How to Spray Paint Shoes: A Complete Guide

Wondering how to easily apply spray paint to your shoes?

If you so, you have landed in the right place.

As you will learn further in this article, spray painting shoes doesn’t have to take up much of your time if done properly.

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How to Spray Paint Shoes: A Step By Step Guide [4 Steps]

Step 1. Select the Shoes You Want to Spray Paint:

Decide on the shoes you want to spray paint. If you have more than one shoe, you may only be interested in spray painting one of them.

If that is the case, all you have to do pick one of them that you want to paint and you are ready.

For example, if you have Leather shoes, Work boots, etc., you have to choose one of them because the paint you use and the way you paint them will be different.

If however, you intend to change the overall look of all your shoes, then you don’t need to select. All you have to do is change the paint when you are ready to spray paint on shoes that you have.

Step 2. Select the Sprayer Type to Use:

Select the kind of sprayer you want to use.

Some paint sprayers are not very good for painting shoes because of their spraying tip or the way they are designed.

While others are perfect for painting shoes, even if they are not primarily designed for that purpose.

Therefore, choosing the right paint sprayer for your shoes is important for maintaining the normal beauty of your shoes and ensuring a longer life of the shoes.

By reading reviews of different products based on brand, design, and quality, you should be able to decide on the best one for this purpose.

Step 3. Select Area or Surface to Use:

Select a painting area before you start.

Since you won’t be spraying the whole shoe at once — you need to paint at different angles — this may require selecting an area for painting your shoe.

The best area for this purpose is the outdoor or a well-ventilated area.

Make sure things like your car or other items that might be stained by the paint is not close by and that the area is not too close to your deck.

You can use your garage or close to the fence for this purpose.

When you are ready, get yourself a tape and make sure you cover the surrounding area before you start painting.

Step 4. Spray Painting Shoes and Finishing:

Dry the shoes after painting.

After you have painted the shoe(s), you can put it in an open area under the sun. You will need to wait a few hours to get the paint to dry.

There are fixed periods for leaving it to dry but more than 12 hours — if there is sunshine — is a good time.

After waiting for at least 12 hours, go back and check the texture of the paint to see if it is fully dried.

If it is, then you should have a nice looking, newly looking shoe that you can start using again.

SUMMARY

These steps are easy to follow so make sure you consider them when spraying your shoes in a different color.

What Kind of Paint Sprayer Can You Use on Your Shoes?

Choosing the right paint sprayer is important.

The type of paint sprayer you use on your shoes is dependent on the type of shoes you are painting.

If you have leather shoes, you obviously can’t use a paint that is meant for fabric shoes.

Some shoes also respond well to some certain types of paint and you can find more information from the manufacturer of the paint.

Most will take you what product you can use the paint on. If you already have a paint, say leather paint, you should only use it on leather shoes.

Other types include acrylic paint, fabric paint, textile paint that are usable depending on the type of shoe you have.

You can also mix paints to achieve special purposes. This is mostly done by professionals, so if you don’t have experience, you shouldn’t bother doing this.

In addition, if you can buy one directly — already mixed to perfection — then that will be better since you won’t have to tamper with anything and you can get a great looking shoe with that.

SUMMARY

Consider the kind of shoe you want to spray before selecting a paint sprayer. Doing it right is dependent on choosing the right tool for the job.

How to Spray Paint Shoes: Gold

Many people are interested in spray painting shoe gold and it is one of the concerns of most beginners.

However, it is not so difficult.

All you have to do is to search for metallic gold paints and research which shoes they are suitable for.

Once you get one that is suitable for your shoes, use that.

After preparing the paint, pour it into your sprayer, and start painting your shoe following the steps outlined above. Now, it’s time for the real tutorial.

If you are ready, then let’s begin.

What You’ll Need:

• A masking tape
• Newspaper or plastic bags
• Heavy duty protective gloves
• Cotton Rag

Before you get started, make sure you have all the supplies you will need and that you have a well-ventilated and well-lit area for painting. Also, ensure that the surface you are using is well covered.

How to Paint Your Shoe Gold [3 Steps]:

Step 1. The Prep:

• Make sure you prepare the shoes for painting — you can paint new or used — by making sure it is free of dirt and debris.
• Use the cotton rag to wipe the surface of the shoe to make sure it is ready for painting.

Step 2. Painting Your Shoe Gold:

When you start painting, make sure you don’t rush any of the steps.

Rushing will only lead to flaking or rough painting which will disfigure your shoe.

Follow these steps when you are ready:

• You should remove the existing polish with acetone and ensure that the shoe has a dull appearance when you are finished. Don’t stop until all the polish is gone as that will give the new paint a great adhesion.
• Using the newspaper or plastic bags, stuff the inside of the shoes. This should create a smooth surface and block out the inside from getting in contact with the paint.
• Using the masking tape, mark off/cover up the areas you don’t want the paint to touch. The quality of the masking tape actually matters, so use a good one like a Green Frog Tape or 3M Blue Tape.
• Spray on the shoes, using a light, even motion. The sprayer should be very light so that you don’t have to use both hands
• Make sure you have several thin coats on the shoe instead of thicker ones as they tend to wear better. When painting, make sure you spray evenly coat and let it dry. Then do the same until the shoe is completely covered in an even coat of paint.
• Make sure to remove the tape before the paints dry out completely. If you wait for it to get dry, the tape may tear out part of the perfect looking paint, voiding your effort. After that, the paint should be fully dried and your shoe should be ready to wear

Step3. Applying Finishing to the Shoes:

Although finishing is not all that necessary, it can serve two purposes.

• First, it can give your shoe either a glossy or matte surface.
• Secondly, it can protect the painting job and make it last longer. Apply several thin coating to the shoes and allow them to dry between applications.

So there you have it, how to spray paint your shoe gold.

SUMMARY

When spraying your shoes gold, you need to prep, paint slowly, and apply finishing to the shoes.

Also Read: Recommended paint brushes for trim and fine detail

How to Spray Paint Shoes: Silver

Instead of using the golden color to paint your shoe, you will instead be using a silver color.

If you already have one at home that you can use, then that’s perfect.

If not, you will need to search for a silver paint color to use with your shoe.

Now that you have a general idea what it takes to paint your shoe silver, we will now go into details on how to get this done.

Whether your shoe is leather, fake leather or in plastic, you can easily turn them into a silver color that you can wear for big occasions.

What You Need:

• Your shoes – they should be clean and free from dirt
• Spray paint – in this case, silver color
• Masking tape – this is useful if you don’t want to paint the whole shoe into gold
• Ventilation – a well-ventilated area to spray paint your shoes

Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1. Tape out unwanted area:

Tape those part of the shoes you don’t want the silver paint to reach.

If you want to leave the soles as is, you should tape that part up, while leaving the rest of the paint to reach them.

You can also tape up the inside of the shoe so that the paint doesn’t reach there.

Generally, the paint will cover the inside as well since you will be pointing the tip of the sprayer there so make sure it is covered.

Step 2. Apply Paint:

Apply the paint after using the tape to cover areas you don’t want the paint to reach.

Generally, you should maintain a distance and spray in small amounts to avoid dripping.

As mentioned previously, you should be doing this in a well-ventilated area and where other items will not be affected.

Step 3. Allow to Dry:

Allow the painting to dry out before touching or moving the shoes.

The recommended period of waiting is 24 hours — this can be shorter if the shoes are in direct sunlight.

Once they are properly dried, you are ready to take off the tape from the shoes and put them on.

(pictures: www.do-it-yourself-weddings.com)

SUMMARY

The beauty of doing this is that paint sprayed shoes generally last very long. Unlike other paints, they don’t flake or peel off quickly.

However, you should expect to see scratches and scruffs as wear and tear steps in. Fortunately, you can touch it up with more silver as you like.

How to Spray Paint Shoes: Black

Spray painting your shoes black is the same process as those of painting it gold or silver.

The only thing you will need to change is the paint and follow the same process.

In the future, if our readers are interested in this, we might come up with smaller guides for those who are interested.

The reason we don’t really have a tutorial on this is that most shoes come in this color — black.

So, it would be unnecessary having a separate article on it without first seeing that people are interested.

Some Useful Tips

• When painting, don’t use wool daubers because they are meant for applying polish and not painting.
• If you want to paint your shoes in different colors, start with the lighter color as it is easy to hide the lighter color if you make mistakes than if you started with the harder color
• If your shoe is delicate or soft, stuff it with the newspaper or plastic bags. This will create a smooth surface and make painting easier for you.
• Spend more time preparing the shoes as that will give you better results.
• Always spray paint shoes in a well-ventilated area
• If you want a professional finish, use thin coats

FAQs

Can you Spray Paint Shoes

You can spray paint shoes. If you want to paint your shoes right now, the first step is to choose the color you want to use. Some people like black, while others like red.

Personally, I like white. It all depends on what ticks your fancy.

Once you have a color, check the corresponding tutorial on the specific color you want above.

Can you spray paint canvas shoes?

Sure, you can spray paint canvas shoes.

If you have a dark colored shoe, you may need to use acrylic paint on it as we have mentioned previously in this article.

But if you have something lighter, you can use fabric markers, this should give the shoes a natural look.

Can you spray paint leather shoes?

Most times, leather shoes look so boring and using a paint sprayer can spruce it up and make it look interesting.

Moreover, painting leather shoes is quite easy and you can achieve an excellent result when you follow the right steps.

Can you get paint on the shoes? 

There are many guides on how to get spray paint off shoes.

Often, this can occur when you spray paint one shoe and another one is stained with the paint. If you can catch the stain early, then it will be very easy to get spray paint off leather shoes or canvas.

However, if you allow it to dry or you only discovered that after it has dried out, then you need to read this guide on how to get spray paint off shoes.

What You Need: water, cloth, leather cleaner

How to get paint off your shoes:

• Step #1. Wipe the area of the paint stain using a damp cloth. If the paint is still fresh, you may not need chemical to clean it off. Also, if the paint is water-based, you can easily scratch off the paint with a small knife, remove the paint and pat the area with a towel.
• Step #2. Find a damp cloth and put a paint thinner on it, then rub on the affected area. This solution should soften the paint but make sure you use a small amount of the paint thinner at a time so as to not destroy the shoe with the chemical.
• Step #3. Use Acetone or Turpentine to clean off the paint. These solvents should be on a dry cloth that you can use to wipe off the paint on the shoe. With this application, the paint should come off easily if you have used the paint thinner in the previous st

This is easy. As long as you follow the steps we outlined above, you should find it absolutely easy to paint your shoes.

Doing this shouldn’t take more than stuffing the shoes with newspaper, masking off the areas you don’t want the paint to reach, and painting the shoes lightly.

How do I paint spray with glitter?

You know all the sparkles and glitzy those glitters can bring to your shoe.

If not, you wouldn’t be reading this.

When you are ready, you will need a pair of shoes and some tapes to cover up the inside so that the glitter doesn’t get inside.

Once you have the glitter, you should put it into a small plastic cup and take from there to put on the shoe.

There are a couple more steps you will need to follow through and we will be making these guides in the future for you to follow through.

Final Word

It is not so difficult to paint your shoes if you know where to look and you have the right equipment for the job.

BOTTOM LINE:

The fact that you are not restricted to any paint color is a boost towards getting the best done for your shoes and making them look great.

At least, reading this guide is the first step towards getting a different, beautiful look for your shoes.