Boot dyeing? colors? + Question for Rae

I am seriously contemplating dyeing the brown tall boots I have, a grey color. I now have cognac boots for the warm tones I used to wear the brown ones with. Now they just sit in my closet. Here is a collection of the greys I have in my closet. I was thinking of #41 otter as a complimentary color. Steel grey looked too blue and Sponge was a tad warm maybe. http://www.shoeshineexpress.co......asp#chart

Also, Rae, since you've successfully done this before - will the tooled designs and perforations be a headache here or is it no big deal? Does the previous color affect the final result or is the dye pretty much the color on the chart? Thanks so much for any help!

This post has 7 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

14 years ago

General

7 replies

Latest reply was from

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

When I was talking to a cobbler on shoe dyeing she told me that you can go from a lighter to darker color but not from a darker to a lighter one. Otter looks like a nice grey but is it dark enough to cover this brown? This color in #7 looks almost like chestnut to me - is it a good representation of the color? The colors need to be at least of the same intensity to work so if your boots are not darker that this color it should work.

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Ooh, didn't know that - thanks Sveta! I may have to go closer to a charcoal grey then. I thought there was a step where you kind of 'strip' the dye off the leather first. But that's what I get for assuming! lol

14 years ago

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

When I was dyeing my shoes there was a stripping step but it was stripping the gloss from the surface to ensure the dye sticks. Kind of you need to sand your varnished wood before painting.
I think a good quality leather has dye a bit below the surface so shallow scratches are not glaringly white.
Mink may also work - or is it too warm?

14 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

I like the otter color, and if you're looking at Tarrago self-shine dyes, you can definitely cover the previous color. The brand says you can dye white over black. *However," here are my concerns with these:

- From the pic, it seems like the boots might be treated with some kind of glaze that makes them nice and smooth/shiny. The dye adheres and covers best when the leather is matte and untreated. I last tried red over a shiny black, and I had to use a lot more coats to get a decent look. It still is not a perfect, solid color. I believe I've read about people stripping off glaze & previous dyes with acetone, but I have NOT tried this yet.

- The tooling isn't a pain in terms of the dye job, but since you're dying over the tooling, the designs will no longer contrast with the base color of the boot the way they do now.

- Would you end up wearing these tooled leather boots with your mod dress and sweater dress even if they are gray? Even if the color changes, IMO tooled leather is a pretty Western statement that may not go with the style other gray items you have (not 100% sure on this, but it's something to ponder).

14 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Julie successfully stripped all the dye from her boots before dying them red. I believe she got the stripping agent from her cobbler. I have not tried this yet, but I know it can be done.

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Thanks for all the info ladies!! Rae, I'm not sure I'd wear them with these exact items or not - it was more a gauge of the tone of grey I have on hand, I guess. Funny that the tooling seems western to you, to me it's kinda boho. They remind me of grapevines, likely because I'm such a wino LOL! At any rate, it's pretty subtle when not zoomed in for a pic. I do worry about the shiny surface issue you mentioned, though. Hmmm, maybe I'll have to reconsider this whole idea . . .

14 years ago

Anonymous

I just dyed a handbag so I was on a lot of websites reading reviews (including Rae's) and I agree that the dye might not penetrate a leather with a hard, shiny finish. One reviewer complained that the Tarrago self-shine dye scratched off her bag or shoes with a fingernail. My bag was very soft, porous and beat-up, so it just soaked up the dye like a thirsty sponge. The preparer that comes in the kit is to remove leather conditioners and oils, but if I were you, I'd get something really strong from a cobbler to make sure the leather is stripped of it's finish before dying.

14 years ago

Category