Kaki Bukit Shoe Repair Shop for S$79 Climbing Resoles: Solah

Most shoe repair counters in Singapore will glue a sneaker sole or swap a heel, but very few will touch a downturned bouldering shoe. Solah Resole does nothing else. The workshop is at 32 Kaki Bukit Crescent #05-18, Singapore 416262, and a standard resole in fresh Vibram rubber costs S$79. You can hand your shoes in at the workshop, post them, or leave them in a drop-box at one of four climbing gyms, and the usual turnaround is about two weeks from the day they arrive.

The founder tells the origin story plainly on the website. The idea came up on a climbing trip to Huu Lung in northern Vietnam, while talking with a crew of resolers from Spain. Spain has a long tradition of climbing shoe repair, so the next step was to travel there and learn the craft properly before bringing it back to Singapore. The company now trades as Solah Resole Pte. Ltd., and the site footer is dated 2026.

The pitch is simple: never break them in twice. Anyone who climbs knows the weeks of pinched toes and hot spots that come with a stiff new pair. A careful resole keeps the upper you have already moulded to your foot and puts new rubber under it, so the shoe keeps its fit and gets its edge back. It also keeps a lot of good rubber out of the bin.

The pricing page lists three jobs in Singapore dollars. Resole Only is S$79 and suits shoes where the sole is worn smooth or thin but the toe rand, the rubber that wraps around the front of the shoe, is still intact. Resole plus Rand Repair is S$94, for pairs where the rand has split or worn through and fabric is showing. Resole plus Rand Repair plus Hole Fix is S$109, for the shoes you kept wearing until your big toe started to poke out.

Two add-ons sit on top of any of those. No-edge shoes cost an extra S$20, because their rounded toe profile takes more care to rebuild. La Sportiva's Genius, Futura, Mantra and Mandala are the classic examples named on the FAQ. A toe-cap replacement, the patch of rubber you use for toe hooks, is also an extra S$20. Return postage within Singapore is S$6, and five pairs or more get 10 percent off, which is worth knowing if your whole bouldering group is wearing through at once.

The single most useful advice on the site is about timing. Send the shoes in while the sole is thin but the rand is still whole, and you pay the lowest price and keep the original shape. Wait until the rand is gone and the job costs more and changes the toe more. Wait until there is a hole and it costs more again. Check the front of your shoes after every few sessions. Once the rubber at the tip looks flat and shiny, it is close to time.

The workshop uses Vibram XS Edge and XS Grip2 at the moment. XS Edge is the stiffer, more durable compound that holds an edge on small footholds, while XS Grip2 is softer and stickier, popular on steep indoor walls. If you have a preference, put it on the order form. If not, the team will suggest one after looking at how the shoe is built.

The drop-box system is the reason most local climbers find Solah. There are boxes at Climb Central Funan, Climb Central Sports Hub, Boulder Planet Tai Seng and Boulder Planet Sembawang. Collections happen every Friday and alternate between gyms, so each box is emptied once every two weeks. The home page shows the next two dates: the boxes at Boulder Planet Tai Seng and Sembawang are due on Friday 23 October 2026, and the two Climb Central boxes on Friday 30 October.

The routine is straightforward. Write your name and mobile number on a note, put it inside one shoe, band the pair together and drop them in the box before 7 pm on the pickup Friday. Anything that goes in after the cut-off waits for the next collection, two weeks later. Solah then checks the sole and rand and sends the quote by WhatsApp. Nothing is worked on until you accept it. You pay by PayNow, then collect the shoes free from the workshop or have them posted back for S$6. Shoes from a drop-box are usually ready about three weeks after the collection date.

This is a specialist, and the FAQ is honest about the limits. Approach shoes and mountaineering boots are built differently from rock shoes and are not part of the service right now. Strap, eyelet and stitching repairs are on the to-do list but not offered yet. International shipping is not a regular service either, though overseas climbers can ask. If your shoe is too far gone to be worth resoling, Solah says it will tell you before doing any work, instead of charging for a job that will not last.

There is also a short guarantee. If a resole starts to peel away under normal use within two weeks of getting the shoes back, the team will fix it for free. Most shoes can be resoled several times as long as the upper and rand stay in good shape, which is exactly why the site keeps pushing people to send them in early.

Kaki Bukit is a light-industrial estate in the east, full of workshops, printers and small warehouses in tall flatted factory blocks. It is not a place to browse, so treat a workshop visit as a quick errand. Kaki Bukit MRT station on the Downtown Line is the closest stop. Because no walk-in hours are published, send a WhatsApp before you go so someone is there to take the shoes.

If you want to turn the trip into a half day, Bedok Reservoir Park lies to the east of the estate, with a flat path around the water that suits an easy recovery walk. Many climbers simply skip the workshop altogether and use the box at their regular gym, then plan a session on the day they pick the shoes up.

Workshop: 32 Kaki Bukit Crescent #05-18, Singapore 416262. Email: solahresole@gmail.com. Instagram: @solah_resole. Opening hours for the workshop are not listed on the website, so message first. Prices: Resole Only S$79, Resole plus Rand Repair S$94, Resole plus Rand Repair plus Hole Fix S$109, No-Edge or Toe-Cap add-on S$20 each, return postage S$6, 10 percent off five pairs or more. Turnaround: about two weeks from arrival. Payment: PayNow after the quote. Drop-box cut-off: 7 pm on the collection Friday.