When he's not resoling shoes he's running in them...

Our own master shoe resoler is also a master runner: James competed in the NYC marathon on November 7th and came in the 106th male out of a field of 45,000 competitors, and was the 36th US finisher. His time of 2:39 was not a PR, but pretty impressive after taking a red eye, then sleeping on the couch the night before, getting up at 4 east coast time, taking a 5:30 ferry to Staten Island and waiting for the 9:40 start. Huge crowds turned out to watch and cheer- certainly a life highlight and an inspiring race for James.

A great response to a FAQ

Dear Cascade Cobbler,

I have a pair of Madrock climbing shoes. They are 1 year and a half old,
not heavily used, but a hole opened on the side of the leather, and is
getting bigger and bigger. I am not sure how it happened.
Is it something that can be repaired? I am attaching a picture of the
shoe. How much would you charge for that?
Thank you,
A climber

Dear Climber,

Thanks for the question. Your problem is rare but not unique. There are
typically two reasons this type of hole forms. First you can climb a
particular way or in a particular area that prematurely wears holes due to
excessive rubbing; cracks, granite, etc. Second and more likely in your case
is a defect in the suede, leather, or whatever material manufacturers use. These are hard to detect unless you really look hard when purchasing your shoes for inconsistent feel or look of a section of shoe. For fun you should look at your other shoe on the exact same spot and see what that looks like. If it is fine you more than likely got a
defect. Most companies are not good about replacing since they have a hard
time telling the climber wear from defect after a shoe has been out there
for a while.

What to do about it: We can repair in by putting a rubber patch over the
hole. This would look like an extension of your existing rand and would be
blended into your original rand. We would charge $9.00 for this patch and
would recommend you send it in when your shoes are ready for a resole and
then we can do both at once.

Hope this helps and look forward to seeing your shoes soon,
Cascade Cobbler

If Climbing Shoes Could Talk

After working on thousands of shoes you start to wonder about how many different people have touched them and what their stories are. Last night I was peeling a pair of shoes and this idea kept me thinking for a few hours about not only who touched them but how far they have traveled. Even before all of you take your shoes around the world on climbing adventures they have already traveled across the Pacific, since just about all shoes are manufactured somewhere in Asia. While many climbing shoes are made by "USA" companies they are typically manufactured in Asia. This point is highlighted brilliantly in the photo above; American on the outside, but Chinese on the inside. So when you get your shoes back from our shop ponder not only where you will take them next but where they have been and who they have met in their relatively short but exciting lives.

our new postcard:

A recent transformation

Your shoes may not look this bad, but if they do, there is hope for new life for your soles in the hands of Cobbler James.

Before

After

Summer in the Methow

It's summer in the Methow (officially and the sun is out to prove it.) It seems like it may last a whole day or so... so, take the day off and get out there.
We went on a hike to Cuththroat Lake this weekend: At the beginning of the hike we were fretting about our lack of sun hats for the boys and debated about the need for jackets; when we were post holing in the snow being pelted by rain we were greatful for the warm layers and wished we had hats. Back at the car, the sun came out and we were in t-shirts again. Confusing weather!

Day on the rock

Our oldest son, Malloch (3.5yrs) had his first day of climbing at Fun Rock. It was a brief outing, but a successful introduction to the sport. For James it was a dream come true: teaching his son to climb! There are a few kinks to work out when climbing with a new climber, belaying with an infant (in the back pack,) and taking photos, but I think we'll master it soon!