Okay, let me tell you about this little project I got into with some old slip-on drivers.
Getting the Idea
So, I had this pair of driving mocs just sitting around. You know the type, comfy, rubber nubs on the sole, but they looked kinda plain. Been wearing them for ages, mostly just knocking about. I always liked the look of penny loafers, that little strap across the front. Got me thinking, maybe I could sort of mash the two ideas together. Make my old comfy drivers look a bit sharper, like penny loafers, but keep that driver sole I like.
What I Dug Out
First thing, I went digging through my box of bits and bobs. Found:
- The old pair of slip-on drivers, obviously. Gave them a good wipe down.
- Some scrap leather pieces. Had some dark brown stuff that was pretty close to the shoe color. Lucky find, that.
- Strong adhesive. Needed something that would hold leather to leather, maybe fabric too. Had some contact cement lying around.
- Sharp craft knife and scissors.
- Needle and some tough thread. Figured glue alone might not cut it, or look right.
Figuring Out the Strap Part
This was the main job. I looked at pictures of actual penny loafers to get the shape of that strap right. You know, the one with the little diamond cutout. Sketching it out on paper first helped. Then I traced that onto the scrap leather.
Cutting the leather needed a steady hand. Used the craft knife mostly. Made two identical straps, one for each shoe. Getting that little diamond cutout neat was fiddly, not gonna lie. Took a couple of tries on scrap before I committed to the good pieces.
Sticking and Stitching
Alright, time to attach them. I decided where the strap should sit on the top of the shoe, right over the vamp area. Marked the spots lightly.
Applied the contact cement carefully to the back of the leather strap and the area on the shoe where it would go. Let it get tacky, like the instructions say. Then, very carefully, pressed the strap into place. Held it down firmly for a bit. Did the same for the other shoe. Had to be careful not to get glue everywhere – that stuff is messy.
After the glue dried, I felt like it needed more. Looked a bit just stuck on, you know? So, I grabbed the needle and that heavy-duty thread. Decided to put a few stitches along the top and bottom edges of the strap, where it met the shoe. This wasn’t easy. Pushing the needle through the shoe leather and the strap took some muscle. My fingers definitely felt it afterwards. But I think the stitching really made it look more finished, more like it was meant to be there.
The Final Look
Once the stitching was done, I gave the whole shoe a good buff with some shoe polish. Stepped back and had a look. Yeah, not bad! They still feel like my comfy old drivers, but that penny strap just gives them a little something extra. They look a bit smarter now, I reckon. Took ’em for a quick walk outside – felt good. Job done. It wasn’t perfect, mind you, up close you can tell it’s hand work, but that’s part of the charm, right? Happy I gave it a go instead of just leaving them in the closet.
