Wearable Art: Customize Your Canvas Shoes

When I was in preschool, I wanted to be a pirate when I grew up. Pirates of the Caribbean was my favorite ride at Disneyland, and it has been my favorite movie since it came out. When I got a pair of Toms and decided they were just a little too plain, I knew exactly what I was going to do – create some wearable art and make them into pirate-themed Toms!

How to Create Your Wearable Art

For those of you who don’t know, Toms are canvas shoes, and when you buy a pair Toms donates a pair to a child in need. However, any canvas shoe will do. To personalize your shoes, you will need:
1. Pencil (I love the Blackwings, but our Kitaboshis also work great)
2. Mod Podge (available at craft stores – I’m partial to the matte finish myself)
3. A paintbrush or one of those sponge-on-a-sticks to apply the Mod Podge
4. Color

When it comes to deciding the medium with which you will color your wearable art, you will want to consider your artistic strengths first and foremost – are you a painter, or a drawer? Personally, I always use plain old Sharpies, the kind you can buy anywhere that sells office supplies. There are tons of color options, the colors are bright, and I have plenty of control when drawing. I’ve also experimented with the new Sharpie fabric markers, but the brush tip didn’t give me the control I needed. I’ve also used chalk ink markers on shoes, but even with sealant they tend to crack and flake where the shoe bends when you walk. My advice: stick with classic Sharpies and you’ll be golden.

The first thing I do when I’m drawing on shoes is to sketch the design right on the shoe with a pencil. I like the Blackwings because  the dark, soft graphite is easy to use on canvas and the white eraser erases cleanly  if I make a mistake. Sketching your design is important to make sure that whatever you have in mind will work with the contours of a shoe. Once you’ve got the outline sketched out, break out the Sharpies and color! Let the ink dry fully (I recommend overnight to be safe) before applying Mod Podge to seal your art. I like to use a sponge to get even coverage, and I use at least two coats. This will keep the Sharpie ink from fading or running if your shoes get wet (I was just caught in a sudden downpour without an umbrella in my beloved pirate Toms, and my toes didn’t even get wet! Hooray for Mod Podge!)

If you’re not the artistic type but are dying to get your hands on a pair of wearable art shoes, fear not! Kelli Smith is a talented shoe artist extraordinaire who is accepting commissions. Shauna Mae of slipoffs.com is another artist who specializes in customizing canvas shoes with a diverse range of designs. You can also browse Etsy to find an artist with a skill set that matches up with the design you have in mind. If you’re a brave soul planning to draw it yourself, make sure to check out our drawing lessons to learn new things and get inspired!

What do you think Studio 602ers? What other wearable art ideas do you have? Sound off in the comments below and, if you like this post, don’t forget to share using the share bar to the left!

Photo by toolfan.hess.