About Dao Resole

Hi, I am Daowei.

In 2015, I came to Leuven to study, and later worked here as a software engineer.

In 2021, I discovered climbing and quickly fell in love with it. After a while, I ran into a problem many climbers know: getting climbing shoes resoled locally was impossible. Sending them abroad meant extra cost, long waiting times, packaging, post offices, and unnecessary transport.

I also noticed that many climbers simply threw away old shoes because resoling felt too inconvenient. That made me think there should be an easier, more local way to keep good climbing shoes in use.

The idea of resoling shoes myself kept growing. In 2026, I went to Italy to learn from professional resolers. I totally enjoyed the craftsmanship behind the process — understanding how climbing shoes are built, working with rubber, and giving worn shoes another life.

The summer of 2026, I built Dao Resole and started turning the idea into a local service for climbers in Belgium.

My goal is simple: to offer a more convenient, local, and sustainable way to resurrect your favourite climbing shoes.

 

 

The Resole Lab

Different kinds of original Italian climbing shoe lasts help support the shape of climbing shoes throughout the entire resoling process.

Heavy-duty finishing machine built in 1990, I wouldn't be surprised if it can work for another 30 years. 

Professional climbing-shoe press helps preserve the shoe’s shape after the new rubber is glued in place.

I learned the craft from professional resolers in Italy and gained a lot of hands-on experience.