lead time has gotten long because his work is so good and it’s a small team.

https://www.backcountrycobblers.com/_files/ugd/0061bb_08f0b755b70c4da98ac3e92955dbfa07.pdf

Do you know if he is taking orders again? His webiste said he was full until 10/1 and i haven't been able to reach him. I've been using him for a couple years now.

Unfortunately I don’t. Yeah he’s also been awesome for me over the past few years. Typically responsive on the phone but not sure what might be going on for him. 

Just got two pairs of original Boostics back from Greater Tahoe Gripworks (now FA Resoles). They do full-sole resoles that allow the shoe to be re-tensioned over the last (the foot-shaped negative volume the shoe is constructed on). It’s a bit of extra money even compared to Rock and Resole, but the quality is the best I’ve seen on a resole. The shoes have downturn and asymmetrical camber like new, and the sole pads are even shaped exactly like the factory soles. Talk about attention to detail! 

My only constructive feedback would be to bevel the edges in a few more degrees so they don’t roll off tiny edges before fully broken in, but that’s definitely on the nitpicking side of things.

i’ll post a photo at some point to illustrate the impressive quality of Chris’s resoles.

Chris at Greater Tahoe Gripworks is re-branding his business as FA Resoles. They are @FA_Resoles on insta and faresoles.com is their new web address (though their old url still works).

Just yesterday, I received back two pairs that I sent to them in early December—a pair of solution comps and a pair of chimeras. These were, I think, the fifth and sixth pairs that Chris has done for me. He is a master craftsman. I cannot recommend highly enough.