Okay, so I’ve been wanting to customize my Jordan 4s for a while now, and I finally decided to go for it with the “Taupe Haze” colorway. I’m no professional artist, but I figured, how hard could it be? Famous last words, right?
Getting Started
First things first, I needed the shoes. I managed to snag a pair of Jordan 4 Taupe Haze online. They weren’t cheap, but hey, gotta start somewhere.
Prep Work is Key (Apparently)
- I watched a bunch of YouTube videos about customizing sneakers. Everyone kept saying prep work is super important, so I tried to listen.
- I got some Angelus leather preparer and deglazer, and some cotton balls. I wiped down the areas I wanted to paint, trying to get all the factory finish off. It felt weird, like I was ruining a perfectly good pair of shoes.
The Painting Process
This is where things got interesting…and messy.
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Mixing Colors
I wanted a slightly different shade of taupe, so I mixed some Angelus paints together. Trying to get the color just right took forever.I ended up with something close, but not perfect, it is a little bit off.
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Applying the Paint
I used some thin brushes and started painting. My hands were shaking a bit, I am not gonna * first coat looked awful. Streaky and uneven.
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Multiple Coats (So Many Coats)
I did like, five or six thin coats. It took all day! Between each coat, I had to wait for the paint to dry. I used a hairdryer to speed things up a little, and hope I didn’t mess anything up.
The Finishing Touches
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Sealing the Deal
After the paint was finally dry, I used some Angelus matte finisher. This is supposed to protect the paint and give it a factory-like finish. I applied a couple of coats of this, too.
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Lace Swap(optional)
I thought about changing the laces, but I ended up sticking with the original ones,I think it looks fine.
The Final Result
Honestly, they turned out…okay. Not perfect, but not terrible either. There are a few spots where the paint is a little uneven, but you have to look pretty close to see them. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a lot of work, but it’s kind of cool to have a pair of shoes that I customized myself. I learned a lot, and maybe next time I’ll be a little less messy. For now, I’m just gonna rock these and see how they hold up!