I Painted My Sneakers Black (As you do!)

 

I needed a new pair of kicks – my high arch ice skater's feet demand more than my current decade old knock off sneakers. Instead of browsing until I found something I liked, I spotted these kind of ugly but kind of cute wedge sneakers at Aldis, of all places, marked down to $3.50 clearance! I have other wedge mary janes that are cute and supportive, and these are indeed comfortable, but the glaring white tread gives away that this some kind of goofy combo kick. I wouldn't experiment with expensive shoes where I paid for the look and color I want, but could these soles be painted black for that classy wedge ankle boot cheat?

According to that expert The Internet, acrylics are actually the way to go when you want to decorate shoes, and I certainly have black paint on hand! After three coats and a few days drying, I covered the upper shoe in paper before a final coat of spray clear sealant. Naturally, they will probably scuff, chip, or peel. However, for a bottom dollar casual comfort shoe disguised as something fancy, touch ups are fine. I had gotten the clear spray paint meant for fabrics and paper to use on my Cardboard Tombstones, but it actually smells like nail polish, making me wonder if black or clear polish will work in a pinch. The ruse works quite well, so we'll see how long the shoes themselves actually last!

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