Hey there! Thanks for checking out Rock Shoe Revival. We’re so glad you’re considering us as your resoler.
I’m CEO of RSR, as well as an avid climber, trail runner, drummer, and pancake eater. I grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York and began climbing in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, at the first ever Gravity Vault. The Gravity Vault has since become a successful franchise across the tri-state area, but when I was growing up, there was just the one. I started climbing at age 9 at the gym, first taking classes and then eventually joining the competitive team and competing alongside some very talented climbers, including the youngest person ever to send V15, Ashima Shiraishi, and recent Olympian, Jesse Grupper (thank god I wasn’t in their categories!). After three years of boarding school (high school) and very little climbing, I vowed to climb in college. That led me to Colorado College in Colorado Springs, where I have lived for the last 10 years. Being part of the Springs climbing community — climbing and competing at CityROCK, visiting SCC, Pure, and Gripstone, taking regular trips to Shelf Road — has been integral to my life in the Springs. For that reason, I am so excited to give back to the community through resoling.
About a year ago, returning from Joe’s Valley with busted shoes, I was lamenting to my friends how the Springs had no dedicated resoler. Of course, there are options in Denver and Boulder, but it’s either time-consuming or costly to bring or ship your shoes to their shops. It baffled me that despite four awesome gyms in the Springs plus such close proximity to Shelf Road, Eleven Mile, and myriad other high-quality crags, we had no resoler of our own. I should start my own resole business, I thought. But it’s one thing to fantasize about building a business; it’s an entirely different thing to actually start one.
Flash forward to this last January, 2025. I was walking into CityROCK, venting to my best friend and now COO, Ryan, about my current job situation. I’d been out of full-time work for over 6 months, having finished a contract job, and despite relentlessly applying to jobs, couldn’t land a new one. I had been grinding at two part-time jobs, working through the holidays. I felt physically, emotionally, and mentally drained. And it felt like there was no end in sight. When would full-time work return? When would I feel financial security and work-life balance again?
“You’re so smart, Sarah. You should just start your own business! What about the resole idea?” Ryan asked.
“You know … you’re right.”
From that moment on, the wheels were turning. I started researching the resole process and materials, delving into articles and YouTube videos, emailing cobblers, making phone calls. I ultimately realized that no number of articles and how-to videos could properly teach me the skill, so I started pitching practically every LaSportiva certified resoler in North America to take me on as an apprentice. Most were super kind and supportive of my dream, but did not have the capacity to bring me in. Then one day, I got an email from Amelia, a cobbler at The Gear Fix in Bend, Oregon. They’d love to teach me; when could I come?
Within a month, I was flying to Bend. Ryan came along and learned to resole, too. We were blown away by not only the level of craftsmanship that Amelia and her fellow cobblers (Gage, Evan, and Jacob) had, but also their genuine interest and excitement in teaching us. They wanted to see us succeed! We are incredibly grateful for their patience, expertise, and kindness.
Once back to Colorado, Ryan and I worked consistently to build out a workshop and resole business that can serve the community efficiently, thoroughly, and compassionately. We are proud to serve you and hope you’ll recommend us to your climber friends — from novices to dirt bags.
Climb on,
Slaico