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