Materials
- alcohol
- acetone
- cotton(lots of it)
- paint
- brushes of your choice
I’ve broken it down into two parts: prepping and painting. I feel both are equivalent in importance and time should be spent on both.
Prepping
This is what you should spend your time on. Your paintjob may be the greatest, but will not matter if it does not hold up.
Begin by cleaning the shoe with alcohol, esp. if it has been used. It may be difficult to clean the shoe after you have painted.
Determine where you will be painting. Choose now to get it out of your way. If you paint, it will be hard to go back and prep an area close to it.
Now take your acetone. This stuff can be found in any of your local hardware stores and is fairly inexpensive. However, this is heavy duty stuff so wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area.
I use an old glass cup or glass tray here. Don’t use plastics, acetone will melt right through it. I put some cottonballs in and pour the acetone in it. I do this so i get a good amount of acetone in the cotton but I keep them from becoming dripping wet. You will be using a lot of cotton so I hope you stocked up.
When prepping, rub the acetone over the shoe to remove the factory finish. When you rub, keep one hand inside the shoe and press against the area you are wiping. You should be creating a sandwich effect with your hands and the shoe and cottonball in between. It is important to press hard on the inside, and rub hard on the outside to really get in and clean the leather. Change your cottonballs frequently. With black shoes it is easy bc your cottonballs should turn black. But with white it is very difficult. If you are using one cottonball the whole time, you are basically exhausting the acetone in there and respreading the wax finish back all over the shoe. If you apply tons of pressure, you should have no trouble in seeing the prepped results.
Below I have a picture of the pressure points of a shoe that should be concentrated on the most. These areas are susceptible to the most bending and creasing and therefore should be cleaned properly. This does not mean you should neglect the other areas of the shoe.
Some use an abrasive sponge to prep. Simply soak the cotton in acetone and sandwich it in between the sponge. Be careful with this method and should only be used in the large open areas away from creasing and edges. If you use this method, you run the risk of fraying stitching, dying the edges green or the color of the sponge, or scratching of nonleather parts.
How to tell if your shoe is prepped
Usually, the leather will turn grey. However, that is not always the sign of prepped leather. Simply run your finger through the leather. If you feel resistance, then it is ready. If it is smooth or feels waxy, it still is not ready. It is still very hard to determine so it is best that you wait for visual proof.
Painting
Before you begin painting, clean the shoe with alcohol again. Make sure there is no dust, hair or cotton strands from the prepping stage.
Now it is time to paint. Keep your brushes damp as you will need to paint in smooth thin layers.
To apply the layer of paint, get a decent amount of paint, don’t bother wiping as you need a sufficient amount to pull the paint but don’t dip the entire bristle head into the paint.
Apply the paint and pull the brush throughout the entire surface. It’s best to start on the edges so early coats won’t be overlapping if you start on the middle. Make sure first coat is thin and even. It should look very transparent and blotchy but it’s alright.
Let it dry. Wait about 30 minutes. Even if it feels dry, it may not be. The paint needs not just to dry but bond as well.
Add a second coat. Wait. Keep following the process until the surface looks solid. If you get some paint on another area, just clean it off with alcohol and a qtip.
After you paint the final coat, you should wait 24 hours until you wear them. Why? There is a big difference between drying time and curing time. The curing stage is the time when the paint formula fully settles in order to bond. Just because it is dry, does not mean it has cured. Do not mistake the two.
By not letting the final coat cure, you run the risk of ruining the paintjob by introducing other additives such as nonpotable water, chemicals, and abrasions which can all ruin in the paintjob immediately or in the longrun.
You can use a finish coat. There are many brands available and can be used by spraying, airbrushing, applying with rag, or applying with brush.
Angelus does not require it (it’s waterproofed already). If you do use it, it usually needs 2 coats max and is applied with the same manner (thin, even coats) as painting.
Enjoy your sneakers and be creative.
