DIY: Shoe makeover with Spray Paint

Hey you all, if anyone’s reading this that is!

Gave an old, cheap, rubber shoe that is specifically made for the rains and muck a new life and that is what I am going to talk about today. If you are a shoe lover and own like 39 pairs of it (that’s 10 pair more than me), if you buy shoes and stilettos just because you can’t stop buying them, if you love comfortable shoes and hate to throw them away when they are worn- this post is for you.

Non-shoe lovers, enjoy the power of recycling; enjoy some self-proclaimed good photographs. Stay on my blog and contribute to this higher good called “traffic” that apparently rules the world. Like just open it and watch “Grey’s Anatomy” or something! Seriously, no, gimme some love 🙂

In Bombay, monsoons are really bad. We need to buy separate shoes to deal with the rains like you need to buy furry boots to deal with the harsh winter. Point being, I had to buy the cheapest I could find because I was quite certain after the monsoons I’d throw them away. Now, who knew that they’d be so comfortable that I’d be wearing them day in day out even after the monsoons?

Made with rubber like stuff, the shoe is as comfortable as your old blanket but continuously wearing it for 3 months rendered it rather awful and colorless. So, I decided to give it some love…like you are giving me as you read! By the way I am calling them shoes and not ballet flats because they are not. They are rain shoes.

I nicked Rohan’s auto paints, ripped off an old pocket (Only Lord knows why I was saving it…maybe for this day), hounded down some beads and made a complete new shoe out of it. From pale and anemic to bright boho-chic!

Here’s How

Let’s give the dope to you in 1-2-3 format. Easier to follow and no faff is the key.

Directions

1. If you have a rubber shoe, wash it with soap water and let it dry

2. Spray paint them with the color of your choice and let them dry for about a couple of hours

3. Add embellishments with fabric glue

My embellishments

I ripped off a pocket from an old trouser which had lovely hippie thread work.

I cut strips of it and hemmed the edges. (Each about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide)

Once the hemming was done I attached it on top of the shoe with fabric glue and cut the extras (keeping with the sole symmetry) from the sides with a scissor. Dabbed glue at the cut ends to stop it from laddering. This blasted cloth ladders at any given opportunity.

Once the cloth was attached, I made two tiny pipes (as you can see in the picture) with a cloth I thought might go with the base. Just hem the sides and roll it. Attach the overlapping free end to the body with glue. I know Im a sticky person 😛

Attach it with more glue (aaaaaaa…glue galore) and pop a turquoise stone on top. (This is semi precious…for me to feel like a bloody princess)

That’s it folks. No biggie. Peace!