Painting shoes?

Jen

Has anyone tried this? I had a lightbulb moment about it during one of my latest gloomfests about the near-impossibility of finding shoes to fit my crazily wide feet.

1 year ago

General

10 replies

Latest reply was from elpgal

cat2

Veteran

I have had both fabric and leather shoes dyed by a cobbler. Mine were my white lace and fabric wedding shoes and a pair of light tan pumps that got stained in the rain. Both made excellent black shoes.

1 year ago

Carol

(website)

Veteran

The only shoes I painted were when I was a very bohemian teen--I painted Starry Night on some Converse. I agree with cat2--if you want it done well, see a cobbler.

1 year ago

SarahD8

Veteran

Brooklyn has done this with Tarrago shoe paint to good effect (I could not tell you exactly when/where she posted about it though).

I have been sufficiently inspired by her to *purchase* paint for my own shoe project...but not brave/motivated enough to actually carry it out, yet.

1 year ago

Joy

Veteran

Women used to wear pumps dyed to match outfits all the time, especially for proms and weddings. Go for it.

1 year ago

Brooklyn

Veteran

I have made subtle colour changes with Tarrago. It’s not strictly a paint. It’s a polish that imparts a little colour. It can be useful for darkening the colour of a shoe or creating a metallic effect. You can’t lighten with it.

These are sandals that were taupe. I turned them into an old gold colour with the polish. I much prefer them this way.

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1 year ago

Star

Veteran

I had a cobbler dye pink pumps black in the 80s and they turned out fab.

1 year ago

Jen

Active Member

Hi all, thanks for the feedback! Brooklyn, your shoes look great!
It makes perfect sense that dyeing to a darker shade is easiest. Unfortunately, I was dreaming of the opposite. I constantly see cool colored boots, including white, but as soon as you get to the extra wide ones they are all nothing but black. I guess they figure it’s too small a niche. But it means very limited options. I had just been getting into Angie-style white footwear and boom, it’s become an impossibility for me. Then I thought of this paint idea.

1 year ago

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Jen--maybe show the boots. If you're willing to go for a rough, punk-rock look, you probably could paint them white.

1 year ago

Joy

Veteran

After pandemic, I find it hard to find cute flats. Colors have been cut back. I look for off white footwear to enjoy Angie's looks and may give Tarragon a try. Metallics make good neutrals year round. I need some new metallic booties.

1 year ago

elpgal

Veteran

I used Tarrago dye on some Birkenstock ks to make the color go from dark tan to a bright burgundy. It worked really well. Te straps were leather.

1 year ago

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