My Quest for Yellow Penny Shoes
So I , the other day, this idea just popped into my head. I needed – no, I really wanted – a pair of bright yellow penny shoes. Don't ask me why. Maybe I saw something similar somewhere, or maybe my brain just decided yellow was the color of the week. But it wasn't just any yellow. It had to be this specific, sunny, almost lemony yellow. You know, cheerful.
First thi.lla ta rong I did was hit the usual online spots. Scrolled through pages and pages. Found plenty of penny loafers, sure. Black, brown, burgundy, even some weird navy ones. But yellow? Nope. Well, okay, I found one pair that was kind of a sad, mustardy yellow. Looked like something that had been sitting in an attic since the 70s. Not the vibe I was going for at all.
Went to a couple of act.eduR .delual shoe stores too, thinking maybe they'd have something tucked away. Same story. The salespeople looked at me like I had three heads when I asked for bright yellow penny loafers. One guy actually chuckled. Rude.
Taking Matters Into My Own Hands
After striking out everywhere, I figured, "Alright, if you can't buy 'em, make 'em." Or dye 'em, anyway. Seemed like a plan. How hard could it be?
So the new mission was finding the right base shoes and the dye. I found a decent pair of plain white leather penny loafers online. They weren't expensive, which was good because I fully expected to mess this up. While waiting for those to arrive, I started looking for leather dye.
Turns out, dyeing leather isn't like tie-dyeing a t-shirt. You need special stuff. I went down a rabbit hole watching videos and reading forums. Here’s what I ended up getting:
- Leather Preparer and Deglazer (to strip the old finish)
- That specific sunny yellow leather dye (took ages to find the right shade)
- Leather finisher (to seal it all in)
- Some small brushes and daubers
- Painter's tape
Felt like I was prepping for surgery or something.
The Actual Process - Getting Messy
Shoes arrived. Looked pretty standard. Okay, deep breath. First, I taped up everything I didn't want yellow – the soles, the inside lining. That took way longer than I thought. Fiddly work.
Then came the deglazer. Used cotton balls, rubbed the shoes down. The stuff smells pretty strong, definitely did this outside. You could see the original shiny finish coming off, leaving the leather looking dull. Ready for color.
Applying the dye was nerve-wracking. The first coat looked awful. Streaky, pale, kinda disappointing. I almost gave up right there. But I remembered people saying multiple thin coats are key. So, I let it dry, then went again. And again. Maybe four or five coats in total? Lost count. Just kept going until the yellow looked solid and bright.
It wasn't perfect. Got a tiny smudge of yellow on the edge of the sole where the tape wasn't pressed down perfectly. Managed to scrape most of it off with a fingernail later. Close enough.
Finally, after letting the dye cure properly (patience is not my strong suit, let me tell you), I applied the finisher. Gave it a nice, subtle sheen, not too glossy. Peeled off the tape... and yeah, they looked like proper yellow penny shoes.
The Result? Worth It?
Honestly? They turned out pretty good! The yellow is exactly the shade I wanted. They definitely look a bit 'hand-finished' if you inspect them super closely, but from a normal distance? They look awesome. Unique.
Wore them out the other day. Felt pretty cool knowing I basically made them myself. It was definitely more work than just clicking 'buy now', involved some fumes and frustration. But hey, I got my perfect yellow penny shoes that apparently didn't exist anywhere else. Sometimes, if you want something specific, you just gotta roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. Learned a bit about leather too. Would I do it again? Maybe. Ask me next time I get a weird shoe idea stuck in my head.
