Ello one & all.
Whenever Xmas time comes around we get together with family and get up to all sorts of craft making mischief. Whether it’s collecting shells and making strings, or doing handmade jewellery, there is always something to do. This year however I thought that I would try and get something different going. Hand painted sneakers. AWESOME. Funky hand painted sneakers, are of course not a new idea. It’s been done for ages all over the world. These days they even have competitions for the slickest designs…yes indeed it’s become quite the growth industry.
I have been dying to do my own pimped pair of sneakers for eons, but just never had the time to give it a shot. So I thought why not try introduce it to my girlfriends family at Christmas time. I have no doubt, that it will be a righteous bonding experience. Also its a change from stringing shells 
The first thing I had to do was find out what I could use to paint on the shoes. Seeing as I know absolutely nothing I phoned the professionals at Shelflife, who have ample experience when it comes to this kind of sneaker design. In fact the guy that I spoke to has been designing his own hand painted sneakers for years and imports special paint from Japan.
Ok, so I won’t be buying imported Japanese paint at this stage. For a bunch of noobie painters there are much cheaper avenues. Supposedly the cheaper option is to use craft paint and model paints, which should be pretty easy to get your hands on. Try art shops and model building joints. Easy peasy.
Now that you have the paint, u will now need to organize a lekker shoe to be your canvas. I recommend using a standard canvas shoe, like those old school Northstar style sneakers. The dude from Shelflife reckons that if you want to use a leather shoe you will have to strip it with some kind of acetate, before you begin. I suppose it’s easy when you know how, but when you are on holiday and just having fun, it can become a mission. Go the easy route, pop into Pep and buy some cheap canvas shoes/sneakers.
Ok theres one last thing that you need before you start, that being fixative.
What in the Sam Hill is fixative????
Well basically a fixative is a liquid that must be applied to the finished artwork, in order to give it strength and lastability. The liquid is similar to a varnish and helps prevent smudging and keeps it looking good for ages to come. You can pick up fixative at your local hardware store, where it is sold in aerosol cans as well as a standard liquid fixative, which can be added to a manual spray.
I guess once you have all the items the only thing left to do is summon up your creative spirit and go wild with the paint. I’d imagine that most attempts will end up looking a bit shabby (unless u are a mega artist), but hey that’s exactly what first attempts are all about. The first pancake is always a flop, so why not your first hand painted sneaker as well? LoL.
It’s all about having FUN people. Get your family together and try his over the festive season. Hold your own workshop for hand painted sneakers. BRILLLLLLIANT!
Peace out and enjoy.
Duncs.
PS: I am by no means a guru on this subject. So if any of you have any tips on how to make wicked cool hand painted sneakers, please let us know.
Also if you would like to get hold of high quality sneaker paint, or would like to speak to a real guru, drop the guys at Shelflife a line
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