Is there a limit on the amount of resoles you can have?

[bydandie]

I've just read that some manufacturers limit the amount of times that their shoes can be resoled by them (Church's are apparently four times and Barker three).

Is this true, given that I can't find a manufacturer that states this publicly? If so, does anyone know why and are some manufacturers better than others in this regard?

 

[Ich_Dien]

Many do have it as a policy, yes. The reason being that a shoes uppers can only go through the stress of a full recraft a few times and of course an older shoe is much more difficult to work on as the strength may have deteriorated due to wear.

However, their policies are usually just to cover them so they can refuse the recraft if they wish.

 

[chogall]

Resole is different than recrafting. Recrafting is for a pair of shoes to go into the original factory and inject through the same manufacturing line using the original last and everything else.

Resoling on the other hand is the replacement of the outsole.

A pair of AE can survive recrafts 2 to 3 times maximum

 

[Ich_Dien]

Yeah I think I answered the wrong question there. As for resoling, only doing it at the maker is an option as often they refuse shoes that have been worked on by anyone else.

 

[bydandie]

You answered the right question

It makes sense that they can only do the refurb a limited number of times, just a shame they don't state that anywhere.

 

[Ich_Dien]

If you're going through your shoe's soles enough that, say, three recrafts in a shoes lifetime is not sufficient you probably don't have the correct amount of shoes in your rotation.

 

[bydandie]

I agree, if I'd been told that I could have had toe plates fitted and they'd still have refurb'd the shoes and the correct level of wear before sending back then I'd not have sent any back for refurb yet either. Ah well, you live and learn!