You should resole your climbing shoes before you get any holes in them. It can be hard to tell when that will happen, but inspecting your shoes will teach you exactly when to resole your climbing shoes.
Every climber eventually wants a new pair of shoes, but why buy a new pair when you can keep using the ones you’ve spent so long breaking into? Climbing shoes are designed to be beaten up, so resoling them is familiar news. Many cobblers around the country resole climbing shoes every day.
To ensure you get the most out of your climbing shoes, check below for the signs of wear and tear that indicate when you should resole them and when you may need to replace them.
When Should I Resole My Climbing Shoes?
There is no specific time frame for when you should resole your climbing shoes after you buy them. It will depend on how often you climb and your footwork technique. Some people can climb in the same pair of shoes for a year, while others only last a season. While there is no equation to decide when you should resole your shoes, you can use indicators to determine if it’s time for you.
A rounded edge at the toe is a strong indicator that it’s time to resole your shoes. Climbing shoes are only made of a few millimeters of rubber, so when they start to get rounded at the toe, you can assume it’s about time to have them resoled. Even if you’ve gambled and ended up with a tiny hole in the toe, don’t worry! You’re not past the point of repair yet. Shoe cobblers can fix this, but you will need a toe cap, which is more expensive and will change the shoe’s shape slightly. I.e., you’ll have to re-break them in. (Resoling with a toe cap is still less costly than a new pair).
Some climbers only like how their shoes fit once they’ve been resoled a few times! They believe that they’re finally broken in after X number of resoles. There will still be a minor break-in period after you’ve had a pair of climbing shoes resoled, but it won’t nearly resemble what it was like when you bought them new!
Climbing Shoe Cobblers in The U.S.
There are reputable climbing shoe cobblers throughout the United States. Here is a list of just a few. From performing general resoles, toe caps, or even stretching, shoe cobblers are an integral part of the climbing community.
Rock & Resole (rockandresole.com)
Rubber Room – Resole and Repair Shop (rubberroomresoles.com)
Cobbler | Backcountry Cobblers | United States
How to Get the Most of Your Climbing Shoes
- Improve your footwork.
Improving your footwork is the best way to get the most out of your climbing shoes. It’s a simple solution in theory. Improving your footwork will mean you won’t drag your toes up the wall, fidget around on footholds, and scrape off rubber each time you place your foot. When you master your footwork technique, you’ll notice that your climbing shoes will last longer. Again, this still depends on how frequently you climb.
- Resole your shoes before you burn a hole through them.
If you notice the edge on your shoes starting to round out, consider having them resoled! Resoling your climbing shoes before you burn a hole in them will not only be more cost-effective, but it will also be quicker to repair! If your shoe no longer has an edge, inspect it after each session to determine if you should keep using it.
- Have a backup pair.
Stay away from the rentals at the climbing gym; you know those likely need resoling, too. Having a second pair of climbing shoes is a great way to keep climbing when you send your shoes in to be resoled. This backup pair can be the same model or anything else you want to try. Many climbers rotate their climbing shoes and have multiple pairs of the same kind.
- Store them properly.
Maintaining climbing shoes is more than worrying about the rubber on the toe scraping off. Always store your climbing shoes in a dry, cool place away from direct sunlight. Leaving your shoes in a hot car is a recipe for delamination. Delamination is when the glue holding your shoe together heats up enough that the rubber peels away from itself. It’s an expensive mistake!