Painting on shoes or sneakers

What is needed?

First of all you will need a pair of shoes that you want to refresh or give a new look. If you choose sneakers in a lighter colour the result will be more distinct. Found a pair? Then it is time to choose pens. Down below we will mention some markers that are suitable for painting on shoes that are made of fabric or leather. Choose the kind of pen that fits your project the best, the more colours the merrier! We have many well-known favorites in our assortment, Sharpie, Pintor and Posca, to name some of them. Some of our marker pens are alcohol based which means that they are more transparent than others.

Sharpie

Sharpie can be used on almost any surface and is alcohol based. This american classic is available in many shapes and sizes. A very handy marker that you can use on fabric or leather without having to do something else to make it permanent, the pen is permanent in itself. The colour will become a bit transparent, but you can solve that by applying several layers.

Posca

Posca is an opaque marker that will work on most surfaces. If you want to make the colour permanent on fabric you can either iron it (without steam) from the other side or blow with a hair dryer 30 cm from the fabric with circular motions. If you have painted with Posca on shoes made of leather you can set your creation by spraying water-based varnish on it. Do not forget to clean the surface before you start painting, by drying it with a damp cloth or brushing off dirt.

PILOT

The ultimate DIY-marker! Let your creativity flow with Pilot Pintor. This marker is perfect for all your creative projects. You can do everything with this pen: draw, colour and write. Pintor works great on most fabric and leather. If you want to fix your drawings it is the same procedure as with Posca, on both fabric and leather. Pintor is available in 24 vivid colours: 6 pastel colours, 6 metallic colours and 12 base colours.

Step 1: Preparations

Start by sketching patterns, text or any other motif of your choice on a piece of paper, to minimize the risk of making mistakes directly on the shoe. Let this step take the time you need. Reflect on what colours and patterns that you like, the shape of your shoes and how your creation would look like on the shoes. Collect inspiration from your clothing and your favorite accessories. Choose the design that fits your style. If you lack ideas we have some suggestions for you:

Patterns

Explore different shapes, swirls or flower patterns, and do not limit yourself. To create patterns in different styles is a therapeutic activity, but also easy to succeed with. Be inspired by your surroundings, patterns are everywhere.

A personal favorite

Paint your favorite fictional character! Either from the tv-series that you watch all the time or the movie that you can not get enough of. Maybe the logo of the sports team that you love is another good alternative? What kind of music do you like and what is your favorite band or artist? Maybe you can find an attribute from there that you like.

Step 2: Sketch with a pencil

Transfer your design from the piece of paper to your shoes. Make sure to use a pencil, if you make a mistake you can erase it and start over. The looser you draw, the easier it will be to erase. As a suggestion you can choose a pen with a softer lead, for example 2B, then you do not have to push it too much onto the surface.

Step 3: Use your markers

Now it is time for the most fun part! Use the markers that you have chosen and start to colour your creation. If you want the contours to stick out, make sure to choose a black marker, like Sharpie Fine tip for example. Experiment with different nib sizes for a more dynamic artwork. Choose between a lot of different colours and sizes from Sharpie, Posca or Pintor to give your design life.

Finished!

As simple as that, you will have given last year's worn out sneakers new life. We would love to see what you have created! Make sure to tag your picture with #penstore on Instagram in order for us to see it.