With stars on my shoes

The options for comfortable, reasonably priced vegan footwear, though growing every day, still isn’t enough for my tastes. I have leather shoes from my pre-vegan days that I have been wearing until they fall apart. I still have a couple pairs that have seen better days but aren’t ready to be tossed. So, I decided to reinvigorate them with paint.

I did some online research and found that Jacquard Lumiere and Neopaque paints work well on leather shoes. I bought two “Exciter” packs of paint, one with small bottles of seven colors and one with nine colors. I painted one pair of shoes. Then, a pair of sandals. Since the sampler assortment were all metallic (the Lumiere line), I then to buy some bottles of Neopaque (non-metallic) colors. I then painted two more pairs of shoes. I now have a shoe painting addiction.

I painted a comfy pair of BØRN clogs with Pearlescent Blue, straight from the bottle. The color was more metallic than pearlescent. And it was very electric. So I did a second coat with Pearlescent Blue to which I’d added a touch of Neopaque Black. I had painted the insole Metallic Olive Green and it was too bright. So I did a second coat, adding Neopaque Black to darken the color, giving it an antique feel.

I was listening to the Cat Steven’s album, Catch Bull at Four and the song, Boy with a Moon and a Star on His Head was playing. It occurred to me that I could paint anything I wanted (or was capable of painting) on my shoes, so I decided on stars. The star motif -- used a lot in the 1970s -- is one of my favorite motifs. I experimented with freehand Metallic Gold stars on the insole. They came out alright, so I took a deep breath and painted stars on the upper band of the clog.

Somehow the surfaces lacked definition, so I painted a Sunset Gold and Pearlescent Violet band around the insole and on the edge of the top part of the shoe. The two colors got a bit lost on the upper band so I painted over it with just the Sunset Gold. I also painted the band along the lower edge in Sunset Gold.

The cream-colored stitching in the platform didn’t look right, so it got touched up with Pearlescent Violet. One of the websites had recommended putting an acrylic sealer on the paint.

After a few days, I put two coats of sealer on the upper part of the clog and the insole. It gave it a shiny appearance that I didn’t particularly like. But is also made the insole a bit slippery. So I stripped the sealer off with some ammonia and decided not to seal the three other pairs of shoes I painted.

Soon after painting my clogs, I found a never-worn pair of electric blue tights for 99 cents at the thrift store.

Mohop shoes

I just stumbled upon Mohop vegan, eco-friendly shoes made in Chicago. In addition to offering a bespoke service, they have a ready-to-wear collection on Etsy. The shoes come in variety of woods for the sole and each has elastic loops on the side so that you can wrap ribbons or ties in all different ways to create different looks.

Some are very cute.

Some look as though you’ve sustained injuries to both feet and are wearing bandages.

Some look as though you’ve injured both ankles while in India.

Others have a cool '70s vibe.

Or a decadent '70s vibe. (They’ve partnered with a nonprofit social enterprise to make the ties out of recycled sarees).

Because I walk everywhere, my main concern for footwear (after being animal-friendly) is comfort. The Mohop website and the feedback on Etsy are reassuring. 

I like the way they are so customizable; I envision making my own straps to make them even more one-of-a-kind. Vegan, comfortable, benefit an Indian nonprofit, sustainably sourced wood, customizable, made by a small artisanal business--these require serious consideration.

Does anyone dye anymore?

I was looking through some late 1960s and early 1970s issues of Seventeen magazine recently. Two things struck me. 1) There were lots of ads for sewing patterns, sewing machines, and fabrics, with an emphasis on how you can be unique and make your own looks. 2) The latter part of each issue was devoted to wedding articles and ads for engagement rings, hope chests, and dinnerware.

I glanced at current issues of Seventeen in the library recently and neither sewing or weddings are featured anymore. I’m not bemoaning the lack of attention on marriage for teen-agers, but the now the ads are focused on branded clothing and fitting in.

Not only sewing but dyeing was a big deal. Here are some ads for Rit and other dyes. It’s interesting that Rit paired up with other companies to co-market their products.

From Seventeen magazine, April, 1968Here Ked’s white sneakers are advertised with a sneaker painting kit. It seems that there were even sneaker painting contests according to this newspaper ad from 1968.

From Seventeen magazine, April, 1968From Seventeen magazine, February, 1970 “Rit Invents Electric Satin.” How to dye fabric for sewing clothes with Simplicity patterns (pattern numbers are given that top).

From Seventeen Magazine, June, 197Hot Stuff Rit Liquid Dye ad for hot pants and tank tops you and he dye together. The opposite page has complete instructions.

From Seventeen magazine, August, 1971Ad to “tie-dye your own original fashions.” This ad and the column on the opposite page have instructions for tie-dying a sweater, hat, windbreaker, skirt, and scarf. That’s a lot to get into one ad!

From Seventeen magazine, May 1973Two years later, after you’ve ditched the boyfriend, you can invite the whole gang over to tie-dye.

From Ingenue magazine, April , 1970“So you’re out to change the world. We can do it together” ad for Lady Esquire Instant Shoe Coloring, which came in 45 colors. This ad features an entry form for a contest for the “most original and workable idea.” Winner received a $3000 wardrobe by Pierre Cardin, New York.

Here’s a great article on shoe make-overs from the July, 1970 counterculture fashion magazine Rags. I think I need to make those star shoes.

I’m also inspired by bag and shoe dyeing projects on Vintage Vixen and Two Butterflies. I wonder what kind of paint/dye works best on non-leather shoes/bags. Anyone know?

Orthopedic Ruby Slippers

There hasn’t been much snow this winter, so I have been able to wear shoes instead of boots most days.

I walk everywhere so comfortable shoes/boots are extremely important. My most comfortable pair of shoes, my version of “orthopedic” shoes, are these red and white platform shoes that I bought at a yard sale about 7 years ago for $3.

Not only are they extremely comfy, they make me 2 ½ inches taller.

Although they remind me of this.

Vegan shoes made in India

I just stumbled upon Love is Mighty, a vegan-owned company that makes cruelty-free footwear and employs Rabari artisans in Kutch in Gujarat, India.

These ballet flats decorated with traditional embroidery are gorgeous!