Technology of painting shoes made of leather, suede - preparation, main stages

What is this text about? In this text we will answer the following questions: how to repaint shoes at home how to repaint shoes at home how to paint boots at home Choosing paint for white leather shoes and instructions for use at home

Over time, your favorite shoes lose their appearance, wear out, and small scratches appear on the surface. You can return products to their original appearance using special products for leather and suede. Modern paints, including those for white leather shoes, are easy to use and affordable. With their help, you can not only return the original color, but also repaint, for example, comfortable but boring shoes.

What you need for painting

To dye leather shoes at home and get excellent results, you will need:

• acetone or alcohol for preparing the product;
• gloves (disposable ones from the pharmacy will do);
• sandpaper or glass nail file to smooth out imperfections (deep scratches, abrasions) and remove heavy dirt;
• clean brush;
• protective water-repellent agents for treating shoes after painting or shoe cream (water-repellent spray, products containing silicone or beeswax);
• dye;
• liquid leather or primer for treating severely damaged areas;
• brushes of different sizes;
• masking tape or cling film.

It is also necessary to prepare the workplace: cover the surface with oilcloth or several layers of paper to protect the surface from dye.

Features of application

White shoe paints can be used to treat surfaces that need updating only after a preliminary test on an inconspicuous area of ​​the product to check the similarity of tones. To apply coloring compositions, it is permissible to use different tools - an airbrush, a dishwashing sponge, a fine spray bottle, a soft brush (for liquid products). When working with coloring compounds for shoes, it is only necessary to wear gloves and a respirator (so that the paint does not get into the respiratory tract). All work must be carried out only in a well-ventilated room or in the open air.

Each subsequent layer of white shoe paint can be applied only after the previous one has completely dried. Typically, the interval between coats is about one hour. But a lot depends on the surrounding conditions. The main point is that the temperature should not be lower than 15 °C. Complete drying of the paint occurs within 1 day from the moment the last layer is applied.

Attention! To consolidate the result, it is permissible to use a specialized leather varnish. This will increase the adhesion (mutual permeability) of the material and paint, wear resistance and moisture-repellent properties.

What tools to use

Products for dyeing leather shoes at home are chosen depending on the degree of damage. Shoe polish will help restore shine and mask minor scratches on leather products. But only special professional paint can cope with severe damage and abrasions. You can use a spray to restore the appearance of suede.

Important: leather products cannot be painted with ordinary acrylic paints. They spoil the structure of the material and peel off over time.

Types of coloring compositions

There are several types of coloring compounds:

• sprays that restore previous shades;
• sprays to completely renew shoe colors;
• substances that remove old dye (they are used if you plan to completely repaint your shoes).

Important! When choosing paint for boots or other types of footwear, consider the structure of the material. There is smooth leather, suede, nubuck, varnish. Each type of material requires a certain type of paint.

Smooth skin is dyed with substances that contain wax. Forms of release of dyes - sprays, creams and pastes. To dye suede shoes, use containers with sprayers. There are universal compositions that change the main shade. They skillfully mask scratched and worn surfaces.

Suede, nubuck and their coloring

Suede and nubuck are beautiful, but difficult to care for materials. Over time, stains and scratches appear on shoes. The color loses saturation and becomes faded. The reason is that dust and dirt get clogged into the pile. You can paint suede products and return them to their original appearance using a special spray or paint.

Before dyeing, suede must be cleaned. To remove small dirt, you can use a dry, clean brush with stiff bristles. Then remove the remaining dust with a special rubber brush. Greasy areas can be wiped with a mixture of water and ammonia or treated with a special product.

Spray for coloring is applied to shoes from a distance of 20-30 cm in an even thin layer. After drying, repeat the treatment. The painting process should begin with inconspicuous areas and allow to dry a little. If the resulting color suits you, you can treat the entire surface.

To update leather shoes, boots in classic black and brown colors, you can use shoe polish or spray. To eliminate deep scratches and tears, you can use liquid leather. In order to restore the original appearance of heavily worn leather shoes, you will need professional paint that will eliminate defects such as:

• mechanical damage;
• signs of wear;
• indelible stains on leather and suede shoes from interaction with reagents used to treat sidewalks in winter.

When choosing a dye, be sure to take into account the type of skin - smooth, varnish, textured.

Caring for dyed shoes

Painted shoes require care. When returning from the street, boots need to be cleaned of reagents (important in winter). To ensure that the product does not get wet and maintains a neat appearance, the surface is treated with special moisture-repellent compounds.

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The frequency and method of using anti- wet are indicated on the packaging, but many shoe sellers recommend doing the following. During the first treatment, apply the product 3 times with an interval of 20-30 minutes, from a distance of 30 cm, then wait until it dries completely. In subsequent times, a single spray is sufficient. In summer, nubuck shoes can be simply wiped clean from dust.

You can use a steam cleaner . It is not recommended to dry shoes on a radiator or with a hairdryer. To dry your boots, you can stuff the inside of them with newspaper, blot the surface with a cotton pad, and leave them to dry indoors. Dyed nubuck items should be stored in a fabric case.

Shoes must be cleaned after every trip outside.

Rubber

As a rule, the light, visible part of the sole of sneakers and the heels of women's shoes need painting. Alcohol-based shoe paint or an acrylic marker will help to update or restore the original color. In this case, it is better not to use the spray. Firstly, drips are possible, and secondly, the paint will not last long and will begin to peel off over time.

But you won’t be able to paint rubber shoes evenly and efficiently at home. The paint will begin to peel over time. In order to hide minor defects, you can use a waterproof marker or acrylic paint applied in several layers.

Paint rubber boots

Is it possible to paint rubber boots? Rubber shoes are designed for rainy seasons to resist moisture. It is problematic to repaint this material, but, nevertheless, it is still possible to create a creative individual design or eliminate some defects. To do this, you can use acrylic paint, enamel paint or another intended for rubber products; this can be checked with the seller.

Before painting, it is enough to wash the rubber boots with water and wipe them dry with a cloth; unlike leather boots, you should not wipe them with alcohol, as the rubber may deteriorate.

Proper rest or how to learn to relax

To apply a drawing or pattern, you can use a ready-made stencil or make it yourself.

After painting, it is better to leave rubber shoes to dry for several days.

How to prepare the product for use

Before dyeing, leather shoes must be cleaned of dust and dirt. Wash, wipe with a dry cloth and let dry. Products made of white or light leather must be degreased with alcohol before applying paint, otherwise it will not be possible to obtain an even color over the entire surface.

Severe abrasions and scratches are sanded using fine-grained sandpaper or a nail file. Then degrease with alcohol or a special product. To avoid contamination of the light-colored sole during work, it is necessary to seal it with masking tape. In the same way, you can protect decorative elements - buckles, locks, rhinestones.

Tip: Before you start dyeing, you can stuff your shoes or boots with paper. Small creases and folds will be smoothed out, and it will be easier to paint the surface evenly.

How to paint

To dye leather products at home, paint sprays or creams are used. Sprays are sprayed from a distance of 15-20 cm. Creamy or liquid compositions are applied with a sponge or brush in an even thin layer, carefully treating the seams. If necessary, you can spread the excess paint with a clean sponge.

If the damage is noticeable, especially on white leather, it is worth pre-coating the worn areas with a special primer. Deep scratches or cuts on leather shoes are treated with liquid leather - applied in a thin layer and left to dry. After this treatment, the color will be uniform over the entire surface.

Some paints are sold with a fixative that gives leather shoes a richer color and glossier shine. It is applied immediately after painting, after which the product must be allowed to dry for 24 hours. You should not use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process, since leather shoes may become deformed after heating.

Preparatory stages

It’s better to paint your shoes well once than to waste time correcting mistakes due to hasty work. It is necessary not only to select the right materials, but also to pay due attention to each stage of the process. Without thoroughly preparing shoes for painting, you should not expect an even tone and long-term results.

Shoes will acquire a uniform and rich color only if they first go through two stages: deep cleaning and polishing. The pores of the material must be open so that paint can easily penetrate into them. Its deep penetration will ensure lasting results.

Cleaning and degreasing

In order for the paint to have strong adhesion to the surface of the shoe, it must be thoroughly cleaned. It is important to understand that removing street dust from boots is not enough, because underneath it there is a layer of cream or wax. Care products serve as an obstacle to the penetration of dye into the pores of the leather or other shoe material.

Products are cleaned using various means:

1. Wet wipes. This option is suitable if you need to paint boots or shoes that have not been subjected to the application of greasy cream or wax. You need to treat the surface with a napkin several times.
2. Soapy solution. Any solid or liquid cosmetic product will do; you can use dishwashing gel. If the first option is used, the block should be grated and dissolved in warm water. The disadvantage of this method is the need to thoroughly rinse the solution from the surface.
3. Alcohol solution. The method is suitable even for textile shoes. This option involves the use of ethyl or ammonia. The ratio with water is 1:2. Vodka may be used.
4. By professional means. They can come complete with paint or be sold separately. The use of a liquid substance is similar to the use of an alcohol solution. The cleaning foam should be applied to the surface of the shoes, wait 5 minutes and wipe off with a sponge along with the dirty residue.

Solvents, which are usually used to clean bonded surfaces, are not suitable for treating shoes before painting. Such substances dry out the material, making it hard and brittle.

A soap solution with the addition of ammonia cleans and degreases the surface well. Apply the composition using a piece of cloth or a napkin for wet cleaning. Places where dirt and shoe polish accumulate should be additionally treated with a medium-hard sponge. After all actions, you can move on to the next stage.

Wet wipes

Soapy solution

Alcohol solution

By professional means

Sanding and drying

After degreasing, the shoes should be dried, then proceed to sanding using a special sponge or sandpaper. You can use a nail file. Sanding is necessary to smooth out small cracks and scratches, making them almost invisible. This step is not necessary before redying suede, nubuck or canvas shoes at home.

After sanding, the resulting dust from the surface of the boots must be thoroughly wiped off. Before you paint your shoes, you need to dry them thoroughly. On a wet surface, adhesion to the chemical composition will be much lower.

Drying shoes near heating appliances or in direct sunlight leads to hardening and deformation of the material. It is better to spend more time to allow the moisture to evaporate at room temperature.

Dry

Rub out small cracks and scratches

Wipe and dry thoroughly

Applying a protective coating

The protective coating after dyeing leather shoes performs several functions:

• fixative – additionally fixes the coloring matter on the surface (for example, after using a spray);
• protects against moisture and dust;
• adds shine and deep color.

As a protective coating, you can use water-repellent impregnations, wax or shoe polish. Suede products can be treated with a spray, and to fix the color, wipe the surface with water and vinegar.

Important: when processing suede, you need to lightly wipe it with a damp cloth, without letting it get wet.

Popular brands

Many domestic and foreign manufacturers produce high-quality products. The most popular of them:

1. Salamander. Manufacturer's products intended for leather shoes are popular. The base is beeswax.
2. Kiwi. In the popularity ratings, color creams of this brand take the first places. They absorb well, dry quickly, and provide water resistance.
3. Niki Line. The brand's sprays are in demand for various materials.
4. Prize. This manufacturer has popular paints for suede care.
5. Saphir. A French brand that produces cosmetics only for leather shoes.

Of course, purchasing high-quality expensive paints is recommended only if you have the financial means. But if everything is done correctly, the updated pair of shoes will look like new and can last for many more seasons. When choosing a paint, you should definitely rely on the reviews of other people.