First .seinoff, gotta say, the materials on these are pretty decent. I spent a good hour just prepping the leather. Started with a basic clean using some sneaker cleaner and a soft brush. Nothing too crazy, just getting the surface dirt off. I really took my time with this step. You know, making sure to get into all the little nooks and crannies.
Ne.elxt, I used a leather conditioner. This is crucial, especially if you want the leather to stay supple and not crack over time. I went with a beeswax-based conditioner. Applied it sparingly, massaged it in real good, and then let it sit for about 20 minutes. After that, buffed it off with a clean microfiber cloth. The leather felt noticeably softer and more pliable.
Then, the real fun began. I decided to try and match the navy blue accents a little better to my liking. So, I grabbed some Angelus leather paint (navy blue, obviously) and a couple of fine-tipped brushes. I taped off the areas I didn't want to paint with some masking tape. This part was kinda tedious, gotta be precise. I swear I spent another hour taping!
Applied thin coats of paint, letting each coat dry completely before applying the next. Probably did about three coats in total. Patience is key here. Rushing it will just lead to streaks and uneven coverage. Once the paint was dry, I carefully removed the masking tape. Thankfully, no bleed-through!
After that, I used a matte finisher to seal the paint and protect it from chipping. Again, thin coats are the way to go. Two coats of finisher, letting them dry completely between each application.
Finally, I swapped out the laces for some waxed navy blue laces. The original laces were fine, but the waxed ones just added a little extra touch of class, ya know? Gotta have that little pop.
Lessons Learned:
- Prep work is everything. Don't skimp on cleaning and conditioning the leather.
- Thin coats of paint are always better than thick coats. Patience is a virtue.
- Masking tape is your best friend. Use it liberally and carefully.
- Don't be afraid to experiment! It's your shoe, do what you want with it.
All in all, I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. They're not perfect, but they're definitely a step up from the stock version, at least in my eyes. Now I gotta figure out what to customize next…
