How to Customize Shoes: A Complete DIY Guide
Oftentimes, footwear, no matter the style, is purchased with a singular look and style in mind.
Still, many consumers tend to grow tired of the look of their shoes, pushing them to the wayside to collect dust before buying a new pair that fits certain aesthetic needs. The solution for this quarry is quite simple. Thanks to shoe customization, all you really need is a little creativity.
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Although DIY-ing shoes isn’t new, the concept has seen a boost in popularity post-pandemic as consumers re-evaluate their ever-cluttered wardrobe for what stays and what goes. Instead of throwing things out or donating them, many take their old shoes to the next level, repurposing them in a variety of simplistic but often effective ways, breathing new life into heels and sneakers that sat untouched.
Sneakers, in particular, have become a fixture of the DIY community for years, offering the perfect canvas for masterful creations. From Vans to Nike, Reebook to Adidas, sneakers tend to lend themselves well to customization. If sneakers aren’t your thing, however, everything from sandals to stilettos has and can be been re-vamped. The possibilities are endless.
Painting
A popular way to customize any shoe is to grab a paintbrush, channel your inner Picasso and let your creative juices flow.
Choosing a Sneaker
Step 1: When choosing a shoe to paint, many stick to plain white bases with little to no details that could possibly obstruct their design. Think Air Force 1s, Chuck Taylor All Star Classic, Fila Disruptor II’s or Keds.
Materials
Step 2: Regardless of the color of your shoes, you’ll need nail polish remover, cotton swabs, a-tips, a set of brushes, leather paint, painter’s tape and acrylic finisher or sealant. Each product can easily be purchased online and is fairly easy to use.
Painting the Shoe
Step 3: You’ll want to remove the laces and clean the shoes with nail polish remover before setting to work.
Step 4: Once painted, you’ll need to seal your paint job with that acrylic finisher and let it dry before wearing them.
Bedazzled and Embellished
Beyond painting your shoes, many DIY enthusiasts add embellishments to portions of their footwear to make a more minimal but impactful change. From chains to pearls, gemstones, floral appliques and even piercings, people have used just about anything and everything to customize their footwear.
Attaching Adornments
Depending on the construction of the desired shoe, gluing things on, preferably with E6000, might offer the most durable outcome. For a non-committal option, some people use clip-on earrings to decorate their footwear.
Embroidery
For those craft-savvy folks, embroidery is always an option. Although much more labor and skill intensive than the other options, the colorful payoff for this DIY is well worth it.
Materials
For your embroidered designs to pop, it’s recommended you pick white sneakers made of canvas. Think Keds, Vans and Converse. Leather is hard to pierce with a sewing needle so your best bet is to work with a softer material. You’ll also need embroidery floss or thread in any colors you’d like, scissors, an embroidery needle and optionally, beads.
Step 1: Unlace your sneakers and thread your needle with your first thread color.
Step 2: Cover the sneaker in whatever patterns and stitches you’d like using the various colored thread you picked out. Optionally, you can string beads onto your needle and embroider them into your design. If you’re stuck on what to embroider, patterns are one Google search away. Pinterest also has a wide range of simple and more advanced embroidery patterns to try your hand at.
Again, this project might take a longer time than the rest, however, it is something you can work on while watching tv or relaxing on the weekends.
Other Methods
Fabric & Interchangeable Laces
Some more ambitious DIY-ers will change out the laces of their kicks, interchanging them for satin ribbons or even lace string. Others will glue whimsical felt in vibrant prints with interesting textures to create a more labor-intensive but dynamic silhouette.
A fun and cheap option to upgrade you sneakers’ laces is by beading them a la Golden Goose. The key is to thread a small amount of beads onto the laces, tying them in place. Less is more. This also allows for creativity since the bead options are virtually endless. Alternatively, you can also attach pins and little trinkets to your laces for a whimsical appearance. All of these materials, from beads to charms, can easily be found at your local craft store or bought online.
Drawing & Glitter
If painting isn’t your thing, some people will draw on their shoes with permanent markers fitted with a fine tip to create clean and professional-looking lines. Glitter can also be added to shoes using mod podge and kept in place with acrylic sealant.
PHOTOS: See how Nicholas Kirkwood customized five limited-edition Beya loafers.
About the Author:
Amina Ayoud is an Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where she writes stories about everything from celebrity style to breaking fashion and shoe releases. Ayoud cultivated a love of all things fashion early in life thanks to a deep love of fashion history and the luxury industry. In her free time, Ayoud is a self-proclaimed fashion nerd and thriftaholic.
Launch Gallery: Nicholas Kirkwood Customizes Five Limited-Edition Beya Loafers
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