Resoling Your Climbing Shoes: How, Where, & How Much

If your climbing shoes still fit well but the rubber is getting thin, a resole may keep them going. Wear into the rand above the sole can mean a more involved repair, so have a look at the toe before you keep climbing in them.

Before You Send Your Shoes

Start with the toe. If the sole is thin but the rubber above it is still intact, the repair may be fairly straightforward. That upper band of rubber is the rand; wear through it can mean more work. Earlier repairs matter too, since a shop has to work with what is already on the shoe. Our guide to signs your shoes need resoling can help you judge what you are seeing.

If the wear is hard to judge, ask whether the shop will look at photos. They may have a better idea once the shoes are in hand. Meanwhile, climbing in them can wear away more of the rubber you are trying to save.

How Much Does Resoling Cost?

In the US, a resole starts at $45 per pair. That is a starting price for sole work, though, and a worn rand or a shoe needing particular parts can push the bill higher. Shipping and tax may be extra.

A half sole replaces the front rubber where climbing shoes usually wear first. A full sole covers more of the bottom, sometimes all of it, depending on the shoe and the shop. Rand and toe-cap repairs are priced separately in the examples above, which is why two similar base prices can end in different totals.

Where Can You Get Shoes Resoled?

You can mail your shoes to a resoler, drop them off locally, or leave them at a gym that collects pairs for repair. Which option works depends partly on your shoe: shops differ in the models and rubber they handle.

• Mail-in service works if there isn’t a suitable resoler nearby. You’ll pay to send the shoes out.
• At a local shop, you can drop off and collect the shoes, and talk through the wear in person.
• Some gyms let you leave a pair for a resoler to collect.

Examples of each route

• Rock & Resole, Yosemite Bum, FA Resoles, and Rodeo accept shoes by mail. FA Resoles explains its USPS process.
• Rock & Resole has a Boulder retail store where you can drop off shoes. La Sportiva’s ReSoul Lab takes in-store drop-offs in Salt Lake City.
• Rodeo lists Tucson drop boxes at Rock Solid, Rocks & Ropes, and The Bloc.

Once you have chosen a shop, its current page will tell you where to send the shoes, what to put in the package, and how payment works. Shoes with special construction may need a particular repairer; La Sportiva, for instance, has information about an authorized No Edge resoler. Find out how the shop handles extra damage or a pair it cannot repair before you send it.

How to Get Climbing Shoes Resoled

To get your shoes resoled, find a shop that works on your pair, discuss the repair and price, then send or drop off the shoes. Photos may help the shop give an early estimate, though it may find more damage once it sees them in person.

The resoler takes off the worn rubber and checks the shoe beneath it. The replacement is bonded to a prepared surface, cured, then ground to shape. Yosemite Bum shows one professional repair sequence, though the tools, parts, rubber, and methods vary from shop to shop.

How Long Does Resoling Take?

Expect the repair to take several weeks, plus whatever time shipping adds. If these are your only climbing shoes, look at the shop’s current estimate before sending them away.

Published timing examples

• Rock & Resole estimated five weeks.
• Yosemite Bum posted five to five and a half weeks excluding shipping.

Published as of September 23, 2026. These examples aren’t a universal average.

The wait can stretch if the shop needs to hear back from you about extra work or is waiting on parts. A second usable pair helps if you want to keep climbing in the meantime.

DIY or Professional Resole?

For a performance pair you want to keep climbing in, a professional resole makes more sense. If you’re curious about doing it yourself, a DIY kit and a practice pair you can afford to lose are a lower-stakes place to start.

Getting new rubber on the shoe is only part of the job. Its shape, the pressure used to bond it, and the final grinding all affect the result. Shops differ, but some have model-specific parts and equipment for those steps. Beta Break, for example, describes its lasts, machine pressing, grinding, and buffing. A kit doesn’t include that setup.

Climbing Shoe Resoling FAQ

Is resoling covered by a climbing shoe warranty?

Usually not. A resole fixes rubber worn down through use; warranties generally concern qualifying defects in materials or workmanship. Read the maker’s terms before having the shoes altered. SCARPA, for example, excludes normal wear and altered or resoled products.