Handpainted diy wedding shoes
Fashion Porn
By
on March 03, 2009
30 Responses
Inspired by a pair of wedding shoes that didn't fit, Offbeat Bride reader Sophomania mused, "Vegan footwear is not only hard to find but expensive. But hey, I am a crafty bitch! I might as well DIY it!" So she took a pair of cheap non-leather pumps from Pay-Less and painted them freehand. The results are stunning:
About Ariel Meadow Stallings
Author of Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides, Ariel acts as the publisher of all the Offbeat Empire websites. She lives, loves, and dorks out hard in Seattle, WA.
mel said
These are great! What type of paint did you use? And did you use an acrylic sealer when you were finished? Just curious. Awesome job!!!
amber said
Yes I love these! I would also like to know what kind of paint was used. Crafty vegans attack.
Amanda said
Gorgeous! My husband (we're still getting weddinged) paints sneakers and pumps for a living… There is a company called Angelus that he has found (after much trial and error) that works the best for longevity and yes they have a sealer. I'm pretty sure you can google them and find a place to buy it. I know I can't pimp his wears here, but if your not a DIY type and you want to see his work shoot me an email.
LJ said
Amanda, is angelus paint good to use on satin shoes?
Amanda said
whoops forgot my URL, now you can get a hold of me if you have any other questions about painting shoes.
jx said
freaking AWESOME!
if I could paint like that, everything I own would have beautiful designs.
well done!
Amy said
Um wow. Seriously. Wow.
Samantha B said
Whoa! Those are INCREDIBLE! …I'm sensing an Etsy shop in Sophomania's future… And I'd love to be the first customer!
Ashley said
These shoes are beautiful!
I recently found another great vegan shoe at www.mohop.com – they definitely fall into the "expensive" category, but they are also very re-wearable.
Sabrina said
Go Sophomania! Beautiful shoes and good on you for getting crafty!
un-bride said
Those. Are. FAB.
Hibryd said
Oh, my god, that's just brilliant! I am so stealing this idea!
Please please please let me know what you used to make them! My painting experience is limited to oils.
Dabney said
HOT!!! i don't have talent for painting , but i did fing some feathers. And I am handy with a glue gun!
Sara said
Wow! I might just put my fiance's artistic skills to work and create a mini-shoe shop in our apartment for my wedding shoes!
Barb said
Those are absolutely unbelievable! I mean wow, wow, wow! You need to consider this as a job.
Would love to see the dress that went with those great shoes.
Stephanie said
Absolutely fabulous!! I also would like to know more about the paint/sealer/etc. used.
Jacqi said
Wow, you did a great job!
BTW, where where the first shoes from? I'd love to get those floral mary-janes!!
isidri said
Whoa! I'm not a gal who drools over shoes, but those red babies are giving me some serious shoe-lust.
Sophomania said
Wow! I feel really honor to be featured on the blog.
Thanks everyone for all the great comments!
I made this first pair with spray paint and paint pens.
Unfortunately, the paint cracked making the shoes a one-time-wear thing. So I reached out the the OBT community to find more flexible paint for shoes.
I can't wait to experiment further to see if I can find a way to get the look I want with some level of durability.
However, being a Grad student I have not found the time or the money to branch out!
Oh, and the Floral mary-janes are from chinese laundry. I found them on vegan chic, but I don't think they are still available.
Lisa said
Those are amazing. Wish I had those skills!
Anonymous said
Love how original the DIY wedding shoes are! Can't believe even the shoes can be so unique!
Autumn said
Unreal. The artist is super talented! Makes me want to bust out the paintbrushes!
Lani said
Love it!! So cool!!
kelley said
This is the coolest idea. They came out great!!!
I wish I was artistic!
missbhavens said
I've never been so sad to have NO skills!!
Those are fantastic!
Caroline said
These are adorable! I love them! It adds a very nice touch!