If your favorite pair of shoes has lost its presentable appearance over time, you shouldn’t rush to get rid of it. You can give old shoes new life with paint. Or you can get a completely new pair, giving the product a different shade. After all, modern fashion is very democratic, all bright colors and prints are in trend.
Is it possible to dye shoes a different color at home?
If there is a need to return old shoes to their former bright and rich shade or completely change the original color, it is not at all necessary to turn to professionals for this.
This process can be done independently at home. This is a completely simple and inexpensive way to give new life to old shoes.
You just need to follow a certain sequence of actions and adhere to the recommendations below.
Recommendations for different types of shoes
To paint shoes it must be prepared accordingly. Products made from leather, nubuck, rubber, suede and fabric are prepared for painting in different ways.
Leather
Leather shoes must be prepared as carefully as possible for a procedure of this kind. To do this you need:
- Clean shoes from dirt and dust, due to which the paint will not be able to adhere firmly enough to the surface of the products. It is necessary not only to wash the products with soapy water, but also to thoroughly remove any remaining cream.
- You can use special compositions for cleaning (Tarrago Color Dye Kit, Saphir Renomat or Saphir Decapant), which are sometimes sold complete with the corresponding paint, but sometimes separately.
- If the products have scuffs and scratches, they must be covered with a special compound, wait for it to dry completely and only then proceed to the next stage. This is necessary because paint will not cover such flaws, it can only fill them slightly.
For coloring, it is recommended to use professional products that have already proven themselves well. Similar compositions include: Tarrago Color Dye Kit, Saphir Dye Teinture Francaise and Tarrago Quick Color.
Important! Painting such products should be carried out in a well-ventilated area, since the paint has a rather pungent odor.
The process of painting leather shoes:
- The floor should be covered with unnecessary newspapers and shoes should be placed on them.
- The paint should be rubbed into an even layer in a circular motion onto the surface of the product. It is better to use a sponge to apply paint. Maximum attention should be paid to the seams.
- After the surface is completely painted, you need to leave the product to dry for about 15 hours. A water-repellent agent must be applied to the material.
Nubuck and suede
Preparatory process consists of the following steps:
- Using a special brush, it is necessary to remove dust and dirt from the surface of the product, which significantly interfere with adhesion.
- Then you need to carefully remove the remaining cream and silicone containing impregnations. To do this, it is recommended to use a stiff brush and laundry soap.
- After this, the surface of the products should be cleaned with a special product, which is included in the painting kit.
After the products are completely dry, you can begin painting. The best products for coloring nubuck and suede models are: Prestige Rinnovatore, Platinum, Silver and MIDA.
Advice! When painting nubuck products, do not spray the paint too close to the surface. In this case, the color may turn out unnatural.
To repaint white shoes a different color you need to:
- Wear protective gloves and a respirator and shake the aerosol can of paint well before use.
- The floor should be covered with unnecessary newspapers and products should be placed on them. Then spray the paint onto the surface in an even, thin layer, holding the can at a distance of 20 cm from the shoes. If a liquid mixture is used, apply the product with a soft, fine-pored sponge in a circular motion.
- It is necessary to carefully work all the seams, avoiding missed areas.
After this product you need leave for a day in a well-ventilated areaso that the paint can be fully absorbed into the material.
Fabric shoes
Before dyeing, fabric items must be cleaned as thoroughly as possible. Since such models are not afraid of soap and water, they can be soaked in a bucket of dishwashing detergent diluted in water and scrubbed off with a stiff brush.Soaking must be done carefully so as not to damage the adhesive composition.
For whitening soles You can use repeatedly proven folk remedies: hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, mustard, toothpaste and an old toothbrush.
You can wash these shoes in the washing machine. Sneakers should be washed at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees. In this case, you need to turn off the spin and turn on the additional rinse.
It is better to paint such products with acrylic paint.
Dyeing process:
- It is necessary to remove the laces and lubricate the sole of the sneakers with a thick layer of Vaseline.
- Acrylic paint must be diluted with water according to the instructions. To ensure that the paint is well absorbed into the fabric, you need to add salt to it while wearing gloves.
- You should take the sneakers by the sole and dip the fabric part into the prepared solution. If desired, you can paint with a brush, dipping it into the solution.
- Painted products must be left until completely dry, after which a second coat of paint can be applied if necessary.
- After drying, remove any remaining Vaseline from the sole using baking soda or dishwashing detergent.
Rubber
To prepare such shoes for dyeing, you need to do the following:
- Wash the products thoroughly. Rubber models can be safely washed with shampoo, dishwashing detergent and other similar products.
- After complete drying, the shoes must be degreased with ammonia or medical alcohol.
Important! Nail polish remover is not suitable for this purpose, because acetone corrodes the paint.
To paint such shoes, you can use acrylic paint, enamel paint, or another option suitable for rubber. It will not be possible to completely renew rubber shoes at home.
To solve the problem, you can use decoration. You need to purchase stencils with any patterns in the store and use them to disguise scuffs and damage. These shoes usually take 2-3 days to dry after painting.
Advice! You can use nail polish and paint something on the area that needs updating, choosing a suitable shade.
Dyeing such products yourself will not require a lot of time and will allow you to extend the life of your favorite pair of shoes for another couple of seasons.