We all have those shoes or trainers that we just love more than any others, and for me, it's the Converse Ctas Ballet. They're just so comfortable, easy to slip on, and look great with dresses, leggings and jeans alike. They're just so versatile! No exaggerating here, but I swear I've bought at least 15 pairs over the last 6/7 years in every colour I could find, and I wear them to death. They must have holey soles and rips in the fabric before I throw them out.
If you fancy a pair, I get mine from Office.
My recent pairs have all been white - it's a vibe, but they're hard to keep clean. Stupidly, after a particularly muddy dog walk, I thought I'd pop my comfiest pair in the washing machine, but I must of left something else in the drum as they came out so grey and sad. They're not very old, and still in great condition except for being off-colour...so I can't just throw them out, that's wasteful, and we're trying to live more sustainably (and spend less money)... so what to do?
I have been painting for a while now, and have recently started using acrylic (I've some available on my shop) and had been toying with the idea of painting on fabric...so why not my Converse? They're fabric!
I did some research on the best/ most popular fabric dye, and came across this Setacolor by pebeo which had great reviews and was suitable for light coloured faric.
With nothing to lose, I grabbed my paint brush and gave my cons a quick clean. I prepped them by removing the laces and taping over the Converse lable as that's fabric too. I could've taped up the rubber soles too, but I have quite a steady hand.
I've posted a video on my Tiktok if you want a sneak peek, but I basically just painted my shoes as I would a canvas. I kept a cotton bud nearby in case I got paint on the metal loops, so I could wipe it away easily while the paint was wet.
I painted my shoes in a few stages, to make it easier to hold different parts when they were dry, so that I could paint the inside rim and the tongue. But it didn't take longer than 3 hours painting max, and drying time was just an hour in between.
After they were painted, I cleaned the rubber with a little bit of nail polish remover on a cotton pad, and then I left them to dry overnight before wearing them.
I'm really happy with the result, they look like a new pair, while saving me £50 too!
If you have some shoes that need a little TLC I highly recommend giving it a go, but do your research, make sure the paint you choose is suitable for your fabric.
Drop a comment if you give this a try!
Speak soon,
Zoe x
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