DIY: Upcycle Your Shoes – The Story

In this DIY, I will tell you my experience trying to upcycle a pair of wedges.

These wedges.

For starters, I did a lot of research on the type of paint that I should use.

Mistake number 1. Because when I started my research, I assumed I would be painting on top of whatever was already on there. And so, because I assumed the material was pleather, the research brought me to a commonly used type; Acrylic.

Once I had the paint picked out, I decided to acquire some studs. I opted for two different designs, pyramid, and spikes. Mistake number 2. The pyramid studs had prongs and not screw like the spikes did. So, long story short, the pyramid studs were far more difficult and time-consuming than it had to be, not to mention that they would have probably turned out straighter.

Anywho…

After I had all my supplies all together and ready to go, I sat down and cleaned the straps for repainting. Because the paint was stripping on random spots, I decided to pick at it. Mistake number 3. Next thing I knew, I was set on a mission to get all the paint off the straps. In turn, I no longer had the pleather surface I had planned for.

I proceeded with the plan anyway. Even though I ended up with a cloth-slash-crumbly-plasticky straps, I started to paint.

Everything seemed to go well. In the beginning, anyway.

I painted the inside of the straps first. Once the inside dried, I painted the outside. That’s when everything started going downhill.

When the paint on the outside of the straps dried, I tried bending them and the paint cracked. So, I applied a second coat. Mistake number 4. This only made the straps stiff and more prone to cracking.

I decided to just finish this project since I was so mortified by the paint results, I was so over the entire thing.

After I decided to get it over with, I sat down and estimated the number of studs I would place on each strap and which would go where. Then, since I had a rough idea of how it would go, I started with the pyramid studs. This is where I realized this was going to take longer than I’d like for a failed project. But alas, I pushed through it and I was amazingly pleased with the result.

I then proceeded to install the spike studs. That is when I realized these were trying to make me feel better about the situation as a whole.

So the studs are in their place, and that’s when I noticed it. More crack paint! UGGGHHHH!

I took final pictures because I was not about to paint some more. I saw the pictures and the wannabe perfectionist inside me made me paint the freakin’ cracks.

I then took the actual final pictures. They look pretty damn good not in person and from far away!

I will most likely wear these until the paint gives out, and even then, I think it might fit the new theme. Punk.