I think it was the better option, it was easier to paint and only needed 2 coats. Once we’ve worn the shoes awhile, I’ll come back and update on how they hold up.
PAINTING SHOES
I told my girls the last week of school to make a list of things they wanted to do over the summer. The first thing we tackled were painting shoes.
They love to paint just about anything, so this was right up their alley.
↓ ↓ ↓ PIN IT ↓ ↓ ↓
↑ ↑ ↑ PIN IT ↑ ↑ ↑
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR PAINTING SHOES
- a pair of Shoes
- Acetone
- Cotton balls
- Paint (see below for options)
- Paint brushes
Shoes
For this project we used white shoes from Walmart. They’re pretty inexpensive.
They can sometimes be hard to find in the store. I talked with an associate at Walmart and she said that as soon as they get some in stock they are gone within the day.
So we opted to order them online. Within 3 days they had arrived. It sure beats having to check the store daily to see if any came in.
One thing I like about these shoes is that they don’t have a glossy finish. Glossy + paint tends to = peeling. These shoes have a matte finish.
You can use other brands or types of white sneakers for this project.
Acetone
The acetone is used to clean up the shoes before painting.
According to everything I read, there is a film on new shoes that must be removed for the paint to adhere correctly.
We used an acetone nail polish remover.
Paint
There are a few different types of paint that will work for shoes. We used acrylic paint for the purple and blue shoes.
- Leather paint is designed to work well on leather and vinyl. Angelus Leather Paint is a trusted brand and you can get a starter kit with lots of colors.
- Fabric paint is designed to be flexible. Because of this there will be less cracking.
- Acrylic paint has by far the largest variety of colors available and is the least expensive.
- Paint pens would be easy to control and paint exactly where you want to. However, quality paint pens are quite expensive and a lot of paint would be needed to paint both shoes. My girls actually have some paint pens, but they didn’t want to waste them on the shoes.
You will combine the paint with the medium to create fabric paint. This gives you a wide array of colors to choose from while adding that flexible quality to the paint.
I do not recommend using spray paint, unless you want the entire shoe painted. I am not sure how well it would adhere and it would be hard to keep it from getting the inside of the shoe or on the sole.
Read on to the end to find out how well these paints did on the shoes over time.
Paint Brushes
Use a small paintbrush so that it is easy to paint the smaller sections of the shoes.
HOW TO PAINT SHOES
Step 1. Remove the Laces
The very first thing to do is to remove the laces from the shoes to avoid getting paint on them.
Set them aside. You can re-lace them once the shoes are completely dry.
Step 2. Clean the shoes thoroughly.
Next, thoroughly clean the shoes with acetone.
The easiest way to find acetone is to look in the nail polish remover aisle of the store. Find a nail polish remover that has acetone in it.
Lightly soak a cotton ball with acetone and rub it firmly all over the surface of the shoe.
And yes, this will remove some of the nail polish you may have on your fingernails too 🙂
Step 3. Decide how you want to paint the shoes.
It is helpful to determine how you want the shoes to look once finished. The girls decided to paint different sections of the shoes with lighter or darker shades of the same color.
You can paint all the sections different colors if you like. This is the time to let your creativity shine.
To achieve different shades of the same color, they simply added white paint to a darker color to lighten it.
If you decide to mix paints, it is important to use the same brand.
Step 4. Paint the Shoes
Paint the shoes using very thin layers of paint to avoid cracking as they are worn. It’s a good idea to paint at least two thin coats. Let the first coat dry thoroughly before painting the second coat.
Painting the shoes took the girls about 3 hours. I’m sure you could do it faster, but they were being very careful.
I’m quite glad it took a lot of time. They get so bored in the summer that any project that lasts the whole afternoon is a welcome thing around here.
How To Prevent Acrylic Paint From Cracking On Shoes?
There are a few things you should do that I believe help with the cracking on shoes of acrylic paint.
How To Seal Acrylic Paint On Shoes?
To seal my paint I used Mod Podge Spray Sealer. I sprayed in 1 even layer and then went back in and sprayed a second layer once the first one dried.
To make it your own you can even paint designs on them.
Can You Paint Shoes With Acrylic Paint?
You absolutely can. Just look at how well my shoes turned out. Just make sure to remember to apply the paint in thin layers and also allow each layer to completely dry.
Also, allow the paint to dry for 24 hours. I love to paint with acrylic paints.
If you try out this project, come back and leave me a comment and tell me what you think.
