Kids want custom shoes too! Whether based on their favorite tv show or the latest trending movie, the kiddos enjoy custom shoes just as much as their grown up counterparts. Learn to make custom kicks for your own kids (or your smallest clients) as Sophie walks you through the steps from A-Z, including her favorite method for mixing paints to match your mockups colors.
Creating a mockup is the perfect way to see how your customs will look before getting started. Download Free Templates Here! Once you have selected your color, you can actually use Photoshops color picker to help you mix your colors.
First find your closest color out of the bottle as a starting point. Then use the vertical on the slider to the right to help you dial in the color. For example, in the right photo below, you can see that the vertical slider to the fight of the color box tells us that this specific pink we have selected is more of a Pink/Red than a Pink/Purple. This can be super helpful!
Then look at the large box on the left in this same pink example we can see that the color selected is closer to the left side of the box, meaning we may want to add some white to lighten up the color. It is also moved slightly down from the top of the box, meaning we may want to use some grey to desaturate the color. If the color selected was all the ways to the right and down, we would want to add some black to darken it.
When the time comes to mix your colors, if you have white in your mixture, start with the white as a base, otherwise you may end up wasting paint.
When the time comes to mix your colors, if you have white in your mixture, start with the white as a base, otherwise you may end up wasting paint. You can see the examples below which showcase starting with White, then adding our color, then desaturating/darkening the colors with a drop of Gray. Be careful with Grays and Blacks as they are very powerful and can quickly overtake you mixture!
Time to work on the shoe! Make sure you prep the shoe before painting to remove the factory finish so that the paint can properly adhere. To do this, do 3-5 passes with Angelus Leather Preparer & Deglazer or acetone. A light sanding with high grit sandpaper also works great instead or in addition. Then apply your colors and designs with 3-5 layers of Paint. After painting, you can use a finisher for some extra protection, we recommend our 4-Coat!
Add some sparkle with rhinestones! Use a clear adhesive on the area which you wish to make shin. Then use a dull colored pencil to easily pick of the rhinestones and place the down on the glue. Be sure to apply pressure afterwards!
There you have it! Custom shoes that might make all your little ones friends just a tad jealous. 😅
