Tips for working with Heels

Here are a few tips you may find helpful when you are working with your shoes. 

Lightly sand the shoes before coating them with a layer of gesso (either black or white).  The sanding will help the gesso adhere to the surface better.  The gesso layer will insure that any paint you use on your shoes won’t slide off.  Once you have coated the shoe with a layer of gesso and it is completely dry you can paint it with just about any acrylic or textile paint. 

If is okay to paint the bottom (and inside) of your shoes but refrain from adding anything to the bottom that will interfere with the shoe being able to stand on it’s own without any props.

Remember that your finished heels will have to be packaged and shipped to the buyer so any embellishments have to be securely fastened.  Use an epoxy glue such as E6000 as your adhesive.  Some other suggestions are to use cording, grommets, brads or stitching.  You can use a sharp awl or even a fine drill bit to create holes in  your shoes to attach the brads.

If you are adding beads (or glitter) to your shoe surface make sure they do not brush off or consider stitching them to a fabric base first and then attaching the fabric to the shoe.

Once your shoes are completed give them the shake test.  Pick them and shake them to make sure your embellishments are secure and don’t fall off or come loose and take steps to secure them.

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