Months ago | 26th August 2008 19:17
This is for questions about customizing. Post all questions here. Read page 1 first.
JBF's Guide
Alright, so IâÃÂÃÂm finally doing a âÃÂÃÂHow To Reconstruct a Nike Dunk HighâÃÂàguide for all of you. Dunk lows are VERY similar, and actually easier, so this should work for those too. Before I get into any kind of instruction though, know this: ItâÃÂÃÂs not easy, and you WILL fuck up. Probably a few times. ThereâÃÂÃÂs a chance you might not even be able to wear the first pair of shoes you make (lord knows I couldnâÃÂÃÂt) But donâÃÂÃÂt get discouraged! First try is all about experimenting. Your second pair will be MUCH betterâÃÂæ unless youâÃÂÃÂre stupid and donâÃÂÃÂt pay attention to the mistakes you made the first time and focus on fixing them. But thatâÃÂÃÂs enough of thatâÃÂæ.
First things firstâÃÂæ HereâÃÂÃÂs a list of everything you will need to reconstruct a pair of shoes:
Base Shoes
Acetone, a Dropper and, and a Glass cup to hold it in.
Exacto Knife
Butter Knife
Spray Adhesive
Whatever materials you choose to make your shoes out of
Rhino Glue
Barge Glue
Sewing Maching (I use a Juki DDL 8700-7, but you donâÃÂÃÂt need something that nice to start)
Heavy Duty or Upholstery ThreadâÃÂæ Make sure you use something heavyâÃÂæ The regular stuff is much too weak for shoes
Leather Hole Punch
So the first thing you need to do in order to reconstruct a pair of shoes is take them apart. Pictured below are all the things I use to do this. Acetone, a glass cup, a dropper, an exacto and butter knife, and of course an iPod.
First you need to take out the laces and insoles. Next youâÃÂÃÂre going to cut some stitches on the inside of the shoe. First cut the midsole stitch. You donâÃÂÃÂt need to cut all of em, but the more you can get, the easier it makes it to yank that stitch out. Once you slice those stitches use something to pull the string to the outside of the sole and just pull and cut as needed. Once you cut the Black stitches shown in this picture youâÃÂÃÂre gonna slice the grey ones. Those hold the upper to a plastic foot bed piece that I would recommend not taking out.
Now pour your acetone into the glass cupâÃÂæ not too much, just fill the cup like a 1/2 inch. Than take your dropper and suck up some acetone, than drip it where the sole meets the upper. I do it section by section. I wouldnâÃÂÃÂt try and do more than like 4-5 inches at a time. Once the section is soaked with acetone use a butter knife to help you pry it off. Go slowly if you need to and be sure not to rip your sole. It also helps to drip some acetone into the holes in the midsole where the stitch was.
So now that your uppers are detached, you get to rip them to pieces with an exacto knifeâÃÂæ preettyyyyyy fun. Make sure to have a pen handy so that you can mark whether each piece belongs to the Left or Right shoe. Careful not to destroy your pieces too, itâÃÂÃÂs real easy to accidentally make cuts you donâÃÂÃÂt want toâÃÂæ And hereâÃÂÃÂs a picture of a box full of pieces. Also, when deconstructing, you donâÃÂÃÂt have to take everything apart. Nike splits pieces underneath the swoosh to save materials, which I donâÃÂÃÂt do. I also combine the midpanels and that heelpanel with the lines. If you want to colorblock them differently you obviously need to do separate pieces.
Also, on some pieces there will be a backing that extends past the actual material. DonâÃÂÃÂt remove this backing, and cut your pieces the size of the entire thing, it will make your life much easier later.
Now that your base shoe is totally destroyed and you are fully committed to doing this, itâÃÂÃÂs time to cut your new pieces with whatever materials you want. I personally back my material with the old pieces as itâÃÂÃÂs just the most efficient way to back your stuff, and almost all materials need a backing. I use a spray adhesive to glue the old pieces to my materials.
I only back theâÃÂæ core.. pieces. So accents like the swoosh and lacestays are not backed for me. Also if itâÃÂÃÂs an outter piece like the toe caps shown above, after I cut them out, I use an exacto to slice the edges of the og piece off so that they donâÃÂÃÂt show on the finished product. For the liners and swooshes I make a tape stencil to cut them out.
I use an exacto knife to cut out most of my pieces too. Also, lacestays I just tape to my material than cut out and punch holes:
YouâÃÂÃÂre pieces should all be cut now, so youâÃÂÃÂre probably real excited to start putting it all back together.
The first thing you wanna do is take the heel piece, and stitch in those horizontal stitches. Just follow the lines from the og piece, tape em off or put pins through the old holes to give yourself a path if you want.
Next youâÃÂÃÂre gonna want to take the heel flap piece ( I cut the flaps and the piece theyâÃÂÃÂre attached to as oneâÃÂæ Nike doesnâÃÂÃÂt) and back the flap part with something nice so it looks finished. I definitely had to on these because I wrapped the edges and the back looked like hell.
Once this is done you can attach the flap piece to piece with the lines you stitched. Use the old holes on the back to help you line everything up than use your Rhino glue to glue it in place. I stitch the vertical lines that attach the flaps to the midpanels first, than do the lines that run across the back.
Once the flaps are stitched to heel/midpanels, youâÃÂÃÂre ready to attach your swooshes. Use the holes in the back to help you place them, than glue them down and stitch.
After you stitch down your swooshes, do that stitch above the swoosh on the flaps that holds them downâÃÂæ I donâÃÂÃÂt have pics of that, but you should be able to figure it out. Now that your swooshes and flaps are stitched down, youâÃÂÃÂre ready to do the liner. I quilted it for this one, so if you so please, do that now. I spray glue my liners to 1/2 inch of foam than do the quilting. On my machine there is a tiny little ruler thing under the presser foot, so I just do one line, and use that to line up the next one.
Once your done quilting, stitch the liner in. You do this by putting the two sides you want to show together and than stitching across the top, than flipping itâÃÂæ Should look like this before you flip it.
After you have the liner stitched in, glue in your heel counter and the foam that goes around the ankle.
Now flip your liner in, and stitch down the bottom of it. Careful not to stitch too high or the thread might show over the sole, and thatâÃÂÃÂs no good.
Once the bottom is stitched you stitch the sides in. Follow the edge of the flaps where they meet the midpanel to do this. After that, itâÃÂÃÂs time to do the lacestays. Glue them in place than stitch down. Be sure to leave yourself room at the bottom so that your toecaps will fit under. After you stitch down the lacestays, punch your holes all the way through. I always forget to do this till the shoe is put in the sole, and that sucks. DonâÃÂÃÂt forget to do it now.
Once your lacestays are done, itâÃÂÃÂs time to get started on the worst partâÃÂæ aka the toe. To make it easier, I use some pins to go through the old holes, than trace myself a guide for where the stitch should be.
Next you have to zig zag stitch the the toe to the midpanelâÃÂæ sorry this picture is so awful, but you get the idea.
Once thatâÃÂÃÂs done, get your toecap out, and glue it into place. Be real anal about gluing this in too, itâÃÂÃÂll make your life easier when youâÃÂÃÂre trying to stitch. Once itâÃÂÃÂs glued into place, go ahead and finish your stitch on the lacestays. From this point on youâÃÂÃÂre going to have really jam the shoes under the machine to make em fit, especially if youâÃÂÃÂre doing high tops.
Now that itâÃÂÃÂs glued down and your lacestays are complete, stitch your toe.
Now that your upper is done, you can either attach the upper to the sole or make your tongue. I put these in the sole first. To put them in the sole, I glue first, than use an awl to stitch through the midsole.
Sorry I donâÃÂÃÂt have a picture of awling butâÃÂæ Just buy one online and they come with the right needles and instructions on how to use itâÃÂæ ItâÃÂÃÂs real easy.
Now itâÃÂÃÂs time to do the tonguesâÃÂæ Same idea as the liner here, stitch the sides you want to show together. Personally I only do it halfway, than flip and insert foam, than go down the edgesâÃÂæ
Now either glue or awl your tongue into the shoe. For personal pairs I just glue em in, but for clients I stitchâÃÂæ Use rhino glue if your feeling lazy, itâÃÂÃÂs plenty strong.
Now just put your laces in and you have yourself a pair of custom shoes.
CH1CO's recon guide
Ok here is my guide on how to recon a SK-8 hi only using a sewing awl. Its for people that dont have a sewing machine.
So here is a small guide on how to recon a sneaker using the existing base. You will not fully remove the upper from the sole in this guide, instead you will be placing new materials on top of existing panels leaving the factory shape of the shoe. This whole shoe will be sewn by hand and this guide is for people who dont have money to invest into a machine at the moment to use but still want to try and recon a sneaker.
This guide will show you in detail what is done and what tools are needed for a sneaker recon.
Step 1:
Before starting make sure you purchase the below pictured tool,
a) Sewing Awl
b) Exacto knife
c) Scissors
d) V-69 or T-70 Thread and T-90 thread for the upper side stitching and toe stitching
e) E-6000 glue
f) hole puncher
g) Eyelet tool and eyelets
h) masking tape
Purchase a base sneaker
Step 2: Remove part of the midsole "the piping" from the shoe. You have to heat the piping using a blow drier and the slowly pull the piping away from the upper using a butter knife or a similar tool that i have used.
Step 3: Use masking tape to make templates of the pieces you want to change and then place them on the material, after you have done that you will cut out all the templates a little bigger which will allow you to wrap the edges and make the new panels look clean.
Step 4: Start to slowly unstitch all the panels, this can be done using a thread ripper or an exacto knife like i do.
And unstitch the liner but do it carefully because we will reuse it
Step 5: Now that you have all the panels free from the upper and the new panels cut out you will be gluing the panels to the shoe. I use E-6000 glue to glue the panels, i usually start with the middle panels since they are covered by all the other panels.
Step 6: I usually cut out the lace and heel panels a bit larger so i can wrap the edges to give the shoes a clean premium look. Here you can see how i wrapped the edger of the denim to make them look clean and even.
Step 7: After gluing all the panels and wrapping the edges you will glue down the Vans strip logo, try to line them up using pins and then glue them in place.
Step 8: Now that you have glued all the edges down you start to sew the panels down. I first start with the Vans logo. You will need a sewing awl and v-69 or t-70 thread. I usually use a #2 extra fine needle made by AwlForAll or you can purchase heavy duty 16 gauge leather needles.
Step 9: Now we will start to stitch down the heel panel, first add a little glue to the panel and then use pins to line it up properly. The reason i start with the heel panel is because the heel panel has to be sewn down first for the liner to be placed back properly.
Step 10: After sewing down the heel panel we will start to sew back on the liner. After sewing it down we will flip it back over and line it up with the lace holes.
Step 11: Before we stitch the lace panels we will do the 3 line stitching (this is not pictured so sorry bout that)
Now that we have the lace holes lined up and the liner stitched in including the line stitching connecting the liner to the mid panels of the shoe we will start to stitch the lace panels. We will line up the lace holes and secure them using laces and start stitching.
Last step: After you stitch everything down you will have to glue the piping back to the upper, i used Barge Cement to connect the piping to the upper but there is another product names Powerbond that works great for reattaching the piping to the upper.
NOTED: there are a few steps missing such as the stitching of the toe cap stitching and the 3 stitch lines on the mid panels, i missed those steps just cause i was in a hurry trying to finish the kicks but from the above guide you should get the basic idea of how new materials are put on a shoe using the existing upper.
JBF's Guide
Alright, so IâÃÂÃÂm finally doing a âÃÂÃÂHow To Reconstruct a Nike Dunk HighâÃÂàguide for all of you. Dunk lows are VERY similar, and actually easier, so this should work for those too. Before I get into any kind of instruction though, know this: ItâÃÂÃÂs not easy, and you WILL fuck up. Probably a few times. ThereâÃÂÃÂs a chance you might not even be able to wear the first pair of shoes you make (lord knows I couldnâÃÂÃÂt) But donâÃÂÃÂt get discouraged! First try is all about experimenting. Your second pair will be MUCH betterâÃÂæ unless youâÃÂÃÂre stupid and donâÃÂÃÂt pay attention to the mistakes you made the first time and focus on fixing them. But thatâÃÂÃÂs enough of thatâÃÂæ.
First things firstâÃÂæ HereâÃÂÃÂs a list of everything you will need to reconstruct a pair of shoes:
Base Shoes
Acetone, a Dropper and, and a Glass cup to hold it in.
Exacto Knife
Butter Knife
Spray Adhesive
Whatever materials you choose to make your shoes out of
Rhino Glue
Barge Glue
Sewing Maching (I use a Juki DDL 8700-7, but you donâÃÂÃÂt need something that nice to start)
Heavy Duty or Upholstery ThreadâÃÂæ Make sure you use something heavyâÃÂæ The regular stuff is much too weak for shoes
Leather Hole Punch
So the first thing you need to do in order to reconstruct a pair of shoes is take them apart. Pictured below are all the things I use to do this. Acetone, a glass cup, a dropper, an exacto and butter knife, and of course an iPod.
First you need to take out the laces and insoles. Next youâÃÂÃÂre going to cut some stitches on the inside of the shoe. First cut the midsole stitch. You donâÃÂÃÂt need to cut all of em, but the more you can get, the easier it makes it to yank that stitch out. Once you slice those stitches use something to pull the string to the outside of the sole and just pull and cut as needed. Once you cut the Black stitches shown in this picture youâÃÂÃÂre gonna slice the grey ones. Those hold the upper to a plastic foot bed piece that I would recommend not taking out.
Now pour your acetone into the glass cupâÃÂæ not too much, just fill the cup like a 1/2 inch. Than take your dropper and suck up some acetone, than drip it where the sole meets the upper. I do it section by section. I wouldnâÃÂÃÂt try and do more than like 4-5 inches at a time. Once the section is soaked with acetone use a butter knife to help you pry it off. Go slowly if you need to and be sure not to rip your sole. It also helps to drip some acetone into the holes in the midsole where the stitch was.
So now that your uppers are detached, you get to rip them to pieces with an exacto knifeâÃÂæ preettyyyyyy fun. Make sure to have a pen handy so that you can mark whether each piece belongs to the Left or Right shoe. Careful not to destroy your pieces too, itâÃÂÃÂs real easy to accidentally make cuts you donâÃÂÃÂt want toâÃÂæ And hereâÃÂÃÂs a picture of a box full of pieces. Also, when deconstructing, you donâÃÂÃÂt have to take everything apart. Nike splits pieces underneath the swoosh to save materials, which I donâÃÂÃÂt do. I also combine the midpanels and that heelpanel with the lines. If you want to colorblock them differently you obviously need to do separate pieces.
Also, on some pieces there will be a backing that extends past the actual material. DonâÃÂÃÂt remove this backing, and cut your pieces the size of the entire thing, it will make your life much easier later.
Now that your base shoe is totally destroyed and you are fully committed to doing this, itâÃÂÃÂs time to cut your new pieces with whatever materials you want. I personally back my material with the old pieces as itâÃÂÃÂs just the most efficient way to back your stuff, and almost all materials need a backing. I use a spray adhesive to glue the old pieces to my materials.
I only back theâÃÂæ core.. pieces. So accents like the swoosh and lacestays are not backed for me. Also if itâÃÂÃÂs an outter piece like the toe caps shown above, after I cut them out, I use an exacto to slice the edges of the og piece off so that they donâÃÂÃÂt show on the finished product. For the liners and swooshes I make a tape stencil to cut them out.
I use an exacto knife to cut out most of my pieces too. Also, lacestays I just tape to my material than cut out and punch holes:
YouâÃÂÃÂre pieces should all be cut now, so youâÃÂÃÂre probably real excited to start putting it all back together.
The first thing you wanna do is take the heel piece, and stitch in those horizontal stitches. Just follow the lines from the og piece, tape em off or put pins through the old holes to give yourself a path if you want.
Next youâÃÂÃÂre gonna want to take the heel flap piece ( I cut the flaps and the piece theyâÃÂÃÂre attached to as oneâÃÂæ Nike doesnâÃÂÃÂt) and back the flap part with something nice so it looks finished. I definitely had to on these because I wrapped the edges and the back looked like hell.
Once this is done you can attach the flap piece to piece with the lines you stitched. Use the old holes on the back to help you line everything up than use your Rhino glue to glue it in place. I stitch the vertical lines that attach the flaps to the midpanels first, than do the lines that run across the back.
Once the flaps are stitched to heel/midpanels, youâÃÂÃÂre ready to attach your swooshes. Use the holes in the back to help you place them, than glue them down and stitch.
After you stitch down your swooshes, do that stitch above the swoosh on the flaps that holds them downâÃÂæ I donâÃÂÃÂt have pics of that, but you should be able to figure it out. Now that your swooshes and flaps are stitched down, youâÃÂÃÂre ready to do the liner. I quilted it for this one, so if you so please, do that now. I spray glue my liners to 1/2 inch of foam than do the quilting. On my machine there is a tiny little ruler thing under the presser foot, so I just do one line, and use that to line up the next one.
Once your done quilting, stitch the liner in. You do this by putting the two sides you want to show together and than stitching across the top, than flipping itâÃÂæ Should look like this before you flip it.
After you have the liner stitched in, glue in your heel counter and the foam that goes around the ankle.
Now flip your liner in, and stitch down the bottom of it. Careful not to stitch too high or the thread might show over the sole, and thatâÃÂÃÂs no good.
Once the bottom is stitched you stitch the sides in. Follow the edge of the flaps where they meet the midpanel to do this. After that, itâÃÂÃÂs time to do the lacestays. Glue them in place than stitch down. Be sure to leave yourself room at the bottom so that your toecaps will fit under. After you stitch down the lacestays, punch your holes all the way through. I always forget to do this till the shoe is put in the sole, and that sucks. DonâÃÂÃÂt forget to do it now.
Once your lacestays are done, itâÃÂÃÂs time to get started on the worst partâÃÂæ aka the toe. To make it easier, I use some pins to go through the old holes, than trace myself a guide for where the stitch should be.
Next you have to zig zag stitch the the toe to the midpanelâÃÂæ sorry this picture is so awful, but you get the idea.
Once thatâÃÂÃÂs done, get your toecap out, and glue it into place. Be real anal about gluing this in too, itâÃÂÃÂll make your life easier when youâÃÂÃÂre trying to stitch. Once itâÃÂÃÂs glued into place, go ahead and finish your stitch on the lacestays. From this point on youâÃÂÃÂre going to have really jam the shoes under the machine to make em fit, especially if youâÃÂÃÂre doing high tops.
Now that itâÃÂÃÂs glued down and your lacestays are complete, stitch your toe.
Now that your upper is done, you can either attach the upper to the sole or make your tongue. I put these in the sole first. To put them in the sole, I glue first, than use an awl to stitch through the midsole.
Sorry I donâÃÂÃÂt have a picture of awling butâÃÂæ Just buy one online and they come with the right needles and instructions on how to use itâÃÂæ ItâÃÂÃÂs real easy.
Now itâÃÂÃÂs time to do the tonguesâÃÂæ Same idea as the liner here, stitch the sides you want to show together. Personally I only do it halfway, than flip and insert foam, than go down the edgesâÃÂæ
Now either glue or awl your tongue into the shoe. For personal pairs I just glue em in, but for clients I stitchâÃÂæ Use rhino glue if your feeling lazy, itâÃÂÃÂs plenty strong.
Now just put your laces in and you have yourself a pair of custom shoes.
CH1CO's recon guide
Ok here is my guide on how to recon a SK-8 hi only using a sewing awl. Its for people that dont have a sewing machine.
So here is a small guide on how to recon a sneaker using the existing base. You will not fully remove the upper from the sole in this guide, instead you will be placing new materials on top of existing panels leaving the factory shape of the shoe. This whole shoe will be sewn by hand and this guide is for people who dont have money to invest into a machine at the moment to use but still want to try and recon a sneaker.
This guide will show you in detail what is done and what tools are needed for a sneaker recon.
Step 1:
Before starting make sure you purchase the below pictured tool,
a) Sewing Awl
b) Exacto knife
c) Scissors
d) V-69 or T-70 Thread and T-90 thread for the upper side stitching and toe stitching
e) E-6000 glue
f) hole puncher
g) Eyelet tool and eyelets
h) masking tape
Purchase a base sneaker
Step 2: Remove part of the midsole "the piping" from the shoe. You have to heat the piping using a blow drier and the slowly pull the piping away from the upper using a butter knife or a similar tool that i have used.
Step 3: Use masking tape to make templates of the pieces you want to change and then place them on the material, after you have done that you will cut out all the templates a little bigger which will allow you to wrap the edges and make the new panels look clean.
Step 4: Start to slowly unstitch all the panels, this can be done using a thread ripper or an exacto knife like i do.
And unstitch the liner but do it carefully because we will reuse it
Step 5: Now that you have all the panels free from the upper and the new panels cut out you will be gluing the panels to the shoe. I use E-6000 glue to glue the panels, i usually start with the middle panels since they are covered by all the other panels.
Step 6: I usually cut out the lace and heel panels a bit larger so i can wrap the edges to give the shoes a clean premium look. Here you can see how i wrapped the edger of the denim to make them look clean and even.
Step 7: After gluing all the panels and wrapping the edges you will glue down the Vans strip logo, try to line them up using pins and then glue them in place.
Step 8: Now that you have glued all the edges down you start to sew the panels down. I first start with the Vans logo. You will need a sewing awl and v-69 or t-70 thread. I usually use a #2 extra fine needle made by AwlForAll or you can purchase heavy duty 16 gauge leather needles.
Step 9: Now we will start to stitch down the heel panel, first add a little glue to the panel and then use pins to line it up properly. The reason i start with the heel panel is because the heel panel has to be sewn down first for the liner to be placed back properly.
Step 10: After sewing down the heel panel we will start to sew back on the liner. After sewing it down we will flip it back over and line it up with the lace holes.
Step 11: Before we stitch the lace panels we will do the 3 line stitching (this is not pictured so sorry bout that)
Now that we have the lace holes lined up and the liner stitched in including the line stitching connecting the liner to the mid panels of the shoe we will start to stitch the lace panels. We will line up the lace holes and secure them using laces and start stitching.
Last step: After you stitch everything down you will have to glue the piping back to the upper, i used Barge Cement to connect the piping to the upper but there is another product names Powerbond that works great for reattaching the piping to the upper.
NOTED: there are a few steps missing such as the stitching of the toe cap stitching and the 3 stitch lines on the mid panels, i missed those steps just cause i was in a hurry trying to finish the kicks but from the above guide you should get the basic idea of how new materials are put on a shoe using the existing upper.
C2Customs:
Yo Yo Yo, everyones favorite mod is back for a third round. 
Due to the extreme clutter of the board recently, I've created a FAQ to try and cut down on the amount of posts with questions that have been repeatingly answered before.
Any further posts of these questions will be immideately locked.
I tried my best to answer all the questions I could think of, if you feel I missed one, please let me know.
Q:What is the best paint for leather shoes?
A: Angelus leather paint, there is a complete sticky in the forum about this product.
Q: How do people engrave on shoes, such as add gator skin?
A: Woodburing Pen or Soldering Iron. These are widely available online or in arts or crafts stores. Please check eBay, as I bought mine off of there.
Q: How do people add fabric or denim to shoes?
A: Make a stencil by masking off the area with masking tape and cuting it out with an exacto knife to make a precise stencil. Trace onto your fabric, cut out precisely, glue on with fabric glue. (people prefer GOOP)
Q: How do people add lettering to shoes?
A: Vinyl letter stickers are available at any arts and crafts store. Lay down your desired base coat for the color of the lettering, lay down your stickers, add you second color direclty over the stickers, remove carefully.
Q: Can you paint midsoles? If so is there any suggested paint?
A: Yes you can paint midsoles, but they WILL crack over time. At this point there is no perfect paint for midsoles but people are experimenting.
Q: How do you change the color of suede?
A: Angelus leather dye works best, but must be applied with extreme caution as it will bleed.
Q: How do people make such clean edges/designs?
A: Most people have developed enough skill through practice to creat clean designs by hand. This will take time! However, people can mask to achieve straight lines or edges.
Q: How do you make camo, elephant print, safari, etc...
A: Search google for images of samples that have been produced. Lay down your base coat color and add your secondary or third colors on top.
Q: How do I add images on fabric to my customs?
A: Paper that can be printed directly through an inkjet printer.(Iron on transfers) This can be purchased online or at office supplies stores. Print your image on the paper, iron onto your fabric, then cut and glue onto your shoes.
Q: What do Angelus Paint Dullers and Varnishes do?
A: Paint duller can be added directly to your paint to deminish the gloss it comes with and accomplishes a factory produced look. Varnishes can be added after you are done painting to add a glossy/shiny look to your paint to accomplish a patent leather look.
Q: How do I get glow in the dark paint?
A: Buy glow in the dark pigment powwder made for acrylic paints and add it to Angelus Neutral leather paint. This powder is available certain places online.
Q: What should I use to prepare the shoes and how do I know if they are prepared correctly?
A: Pure acetone is the strongest and most effective way to remove factory finishes for the best results in customizing. I personally use cotton balls for larger areas and cotton q-tips for smaller areas that are dipped in acetone to prepare my customs. Apply a good amount of pressure and scrub, but not so hard that you remove the texture of the leather. Some people believe you must make the leather turn grey for it to be prepared, but aslong as the finish is off, you're good to go.
Q: How do I make my own shirts?
A: Some people hand paint their shirts, other use iron on transfer paper, and the rich folks have screenprinted or silkscreeners.
Q: How do you change the color of the inside of shoes?
A: If mesh like on many AF1s, you may paint it with acrylic paint, but it will become stiff. If leather, paint it like any other leather part of the shoe with proper preparation.
Q: How do I achieve a fade effect? (i.e. Haze Dunks)
A: Airbrushing, experiment, basic common knowledge to most so I won't go in detail.
Q: Is shoe wax/water repellant needed to be applied after finishing a custom?
A: No, angelus paint is water proff, but it doesn't hurt, just dont spray on too much.
Q: How do I achieve fine detail/small thin lines?
A: Using a brush that comes to a small point and applying barely any pressure can get you those perfect details.
Q: Is createx a usable paint for customizing shoes?
A: I've heard it is and it isn't. I have never used it and I see no reason why anyone would becasue angelus works just fine.
Q: Can I throw my shoes in a washing machine to clean them/white up the mesh?
A: I have heard of great stories and horror stories from this. I reccommend against it as the mositure that will be left in the shoes will deterioate the soles. As for how clean you shoes get, don't expect miracles. Be sure to add the proper detergent and put the shoes in separate pillow cases.
Q: Will customs with printed canvas on them last through wear in the rain, snow, etc.?
A: If you follow the correct proceedures, even ironed on canvas should last because they are made to even go through the washing machine with no bleeding.
Q: How do I make canvas customs?
A: Quoted from Chameleon: Grab a sewing machine, thread, fabric, masking tape, exacto knife, glue and some beers and you too can have some awesome looking customs in just 10 easy steps.
I reccomend using exacto knife or fabric scissors (not the dull things you cut paper with)
I reccomend using Shoe Goo
I reccomend staying away from Liquid Stitch
I reccomend Coronas
1. Lay the masking tape down on the section(s) you want covered by the fabric.
2. Cut the section out on the masking tape with the exacto knife (duh).
3. Place the cut out section onto the fabric.
4. Cut out the template with an exacto knife, or if you like trace it out with a pen and cut it out with some sharp fabric scissors (dont cut exactly on the border, its better to cut a bit bigger incase you make a mistake, you can always clean things up, but you can go back an add fabric) Also, if your sewing more than 1 panel together, leave about 1/2 inch or so so the seams will look clean (explain later.)
5. Lay the fabric up against the shoe, get your piccaso on. If everything matches up against the shoe then go onto the next step, if not, this is the time to get everything perfect. Use the scissors to clean up all the edges.
6a. Single Panel : Take a pencil and simple trace out where you want the stiching to be. Now, go over it with the sewing machine. Please note, if your doing any part of the shoe that touches the midsole, dont sew there, as there is no stiching along that side.
6b. Multiple Panels : A bit harder than if using a single panel. If you want all your panels to seamlessly blend, then flip your fabric over and sew all the joining seams. (All of this stitching will be on the inside and thus will make all the seams on the shoe "invisible" just like all the seams on a...*looks around*...pillow case). But wait, your not done. You still have to do step 6a now!
ALSO. In step 6b. you can add additional stitching. I cant remember which customizer did but it was their "jack the ripper" customs and they had red stiching crossing the toe box, so if you were wondering how to do that, this is where you would.
7. Apply a thin layer of glue to the shoe, and also to the inside of the fabric, use a paintbrush or something of the sort to spead it around. Dont add too much glue though, depending on the fabic, it may cause the colours to bleed. Make sure everything is set right.
8. Watch tv. (yes, this is a step. The step isnt, watch the shoes while the glue dries, or poke the shoes and move the panels around. Trying to get things perfect usually means you messing thngs up and having to start over. If you must watch the shoes, at least grab a damp paper towl and wipe the excess glue off.) If you see parts where its uneven, wait till its dry. Its much easier to cut when its dry and stiff.
9. Once its dried go over and make sure everything looks just right. Pull out the exacto knife again. Make sure everything is clean and there are no threads sticking out. Dont go overboard though.
10. Mail me the beers.
Q:How do I paint the "Nike Air" stitching on the back of Air Force Ones?
A: Use a fine tiped brush and apply the paint thinly. Take your time!
Q: How can I avoid leaving burn marks in the leather?
A: Since it is a woodBURNING pen, it will leave dark burn lines on certain shoes and colors. If you want to get rid of these, paint over them with the same color.
Q: How do I make custom tags like Nikes?
A: Ask your local embroidey shop for an estimate of prices and what can be done. Some screenprinters also do this...
Q: Where can you buy Goop (the glue)?
A: I personally go to a store called JoAnns Fabrics, Ive heard of people going to other arts and cratfs stores such as Micheals for things such as goop also.
Q: Who on ISS airbrushes?
A: C2, Retro!nk, EL, Gambino, Jor1, just to name a few that come to my mind first.
Q: Where can I find silica packets to buy?
A: Google Search...
Q: How do I make the splatter effect?
A: Mask off anywhere you dont want paint to be. Then there are several ways to apply the splatter, some drop it from brushes at a high point and let gravity to the work. Some people goop in on their brushes and flick or throw it at the shoes. Some also blow the paint out of a straw to get the job done.
Q: When to add varnish/gloss/waterproofer?
A: Anytime after your paint has dried.
Q: Will shoe polish come off in the rain/snow?
A: Check the label to see if it is waterproof, if not, add waterproofer.
Q: How do I paint patent leather?
A: I myself have never heard a solid fool proof way yet. Anyone got one, feel free to let me know, if not, I would reccomment not painting it.
Q: Where can I purchase Carbon Fiber?
A: It is available online in many stores, eBay, and some people have said they found it at local craft stores.
Q: Where can I buy Nike SB Laces?
A: I know for sure one seller on eBay that always had some available with BIN.
Q: How deep do I burn when trying to make gator/elephant print?
A: Quoted By Chameleon:
"To start off with, there is no answer. There is no measurement or depth gage for you to go by. There are no standards. No color markers or changes in the smell of the burning leather. If the alligator skin is done properly, it should not be even. Much like real alligator skin it should not compltely symmertical. There are highs and lows in the grain. To use the coin term "scales" loosely, there should not be in a uniform pattern. Experiment with it. That could quite possibly be the best info you could get regarding the croc pattern.
With that said, there are many customs ive seen out there that have a simple checker board pattern that looks very unauthentic. For that, press the hot woodburning pen into the leather and drag it in a slow, straight, steady line. Repeat if necessary. "
Q: How do I mask off the areas to make my stencils/templates for fabric customs?
A: I prefer to use the wide tape, overlap as much as need to sufficiently cover the whole area of the place you are trying to make a stencil/template. The press down the edges with a thumbnail to get them clean and crisp before you cut. Then take your exacto knife and carefully cut away the excess material, leaving you with a perfect template.
I believe this is sufficient for now, not too in depth, but the amount of useless posts in this forum was becoming rediculous.
Let the clean out begin...
Your welcome,
C2 and Chameleon (Keep up the good stuff!)
Due to the extreme clutter of the board recently, I've created a FAQ to try and cut down on the amount of posts with questions that have been repeatingly answered before.
Any further posts of these questions will be immideately locked.
I tried my best to answer all the questions I could think of, if you feel I missed one, please let me know.
Q:What is the best paint for leather shoes?
A: Angelus leather paint, there is a complete sticky in the forum about this product.
Q: How do people engrave on shoes, such as add gator skin?
A: Woodburing Pen or Soldering Iron. These are widely available online or in arts or crafts stores. Please check eBay, as I bought mine off of there.
Q: How do people add fabric or denim to shoes?
A: Make a stencil by masking off the area with masking tape and cuting it out with an exacto knife to make a precise stencil. Trace onto your fabric, cut out precisely, glue on with fabric glue. (people prefer GOOP)
Q: How do people add lettering to shoes?
A: Vinyl letter stickers are available at any arts and crafts store. Lay down your desired base coat for the color of the lettering, lay down your stickers, add you second color direclty over the stickers, remove carefully.
Q: Can you paint midsoles? If so is there any suggested paint?
A: Yes you can paint midsoles, but they WILL crack over time. At this point there is no perfect paint for midsoles but people are experimenting.
Q: How do you change the color of suede?
A: Angelus leather dye works best, but must be applied with extreme caution as it will bleed.
Q: How do people make such clean edges/designs?
A: Most people have developed enough skill through practice to creat clean designs by hand. This will take time! However, people can mask to achieve straight lines or edges.
Q: How do you make camo, elephant print, safari, etc...
A: Search google for images of samples that have been produced. Lay down your base coat color and add your secondary or third colors on top.
Q: How do I add images on fabric to my customs?
A: Paper that can be printed directly through an inkjet printer.(Iron on transfers) This can be purchased online or at office supplies stores. Print your image on the paper, iron onto your fabric, then cut and glue onto your shoes.
Q: What do Angelus Paint Dullers and Varnishes do?
A: Paint duller can be added directly to your paint to deminish the gloss it comes with and accomplishes a factory produced look. Varnishes can be added after you are done painting to add a glossy/shiny look to your paint to accomplish a patent leather look.
Q: How do I get glow in the dark paint?
A: Buy glow in the dark pigment powwder made for acrylic paints and add it to Angelus Neutral leather paint. This powder is available certain places online.
Q: What should I use to prepare the shoes and how do I know if they are prepared correctly?
A: Pure acetone is the strongest and most effective way to remove factory finishes for the best results in customizing. I personally use cotton balls for larger areas and cotton q-tips for smaller areas that are dipped in acetone to prepare my customs. Apply a good amount of pressure and scrub, but not so hard that you remove the texture of the leather. Some people believe you must make the leather turn grey for it to be prepared, but aslong as the finish is off, you're good to go.
Q: How do I make my own shirts?
A: Some people hand paint their shirts, other use iron on transfer paper, and the rich folks have screenprinted or silkscreeners.
Q: How do you change the color of the inside of shoes?
A: If mesh like on many AF1s, you may paint it with acrylic paint, but it will become stiff. If leather, paint it like any other leather part of the shoe with proper preparation.
Q: How do I achieve a fade effect? (i.e. Haze Dunks)
A: Airbrushing, experiment, basic common knowledge to most so I won't go in detail.
Q: Is shoe wax/water repellant needed to be applied after finishing a custom?
A: No, angelus paint is water proff, but it doesn't hurt, just dont spray on too much.
Q: How do I achieve fine detail/small thin lines?
A: Using a brush that comes to a small point and applying barely any pressure can get you those perfect details.
Q: Is createx a usable paint for customizing shoes?
A: I've heard it is and it isn't. I have never used it and I see no reason why anyone would becasue angelus works just fine.
Q: Can I throw my shoes in a washing machine to clean them/white up the mesh?
A: I have heard of great stories and horror stories from this. I reccommend against it as the mositure that will be left in the shoes will deterioate the soles. As for how clean you shoes get, don't expect miracles. Be sure to add the proper detergent and put the shoes in separate pillow cases.
Q: Will customs with printed canvas on them last through wear in the rain, snow, etc.?
A: If you follow the correct proceedures, even ironed on canvas should last because they are made to even go through the washing machine with no bleeding.
Q: How do I make canvas customs?
A: Quoted from Chameleon: Grab a sewing machine, thread, fabric, masking tape, exacto knife, glue and some beers and you too can have some awesome looking customs in just 10 easy steps.
I reccomend using exacto knife or fabric scissors (not the dull things you cut paper with)
I reccomend using Shoe Goo
I reccomend staying away from Liquid Stitch
I reccomend Coronas
1. Lay the masking tape down on the section(s) you want covered by the fabric.
2. Cut the section out on the masking tape with the exacto knife (duh).
3. Place the cut out section onto the fabric.
4. Cut out the template with an exacto knife, or if you like trace it out with a pen and cut it out with some sharp fabric scissors (dont cut exactly on the border, its better to cut a bit bigger incase you make a mistake, you can always clean things up, but you can go back an add fabric) Also, if your sewing more than 1 panel together, leave about 1/2 inch or so so the seams will look clean (explain later.)
5. Lay the fabric up against the shoe, get your piccaso on. If everything matches up against the shoe then go onto the next step, if not, this is the time to get everything perfect. Use the scissors to clean up all the edges.
6a. Single Panel : Take a pencil and simple trace out where you want the stiching to be. Now, go over it with the sewing machine. Please note, if your doing any part of the shoe that touches the midsole, dont sew there, as there is no stiching along that side.
6b. Multiple Panels : A bit harder than if using a single panel. If you want all your panels to seamlessly blend, then flip your fabric over and sew all the joining seams. (All of this stitching will be on the inside and thus will make all the seams on the shoe "invisible" just like all the seams on a...*looks around*...pillow case). But wait, your not done. You still have to do step 6a now!
ALSO. In step 6b. you can add additional stitching. I cant remember which customizer did but it was their "jack the ripper" customs and they had red stiching crossing the toe box, so if you were wondering how to do that, this is where you would.
7. Apply a thin layer of glue to the shoe, and also to the inside of the fabric, use a paintbrush or something of the sort to spead it around. Dont add too much glue though, depending on the fabic, it may cause the colours to bleed. Make sure everything is set right.
8. Watch tv. (yes, this is a step. The step isnt, watch the shoes while the glue dries, or poke the shoes and move the panels around. Trying to get things perfect usually means you messing thngs up and having to start over. If you must watch the shoes, at least grab a damp paper towl and wipe the excess glue off.) If you see parts where its uneven, wait till its dry. Its much easier to cut when its dry and stiff.
9. Once its dried go over and make sure everything looks just right. Pull out the exacto knife again. Make sure everything is clean and there are no threads sticking out. Dont go overboard though.
10. Mail me the beers.
Q:How do I paint the "Nike Air" stitching on the back of Air Force Ones?
A: Use a fine tiped brush and apply the paint thinly. Take your time!
Q: How can I avoid leaving burn marks in the leather?
A: Since it is a woodBURNING pen, it will leave dark burn lines on certain shoes and colors. If you want to get rid of these, paint over them with the same color.
Q: How do I make custom tags like Nikes?
A: Ask your local embroidey shop for an estimate of prices and what can be done. Some screenprinters also do this...
Q: Where can you buy Goop (the glue)?
A: I personally go to a store called JoAnns Fabrics, Ive heard of people going to other arts and cratfs stores such as Micheals for things such as goop also.
Q: Who on ISS airbrushes?
A: C2, Retro!nk, EL, Gambino, Jor1, just to name a few that come to my mind first.
Q: Where can I find silica packets to buy?
A: Google Search...
Q: How do I make the splatter effect?
A: Mask off anywhere you dont want paint to be. Then there are several ways to apply the splatter, some drop it from brushes at a high point and let gravity to the work. Some people goop in on their brushes and flick or throw it at the shoes. Some also blow the paint out of a straw to get the job done.
Q: When to add varnish/gloss/waterproofer?
A: Anytime after your paint has dried.
Q: Will shoe polish come off in the rain/snow?
A: Check the label to see if it is waterproof, if not, add waterproofer.
Q: How do I paint patent leather?
A: I myself have never heard a solid fool proof way yet. Anyone got one, feel free to let me know, if not, I would reccomment not painting it.
Q: Where can I purchase Carbon Fiber?
A: It is available online in many stores, eBay, and some people have said they found it at local craft stores.
Q: Where can I buy Nike SB Laces?
A: I know for sure one seller on eBay that always had some available with BIN.
Q: How deep do I burn when trying to make gator/elephant print?
A: Quoted By Chameleon:
"To start off with, there is no answer. There is no measurement or depth gage for you to go by. There are no standards. No color markers or changes in the smell of the burning leather. If the alligator skin is done properly, it should not be even. Much like real alligator skin it should not compltely symmertical. There are highs and lows in the grain. To use the coin term "scales" loosely, there should not be in a uniform pattern. Experiment with it. That could quite possibly be the best info you could get regarding the croc pattern.
With that said, there are many customs ive seen out there that have a simple checker board pattern that looks very unauthentic. For that, press the hot woodburning pen into the leather and drag it in a slow, straight, steady line. Repeat if necessary. "
Q: How do I mask off the areas to make my stencils/templates for fabric customs?
A: I prefer to use the wide tape, overlap as much as need to sufficiently cover the whole area of the place you are trying to make a stencil/template. The press down the edges with a thumbnail to get them clean and crisp before you cut. Then take your exacto knife and carefully cut away the excess material, leaving you with a perfect template.
I believe this is sufficient for now, not too in depth, but the amount of useless posts in this forum was becoming rediculous.
Let the clean out begin...
Your welcome,
C2 and Chameleon (Keep up the good stuff!)
My Quest for the BEST Burgers!!
Team ..... = Forum Reject
A lot of people never use their initiative because no one ever told them to
Everyone repeat after me - BAAAAAAAAAAAH
Team ..... = Forum Reject
A lot of people never use their initiative because no one ever told them to
Everyone repeat after me - BAAAAAAAAAAAH
Last edited on 16th August 2011 14:21 edited 5 times in total
