A girl in my life drawing class wore a pair of shoes that caught my eye a few months back – sneakers with silver sequin fabric over the fronts. They weren’t what you’d expect – overwhelmingly bling-y or like child’s shoes. I think she said they were her ‘happy shoes’.
I thought it wouldn’t be too hard to make something similar, so next time I was near a cheap shoe shop I had a look for shoes with potential. I wound up buying men’s shoes, because the women’s were too plasticy.
Then when I was next in Lindcraft I had a look to see if there was any sequin fabric. All they had was fake sequin fabric, but I decided it would do just as well. In one of those nice little coincidences, they also had fancy shoelaces, including piano keyboard ones. About that point I got RSI, but the project seemed like it would be easy on the hands so it went into my Projects to Finish list.
I wasn’t sure what to do about the white toes. They were bound to get scuffed pretty quickly. In the end it was a tutorial for sprucing up old books that gave me the idea to try glitter. Some flexible artists acrylic varnish that also works as a glue took care of the glitter, and the hot glue gun dealt with the fabric. In a short time I had these:
Which I wore to the final life drawing class plus Christmas celebration. Afterwards I noticed that the glitter is starting to peel off. When it starts to look shabby I might redo them, scuffing up the surface of the toes so the acrylic varnish sticks better. But by then I might be a bit over the glitter, and will just peel it off and leave the toes white.
One of the things I like about fashion at the moment is it has a fun side. A touch of glitter and sequins here, feathers and fur there, bold colours and silly hats. These shoes are pretty tame in comparison, but they’re my happy shoes. For now.
That picture doesn’t do them justice, go out in the sunshine and take a picture of them!!!