Alright, let me tell you about my journey with those purple and black Jordans 13s. Man, it was a project!
So, it all started when I saw these crazy customs online. Purple and black, you know? Just had to have ’em. Figured, why not try making my own? Sounded like a fun way to kill some time.
First thing, I needed a pair of Jordan 13s to mess with. Found a used pair on eBay – not the prettiest, but the price was right. They were beat, but hey, I was gonna tear ’em apart anyway. Gotta start somewhere, right?
Next up was the color scheme. Decided on a deep, almost royal purple, and a matte black. Went down to the local art supply store and grabbed some leather paints. This was probably the most important step, gotta make sure you get quality paint so it lasts.
Now for the fun part: prepping the shoes. This was a pain. Had to clean them thoroughly with some leather cleaner and a brush. Then came the masking tape – so much masking tape. Taped off everything I didn’t want purple or black, which felt like 90% of the shoe.
Painting time! Started with the black parts. Thin coats are key, people! Learned that the hard way. First coat went on kinda streaky, but the second and third coats evened everything out. Let each coat dry completely before adding another, patience is a virtue, even when painting sneakers.
Then came the purple. This was trickier. The original color of the leather underneath kept peeking through, so I ended up needing like four coats of purple to get that deep, rich color I wanted. My fingers were killing me by this point.
After the paint was dry (I waited a full 24 hours, just to be safe), I started peeling off the masking tape. Man, that was satisfying. But also terrifying, because you never really know how clean your lines are until you pull that tape off. Luckily, I only had a few spots where the paint had bled through. Nothing a little touch-up couldn’t fix.
The Details: I wanted to add a little something extra. So I got some purple laces, ditched the stock ones. Then, I found these black metal lace locks online, swapped those in too. Small details, but they really made the shoes pop.
Finally, I sealed everything with a matte finisher to protect the paint job. Gave the whole shoe a few coats, letting it dry in between. This step is super important – it keeps the paint from cracking and peeling. Gotta protect your investment, right?
- Cleaned the shoes.
- Masked everything off.
- Painted multiple thin coats.
- Added custom laces and lace locks.
- Sealed everything with a finisher.
The Finished Product
And there you have it! My custom purple and black Jordan 13s. They’re not perfect, but hey, they’re mine. And every time I wear ’em, I get a ton of compliments. Plus, it was a cool project to learn from. Would I do it again? Probably. Maybe a different color scheme next time, though. Gotta keep things interesting!
