Do you want to revitalize your old pair of shoes? Well, it is always easy to vamp up the old pair by painting than to buy a new pair. But painting experience on a shoe is horrible with cracks on it. Then the most common question that peeps through your mind is how to prevent acrylic paint from cracking on shoes?
You can surprise your friend with an uncommon pair of shoes by customizing it by painting. Painting your shoe gives your shoe an artistic look, makes it fancier and expensive.
The appearance of cracks is ubiquitous on painted shoes. Damages are predominant in the areas where the shoe flexes more. Do not worry. We have described the whole process to prevent acrylic paint from cracking on shoes in a nutshell for your easy application.
Why Did the Paint on My Snicker Cracks?
The colour of the shoes usually fades after multiple uses. Painting vamps the old one. But cracks are easy to appear on the boots because-
- A heavyweight on the midsole.
- The thin insole is unable to distribute the weight uniformly.
- I am painting by mixing the colors of a different brand.
- Accidental scratches are from the rough and uneven surfaces.
- Blow drying the paint reduces the moisture and results in cracking.
- Cracks occur in the toe area due to repetitive flexion.
So, have you ever thought to find the reason behind cracks on your shoe before searching the solution?
How Can You Avoid Acrylic Paint From Cracking on Your Shoes?
Do you like your sport’s team shoe to be different from others? Or are you curious to paint the old shoe after watching the DIY crafters on YouTube? Then follow the steps below to get a perfect crack-free finish.
Essential ingredients
- Selected shoe
- Cleaning cloth
- Acrylic paint
- Fabric paint
- Acrylic paint sealing spray
- Broad- bristled brush and a fine- bristled brush.
- Newspaper
- Leather preparer and Deglazer
- Leather approved acrylic finisher
- Sponge brush
- Leather shoe cream
- Leather polish.
Preparation of the shoe
The first-&-foremost duty is to select a pair of the shoe—old shoes required to cleansing before revamping.
- Cleaning:
Wash the dirty pair of shoes with soap. Let the air gently dry the shoe. Sometimes alcohol can be used for cleaning but make sure that it does not wet the shoe.
Rub fine grade sandpaper in small circles on a leather shoe in advance. Otherwise, you won’t get an actual appearance after painting.
- Outline the design:
When the shoes are clean and nicely dried, outline your desired design with a relatively light pencil. The marking should be so weak that they are not noticeable under light paint. Finalize the outline with a marker.
- Cover the sole and inner surface of the shoe:
Take a newspaper and cut it accordingly. Now, using a tape cover the inner surface and sole of the shoe where you do not intend to give color. The scotch tape also holds the shape of the shoe while painting.
- Cover the workplace with the newspaper:
Find a steady, flat table before painting and cover it with newspaper. Paper prevents the paint to spread on the surrounding and protects your furniture.
Which type of color will you select?
There are varieties of colors in the market. But the selection of color depends on the quality of the shoe, texture of the cloth, and expense. So here are some suggestions for paint for different types of shoes-
- Acrylic paint:
Acrylic paint is famous among the crafter for painting.
The reasons are:
- They are bright and vibrant than watercolor.
- Crafters can mix water with them to subdue the effect.
- Less expensive.
- Non-toxic.
- Works best even with cheap brushes
- The liquid in nature.
- Dries quickly
- Leather paint:
This paint is suitable for leather or vinyl shoe. They are available in any local craft store. But this paint works best when you intent to cover the whole shoe with a single color.
- Fabric paint:
Fabric paint is suitable for cloth shoes. It is also a type of fabric painting. This color has a wide variety even enriched with glitter options.
- Markers:
Paint markers have usage for detailed design. Be it super thick or super skinny? Which one do you need? All tip sizes are readily available in any craft shop.
Well, the colors are also available in two qualities- student color quality and artist color quality. Artist’s color has excellent consistency and variety, but they are a bit expensive. Whereas, the thickness of student color quality might not be that good, but it is satisfactory and less costly.
How to paint the shoe?
The necessary steps to apply color to prevent cracking are-
- Apply the light color first in a thin layer.
- Let the paint dry naturally.
- Apply the darker shades smoothly.
- Dry the paint.
- Paint in the direction where the shoe flexes more.
- Avoid mixing multiple brand colors.
Precaution: do not use a hairdryer or blow-dryer to dry the paint. Excess heat might crack the paint.
Sneaker painting:
- Wipe the dirt on the exterior of the shoe with a wet cloth.
- Roughen the surface for easy adhesion of the paint.
- Apply the color gradually.
- Place them under the sun for drying for at least 24 hours.
Tom shoe painting:
These shoes will give you an ideal canvas for painting. Follow the steps above but exclude the uses of the sandpaper.
Leather shoe painting
- Brush the shoe with leather Preparer and Deglazer to remove the factory finishing touch.
- To prevent stiffness of the shoe use conditioner.
- Dry the shoe.
- Apply color in a thin layer, dry it, and then apply another layer.
- Dry the shoe for 24 hours.
Acrylic paint sealing
When you are happy with the newly colored shoe seal the color using an acrylic paint sealer. Fix a spot, apply the spray, and then move to the next area. It helps to prevent the paint from smearing during spraying in a small burst.
Waterproof sprays come handy while preventing cracking because these shoes used to wear in different weather. Moreover, acrylic paint is a water-resistant paint but not a waterproof color.
Final Verdict
Painting shoes is a creative way to re-create the new look of your old pair. It requires little time but painstaking effort to keep the shoe in shape. But if you can follow the mentioned ways we can assure you that your newly painted shoe will remain crack-free for an extended period.
So, have you considered initiate painting your old pair of the shoe while knowing much about how to prevent acrylic paint from cracking on shoes?