Okay, so I’ve been wanting to customize a pair of Jordans for a while, and I finally decided to go for it. I picked up a pair of Jordan 2s – clean, white, and ready for a makeover. I’m going with orange, my favorite color, always makes stuff pop.
Prepping the Shoes
First things first, I had to prep the shoes. This is super important if you want the paint to stick and not look like garbage later.
- Cleaning: I grabbed some Angelus Leather Preparer and Deglazer. You gotta get all the factory finish off, or the paint won’t adhere right. I just soaked a cotton ball and rubbed the whole shoe down, making sure to get into all the little crevices.
- Taping: Next, I used some painter’s tape to mask off the areas I didn’t want to paint. This took some time, especially around the midsole and those little design details. Gotta be precise here, or you’ll end up with messy lines.
Painting Time!
Now for the fun part – actually painting the shoes! I went with Angelus paint, in orange, people recommend that.
- Thin Coats: The key here is thin coats. Seriously, don’t try to get full coverage in one go. It’ll look thick and clumpy. I did like, four or five super thin coats, letting each one dry completely before applying the next.
- Patience is Key: It is tempting to rush, just be patient. It takes a few coats.
- Heat Setting: Between each coat, I used a heat gun (you can use a hairdryer, too) to help the paint cure faster. Just be careful not to hold it too close or you could burn the leather.
Finishing Touches
Once I was happy with the color coverage, I had to seal the paint and add some finishing touches.
- Sealer:I used Angelus Acrylic Finisher in Matte. This helps protect the paint from scratches and scuffs. Again, thin coats are the way to go. I did two coats of this.
- Remove Tape:Carefully took the tape off.
- Laces: I swapped out the original white laces for some orange ones to complete the look.
The Result
It took a while and the work to detail made my hands tired. But I’m pretty stoked with how they turned out! It’s my first time to paint shoes. They’re definitely unique, and I learned a lot in the process. I might even try another pair with a different color scheme sometime. For anyone that wants to start, just try, be patient, and do more thin coats.
