# Five Ten Sole Repair: Anyone found any rubber to resole?



## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Now that Adidas took over 5/10 and quit producing the 5/10 Stealth Rubber Resole Kits, does anyone have any alternatives to replacing the sole on worn out 5/10s other than a crappy liquid rubber science paint on project?

Can't seem to find anything scouring the net regarding the attempt to resole perfectly good 5/10 shoes that just have a worn out sole.


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## natas1321 (Nov 4, 2017)

seems like too much of a hassle and just easier to replace them, for me at least.


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

I’d try climbing shoe resolers. Undoubtedly many scarfed up bulk Stealth rubber during the apocalypse. Dots might be harder to find than smooth. You might even have the resoler do the work.


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

I think the days of resoling with dotty rubber are behind us. I found an aqua stealth resole kit on closeout a few years ago. Good luck finding anything now. I still have it but my cobbler who did one resole for me went out of business. I tired to resole myself which was a miserable failure. My cobbler told me the glues available to the public suck. Because I cut the sole kit just to replace the section that was chunked out, the last climbing cobbler I called said they didn't want to do my shoes unless it was with the resole kits they sell. He was pretty knowledgeable and honest when he told me they didn't have access to anything as sticky as 5.10 dotty. Anyway, good luck. We live in a throw away society, and companies like adidas encourage that. I've still never worn out uppers. Resoling should be the norm.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Maybe we should just return the shoes to Adidas.


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## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

I'd second calling around at for anyone who resoles climbing shoes. You might be able to find someone who will resole with Vibram. Climbing rubber is a lot firmer but I imagine Vibram XS Grip2 would have plenty of grip. I had La Sportiva Testarossa's for climbing and it's unreal how much grip that XS Grip2 rubber has. 5.10 Mi6 is the softest by a pretty big margin though.


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

I just did a search and found this fly fishing cobbler that advertises aqua stealth. Aqua stealth is s1 dotty marketed for water sports. This place wants 85 bucks though. Add shipping and it's no longer very appealing.

5.10 Aqua Stealth BOOT Resole | (rmresole.com)


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the great responses. I get that we live in a throw away society. But man I'm bummed b/c my 5 year old 5/10 Freeriders have withstood a beating and elements over the years, and after a good cleaning, look and perform like new....especially in regards to support/water resistant. Unfortunately the bottom is worn through in a small area at the pedal contact point to the point where dirt/water will start entering. The rest of the rubber still looks good. I can't bring myself to thow them out just because the bottom rubber is eat up. 

Its just mind blowing to think that I couldn't find a replacement rubber sole out there. I may go the route of climbing shoe rubber. But you guys are right in that once you pay $85 to have them resoled by one of the few people out there that provides that service....and with shipping...I could have bought a brand new pair of Ride Concepts or 5/10.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Was able to find a list of cobblers w/ access to Vibram among others. May be worthwhile for me to call around and see if any of these carry or have old stock in stealth rubber....or a similar alternative.






StreamTread


Simms Fishing, famous for waders made in Bozeman, MT, offers the best fishing & fly fishing gear and apparel. Shop Simms online for the best products and deals.




www.simmsfishing.com


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

I contacted the place I posted. They will do flat shoes with aqua stealth for cheaper than wadding boots. I didn't ask but maybe adidas is continuing to supply cobblers that do wadding boots? That would be a great loop hole for us. Here's their response if you're interested in using them. I'll likely use them when the time comes. 

We can resole them for $65 return shipping included Please remove your
laces Turn around time is about 6 to 8 weeks You may pay with check or
card over the phone
Thanks
RMR
211 Oak
Salida CO 81201
719 680 1632


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

w8kbrder said:


> Was able to find a list of cobblers w/ access to Vibram among others. May be worthwhile for me to call around and see if any of these carry or have old stock in stealth rubber....or a similar alternative.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If the Vibram compound is for climbing shoes, it will be close enough to Stealth to not make a difference on a flat pedal IMO. Honestly you could look for climbing shoe resole kits from any reputable mfr (Evolv, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Boreal, etc) and the rubber will be, practically, as sticky as Stealth on a pedal.

Good luck wringing the life out of your shoes. Love the idea, but my riding shoes seem to get broken down throughout by the time the soles are toast. Shoe Goo for a stopgap but otherwise, they get chucked.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

slimat99 said:


> I contacted the place I posted. They will do flat shoes with aqua stealth for cheaper than wadding boots. I didn't ask but maybe adidas is continuing to supply cobblers that do wadding boots? That would be a great loop hole for us. Here's their response if you're interested in using them. I'll likely use them when the time comes.
> 
> We can resole them for $65 return shipping included Please remove your
> laces Turn around time is about 6 to 8 weeks You may pay with check or
> ...


Man thats awesome. Thanks for the insight! I'll be contacting them to ship off. I'll take the chance and post here once I get them back.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

slimat99 said:


> I contacted the place I posted. They will do flat shoes with aqua stealth for cheaper than wadding boots. I didn't ask but maybe adidas is continuing to supply cobblers that do wadding boots? That would be a great loop hole for us. Here's their response if you're interested in using them. I'll likely use them when the time comes.
> 
> We can resole them for $65 return shipping included Please remove your
> laces Turn around time is about 6 to 8 weeks You may pay with check or
> ...


So I spoke with Cory at *Rocky Mountain Resole (RMR)*. Super nice guy.

*Here's a recap to my conversation with him:*

Since Adidas bought out 5/10, no one has access to the Stealth Rubber anymore....including all cobblers. (_He did ask me if this was for a pair of flat pedal MTB shoes...so he's obviously aware of the situation and the MTB world. Most people don't even know that flat pedal shoes exist...especially cobblers around eastern North Carolina_).
Rubber: He does not have access to the Stealth rubber anymore, however he DID have access to a *Vibram Dot Rubber* that he swore up and down was stickier than 5/10 Stealth Dot Rubber. 
Total price = $70 (includes return shipping).
Process: Ship the shoes to him to the address below / Include a check inside for the $70 amount (_that price includes the return shipping_).
Turnaround time: 6-8 weeks. 
*Shipping Info:*
Rocky Mountain Resole - Attn: Cory
211 Oak Street
Salida, CO 81201
719-680-1632

https://rmresole.com/contact-us/

I'll let everyone know how they turn out when I get them back/post pics. It may be expensive and not worth it to most...but I love these shoes and have a hard time with the thought of throwing them out just because the bottom layer of rubber is falling apart. We'll see how the turn out.

-Nick


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

Thanks for the update! I guess the person I emailed didn't know what they were talking about. Looking forward to your opinion on the vibram resole.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

slimat99 said:


> Thanks for the update! I guess the person I emailed didn't know what they were talking about. Looking forward to your opinion on the vibram resole.


You never know these days...things change so fast and frequent. They may have still had old stock at the time you contacted them. Regardless I figured I would pass along the info I came away with. I'll post pics of before after. Hopefully the Vibram will be decent. Crossing fingers!


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## yzedf (Apr 22, 2014)

I just use shoe goo to plug little holes in the sole. Works in the short term...


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

I suspect this is the vibram sole RMS and other cobblers that are vibram dealers use for approach shoes.

Vibram New Boulder Full Soles #885K (1 Pair) red | eBay


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## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

yzedf said:


> I just use shoe goo to plug little holes in the sole. Works in the short term...


At least with climbing shoes a cobbler will refuse to resole it.


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## yzedf (Apr 22, 2014)

Fajita Dave said:


> At least with climbing shoes a cobbler will refuse to resole it.


That's silly, you can pull it out/off in a couple seconds with pliers. Unless it reacts with the layer that the sole is glued to making repairs inconsistent. Not a cobbler or a climber though.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I have a pair of regular freeriders with uppers in GREAT shape still. but using the wrong pedals for a bit resulted in torn holes in the soles. this happened right around the time that 5.10 got rid of the resole kits, so I remember seeing them available and then a short time later when I was ready to order one, they were gone. I've held onto the shoes because they're in such good shape otherwise, I'm loathe to just toss them.

if the vibram dotty resole turns out nice, I might look into this myself so I can put those shoes back into rotation.


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

Just wonder if you guys think a dedicated flat shoe cobbler would do well? We've never seen a cobbler market specifically to us. Even when 5.10 offered kits all the marketing was for climbing, but flat pedal use was a fraction of what it is today. Personally I'm not sure how well such a business would do considering we are a demographic that's willing to overpay for everything associated with our sport, and we want the latest and greatest. That makes me think resoling wouldn't become very popular. On the other hand flat shoes are going for 140 to 160 these days. A resole for roughly 70 starts to look pretty good, and as we all know, our soles chunk out before the uppers break a sweet. People are becoming more conscience of ocean landfill too. 

A big factor for anyone that would consider such a business is compound availability. The Jury is still out on whether the approach compounds available are good enough to become popular in such a competitive flat shoe market. Vibram has been in the flat market for years with little fan fair.


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## Fajita Dave (Mar 22, 2012)

yzedf said:


> That's silly, you can pull it out/off in a couple seconds with pliers. Unless it reacts with the layer that the sole is glued to making repairs inconsistent. Not a cobbler or a climber though.


They might not refuse it on mtb or approach shoes. In climbing there's a lot of precision foot work depending on the style of the route. Small issues with the shoe's structure effect how the new sole fits the shoe and impacts the end performance. I'm not a cobbler either so there's probably more to it that I don't know of.

If the holes went through the rubber and dug into the shoe it might be a problem but again for our shoes the cobbler might not care at all.

Edit: just looked more into it and resoling a mtb shoe that's been worn through probably won't be an issue. Seems like when the sole wears through on a climbing shoe it damages the rand which helps hold the shape and structure of the upper. Problem for climbing shoes but not for mtb.


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## kevin_sbay (Sep 26, 2018)

Harold said:


> I have a pair of regular freeriders with uppers in GREAT shape still. but using the wrong pedals for a bit resulted in torn holes in the soles.


Curious what made the "wrong" pedals? Were the pins too tall? Or sharp screws (vs smoother pins)?
Just got my first pair of FreeRiders, so would love to know.
Thanks!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

kevin_sbay said:


> Curious what made the "wrong" pedals? Were the pins too tall? Or sharp screws (vs smoother pins)?
> Just got my first pair of FreeRiders, so would love to know.
> Thanks!


the pedals were too narrow for my feet. there was roughly an inch or two of my foot that was unsupported, and in rough terrain, really started to wrap around the outer edge of the pedal. that's what ended up tearing a hole in the sole. I replaced the pedals before the shoes, but once I had pedals that actually fit my feet, they addressed a lot of issues.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

I had a big bike trip this past weekend to Pisgah in Brevard, NC. I recently received a pair of Ride Concept Powerlines as gift, but the higher side walls of the shoe hurt my ankles and was uncomfortable so I had to send them back and needed a quick fix to get me through the weekend.

I used Yzedf's idea above and bought some *Shoe Goo* from the local hardware store. Used a putty knife to work lots of it under the loose rubber layer and massaged it to get everything to stick really good. Continued to fill in several big holes with the putty knife and smoothing it out. I will say the stuff held the bottom together really well and bought me an extra weekend of heavy hitting rides (Bennet Gap, Farlow Gap, Buckhorn Gap, Avery Creek, Black Mtn, etc). I'll post some pics of the results.

So for those of you that need a temporary fix, the Shoe Goo did work really good. Yes some of the thin areas started to peel just a bit after a weekend trip, but it held everything together nicely over the weekend. Not to mention no water was leaking into my foot bottom.  Heres some pics. I wish I had before pics. There were gaping holes and tears.






































Sending the 5/10s off today. 6-8 week turnaround so it will be a bit before I can post before/after pictures....stay tuned!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I've used shoe goo to fill in worn spots in the soles of my Freerider Contacts (same sole as what you have) and it worked well enough. Though at this point, while the soles are still intact enough to keep water out, there's shreds of sole starting to tear off.

I'm hoping to grab a new pair of riding shoes shortly, and that should give me the opportunity to pull the worn ones out of rotation and send them off for repair. A friend gave me some 661 shoes last year that had been given to him (but didn't fit) when I forgot my shoes for a ride. Those are replacing my uncomfortable old clipless shoes. They "worked" for platform pedals, but they didn't stick to the pedals well enough for my taste.

My original freeriders, I'd probably just start wearing as casual shoes. The soles are just too flexy for rides with fast pounding hits like in Pisgah (my local stuff). The Contacts are better in that regard, so if the repair this cobbler does looks good and works well, then those I'd put back into riding duties.


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## Daxdagr8t (Jul 9, 2014)

w8kbrder said:


> Now that Adidas took over 5/10 and quit producing the 5/10 Stealth Rubber Resole Kits, does anyone have any alternatives to replacing the sole on worn out 5/10s other than a crappy liquid rubber science paint on project?
> 
> Can't seem to find anything scouring the net regarding the attempt to resole perfectly good 5/10 shoes that just have a worn out sole.


Email adidas, got a tightwad budy that adidas replaced his worn out 510s

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Daxdagr8t said:


> Email adidas, got a tightwad budy that adidas replaced his worn out 510s
> 
> Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


Would you mind elaborating on this with some details. Don't see any way to email them on their website. They replace stuff only up to 30 days after purchase. I'm not sure how I see they would repair/replace old worn out shoes.


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## CrozCountry (Mar 18, 2011)

You can fill the holes with Aquaseal SR. It's not as soft as S1, but it's pretty durable and it sticks really well. Other than that, repairing is too much money comparing to the cost of the shoes. There is also significant wear in the foam above the sole that makes the shoe softer over time.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

5 years old wow. I'm cheap with my shoes, but geez

If you watch, you can usually find a 10-15% off sale, then I donate my old ones so hopefully they don't end up in the trash

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## Daxdagr8t (Jul 9, 2014)

w8kbrder said:


> Would you mind elaborating on this with some details. Don't see any way to email them on their website. They replace stuff only up to 30 days after purchase. I'm not sure how I see they would repair/replace old worn out shoes.


Dont know the details, he emailed them and sent his old shoes and got a new pair 

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk


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## EKram (Oct 30, 2020)

My bother a “hippie”still uses a sole sized cutouts from discarded auto tires (last tire from a creek clean up project) and Shoe Goo. Some of his resoles are pretty good. Low $.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Just to clarify, I have a new set of Ride Concepts. Not being "cheap or hippiesh" here...just wanted to see if I could extend the life on a perfectly good set of 5/10s that have proven themselves worthy rather than toss them and thought it would be a good experiment.


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## slide mon (Jul 18, 2005)

w8kbrder said:


> So I spoke with Cory at *Rocky Mountain Resole (RMR)*. Super nice guy.
> 
> ...
> 
> I'll let everyone know how they turn out when I get them back/post pics. ..


Hey, did you get these back yet? I have 4 old pairs of freeriders with holes in the soles but the uppers are still in great shape. I only seem to get a year out of them before destroying the soles, would be great to get some more use out of them!

thanks!
slide


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

slide mon said:


> Hey, did you get these back yet? I have 4 old pairs of freeriders with holes in the soles but the uppers are still in great shape. I only seem to get a year out of them before destroying the soles, would be great to get some more use out of them!
> 
> thanks!
> slide


I saw this thread pop back up and was hoping for an update. Sigh...just a request for an update. I'll second the request, though!


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## EKram (Oct 30, 2020)

DIY resoling is super unscripted, and truly a bit funky. But...worth extending the life of some great shoes.

Look around for some sole material. My brother [old hippie]uses old car tires (yikes) but I think he is on to something. I just grabbed some old shoe bottoms that I will try out on my Olukai street shoes. That may be not work out, but fun to try.

Shoe Goo works great. I have some clamps I will use in the process.

Patience and being meticulous will be great assets. The repair may look odd but who's looking at your shoes on the trail speeding by?


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## EKram (Oct 30, 2020)

Wife at home took a pic. Olukais with heel built up before I do my DIY repair.

She also suggested the sole material from some discarded Keds as a maybe for 5-10s


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

EKram said:


> Wife at home took a pic. Olukais with heel built up before I do my DIY repair.
> 
> She also suggested the sole material from some discarded Keds as a maybe for 5-10s
> View attachment 1929545


Can't decide if you're trolling on this one?


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## EKram (Oct 30, 2020)

Tryin to give ideas.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

w8kbrder said:


> Sending the 5/10s off today. 6-8 week turnaround so it will be a bit before I can post before/after pictures....stay tuned!


Any updates on this?


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Hey everyone...got the shoes back from Rocky Mtn Resole and wanted to provide an update: 


Overall I am happy with the results. Vibram dotty rubber is very sticky....same as stealth IMO. Initially they will have a slick sheen to them that wears off by walking around in the driveway for a few min. 
Although you can probably go out and buy a brand new pair for $20-$30 more, this is an option if you have perfectly good shoes w/ just worn out soles and don't want to go the route of breaking in another pair. Or if you bought a new pair and don't want to throw a perfectly good pair of shoes away, use them as a backup.
Mine are original 5/10s...not Adidas...and they are broken in....so my thought was I'd like to get them re-treaded if they are perfectly fine.
They did a really nice job considering the wear and tear. 
Shipped these off 7/14/2021. Received back yesterday on 10/4/2021. So roughly a 10 week turnaround. 
**I do have a new pair of Ride Concepts Hellion Elites. Needed new shoes while these went off to the shop, and didn't want to lose my old 5/10s. But I will say, RC's customer service is stellar. I even had the owner reach out to me after I returned the high top Powerlines for the lower cut. Highly recommend checking them out if you're in the market for new flat pedal shoes. Freeriders are proven. These will never get old for me...but RC is a great company.


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## Taroroot (Nov 6, 2013)

Nice! Looks like they did a great job! I don't love my five tens so much I'd want to do this, except mybe for my first gen Danny Mac ones, but those soles are still ok, say yay for full stitched welts! And all full grain leather.


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Harold said:


> I saw this thread pop back up and was hoping for an update. Sigh...just a request for an update. I'll second the request, though!


Updated!


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Harold said:


> Any updates on this?


Updated!


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## w8kbrder (Apr 9, 2014)

Taroroot said:


> Nice! Looks like they did a great job! I don't love my five tens so much I'd want to do this, except mybe for my first gen Danny Mac ones, but those soles are still ok, say yay for full stitched welts! And all full grain leather.


They turned out pretty good. I miss the old 5/10s like these that had the leather/waterproof material. Not a fan of the newer freeriders with the canvas.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Good to see. I'm not sure that I'd want to put mine into fulltime riding duty again, but for occasional use (especially if my other shoes got drenched the previous day and aren't dry yet) and for casual wear, maybe I should. It's better than just trashing them.


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## TraxFactory (Sep 10, 1999)

Just as an option Unparallel Sports does resole jobs...






Rubber & Wholesale Orders - Unparallel Sports







www.unparallelsports.com


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## slimat99 (May 21, 2008)

Do you have any experience with Unparallel resole kits? They advertise half resole but I'm assuming that's only for climbing shoes. If they do half for MTB that would be great. Unparallel is old 5.10 owners right? We haven't heard much from them since they hit the scene years ago.


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## TraxFactory (Sep 10, 1999)

slimat99 said:


> Do you have any experience with Unparallel resole kits? They advertise half resole but I'm assuming that's only for climbing shoes. If they do half for MTB that would be great. Unparallel is old 5.10 owners right? We haven't heard much from them since they hit the scene years ago.


I do not on resole, however I have owned their shoes and to me it is the closest thing to the 5.10 rubber, especially the West Ridge. I own RC, Pear Izumi, 2FO, Giro, Shimano. I like the UP and 5.10 the best for sheer grip and feel. 

I would give them a call on the resole, I had really good customer experience and they seem to go above and beyond.


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## PHeller (Dec 28, 2012)

w8kbrder said:


> Hey everyone...got the shoes back from Rocky Mtn Resole and wanted to provide an update:
> 
> Although you can probably go out and buy a brand new pair for $20-$30 more, this is an option if you have perfectly good shoes w/ just worn out soles and don't want to go the route of breaking in another pair. Or if you bought a new pair and don't want to throw a perfectly good pair of shoes away, use them as a backup.


How much did you end up paying in total? Did they replace the toe rand, or just the outsole?

Anyone know if UnParallel pricing stays consistent for MTB shoe resoles? Some climbing resolers charge more for Approach Shoe resoles. Getting a half resole for $27 would be a deal.


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