Renew a Shoe or Two

Courtesy of Eddie Donlin of StudioD

 I love shoes.  They can completely make an outfit, and turn a bland look into something extreme.  Needless to say, I have a lot of old shoes that should no longer be in my closet, so I decided that something had to be done.  I found three old pairs in particular that were in some need of a little updating, and turn them into styles that are right on trend for the upcoming fall season.  Two shoe trends that are oh-so-fabulous right now to wear on those pretty peds are color blocking and glitter.  Brian Atwood currently has a gorgeous pair of glitter ankle booties on pre-order at Saks, and Pierre Hardy crushes the color blocking competition.  Both are extremely out of my shoe budget, and being the super savvy shoe shopper that I am, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

What You Need:

   1.       Old shoes
   2.       Cleaning supplies (shoe cleaner, dish soap, possible acetone or rubbing alcohol)
   3.       Fine steel wool or a fine grit sandpaper
   4.       Old newspapers (as long as they’re not my column) or a drop cloth
   5.       Painters tape
   6.       Glitter glue (I found mine at Dollar Tree)
   7.       A small paintbrush
   8.       Glitter (I a pack of three colors at Dollar Tree!)
   9.       Spray paint
   10.     Clear sealer (Try Krylon’s Make It Last! Clear Sealer)

Here are the three pairs of shoes that I started with:

How to Create the Three Looks I’ve Shown Here:

   1. The first step is to clean the old shoes you will be using thoroughly.   Be sure to protect your work area with a drop cloth or some old newspapers.   Wipe shoes clean with a shoe cleaner, or some soapy water.  Remove laces if necessary and wash them in some soapy water, or bleach if necessary. 

If your shoes have a finish such as a patent shine needs to be removed, some acetone (nail polish remover) or rubbing alcohol will do the trick.  If there is any part of the shoe that you do not wish to refinish, you will need to tape off those sections before using any type of acetone or rubbing alcohol.
  
2. After your shoes are cleaned up, tape off the areas of the shoe that you will not be refinishing.

I also usually stuff the shoes with some old newspaper to keep the inside of the shoe free from paint and/or glitter.  For color blocking, try to section the shoe off so you can create at least three distinct areas of color.  If you’re feeling bold, feel  free to paint all three sections a different color!  For the color blocked look I’ve shown here, I taped off the middle of the shoe, leaving the wedge heel and top of the shoe exposed for painting.  For the glitter toe shoe, I taped off the majority of the shoe, leaving only the toe exposed for decorating! 

 3. Next, rough your old shoes up a little with a fine steel wool or a little sand paper, so that the paint or glitter can adhere to the surface of the shoes.  Again, if you do not want to refinish part of the shoes, tape the sections off before using the steel wool, as it will damage the surface of the shoe.
 
4. Start decorating. 
For the color blocked shoe:  Spray the un-taped areas with a spray paint color of your choice.  If you want to use more than one color, you will have to define the first area you would like to paint by taping off the remainder of the shoe and spray that area.  After the paint dries completely, remove tape and re-tape the shoe to expose the second area, and repeat.  Repeat until you have painted the whole shoe the way you would like, then move to step 6.
For the glitter shoe: Using a small paintbrush, paint the areas of the shoe you would like glittered with the glitter glue.  Using glitter glue ensures complete glittery coverage!  Before the glue has time to dry, sprinkle loose glitter over the areas.  I used both pink and gold glitter on the glitter sneakers, creating a unique look! 

5. Allow the shoes to dry 24 hours.  For the glitter shoes, tap off all loose glitter.  If bare areas exist, spread a little glue on the areas and add some glitter.  If any touchups are needed on the color blocked shoe, spray some paint onto a small paintbrush and smooth the paint over the imperfection.   After shoes have “cured” for 24 hours, remove all painters tape.
 
6. Spray the finished shoes with a clear sealer and allow them to dry for another 24 hours.

Congratulations, you just spent a measly few bucks and got yourself a few new pairs of shoes!  I love when I can try out the wild new trends for next to nothing.  I mean, really, what do you have to lose?  If you only wear them once, you’re not out $350, and at least you [hopefully] had fun making them.  Try these ideas out and let me know what you think!  Feel free to email me your finished photos at purplezebrashop@gmail.com and I’ll put some of my favorites up on my blog.  For more style ideas and more, follow me on twitter @goodnpretty.

courtesy of Eddie Donlin of StudioD