
Beware fashion fans: It is time to unload your creativity on custom shoes!

Many athletic sites and brands decided to please users with the possibility to create custom shoe designs.

This way, you will not only get to design your own sneakers, but also show the artistic world that creativity can be functional.

Orthotics, custom fit shoes, and sneaker design for people experiencing foot difficulties

Personalizing shoes is not only a luxurious possibility for the richer, but rather a helpful practice for those with health difficulties.

If experiencing foot issues or being diagnosed with a condition, learning how to customize shoes may give you just the right support and model that is suitable for you (without paying hundreds to get it!). Here are some of the companies that make this possible:

Hersey Custom Shoe Company

James Taylor & Son

Doctor’s Foot Lab (Custom Orthotics)

Custom shoe designs offered by popular brands

More and more companies are becoming part of the custom shoe design trend. Some of the biggest players are Vans and Converse, and recently, fashionistas got also a chance to make personalized Nike shoes. What these brands do is to let you choose the materials, colours, and details you want, pick a size, and have shoes delivered right at your door. What could be more unique than that?

NikeID and Converse One

Vans

Timberland

Custom shoes design

While it is true that you can customize Nike shoes with pretty much every detail you want to include, there are companies where the decision on how to customize sneakers depends only and entirely on you. You just imagine how your next fancy footwear should look, and they make it for you. Of course, the process won’t be cheap at all, but if you think you can afford it, book an appointment with the shoemaker and he will give you the details.

Custom high heels and dress shoes for women

For a while, it was only possible to acquire personalized sneaker design or athletic shoes to solve practicality issues, certain companies decided to deviate from the trend and let creative ladies design their dress shoes and high heels.

Embellished and hand-painted shoes

In order to skip paying for a professional, custom pair of shoes by a popular brand, you should look at such that launch one-of-a-kind pieces. Accustomed to a practice like this, the companies may even accept to make a pair of custom or hand painted shoes.

Custom baby shoe design

While babies don’t really mind whether the shoes they’re wearing are unique, parents often turn to custom shoe design to make a lovely present for them. You can also consider them as a shower gift idea.

NameDate Baby Shoes: A pair that contains the name and date of birth of the baby written in several different ways.

PodsShoes: Etsy shop’s handmade and custom baby shoes

Soft Star Shoes & Moccasins: Catalogued models where you can choose the colour, size, and material

DIY shoes design

Is there anyone out there who didn’t try making shoes of his own, at least during his childhood? This is the ultimate way to have the shoes we dream of ready, and make sure nobody else has a same pair. This article will, among other things, suggest options, workshops and programs that can help you do that.

Shoemaking Workshops

Becoming a professional shoe designer

Let us suggest few of the best websites that allow you to design shoes, and teach you how to customize sneakers:

1. NIKEiD

What if you could customize Nike shoes? The leader of athletic footwear in the world appreciates the creativity of its fans, and has thus developed a custom design program (NIKEiD) where users get to choose colours, sizes, materials, and sports. Basically, you can change everything from performance option to track spikes, and come up with real kick-ass sneakers. If you’re a man, in particular, you’ll get more than 100 styles to tweak to your needs.


2. YourReebok

Reebok unlocks your imagination with YourReebok, a hub where you will find over 30 options for your custom sneaker designs. The range of customizable shapes and colours is not that wide as with Nike, but that won’t put an obstacle to your creative ideas – instead, you’ll get to interpret literally every part of the shoe, including logos, writings, and laces. As it is with Nike, you will have the custom order ready and delivered in up to 5 weeks.

3. MYSWEAR

You may find MYSWEAR slightly more expensive than similar providers, but at the same time, it offers the most unique customization tool. Using it, you can create incredibly beautiful shoes, following the tips of popular bloggers and fashion insiders like streetwear icon Nick Wooster. It is because MYSWEAR uses a one-of-a-kind 3D modelling technology you can use to customize literally every detail of the show, from lining, soles, and copper toecaps to laces. Behind the scene, there will be a team of Portuguese artisans to craft these creations for you, and have your dream shoes delivered at your door.

4. Vans Customs

For many of us, Vans remains the ultimate symbol of youth and creativity. The tool suits perfectly the needs of skate classics, slip-ons, and deck shoes lovers, which is why almost every laid-back dude acquired a pair in the last 50 years. Vans is a flagship brand of pop and youth culture, and definitely one of the pioneers of custom footwear for trendy fashionistas. Today, Vans makes it possible to choose colours and patterns, or even design footwear for sale.

5. Alive Shoes

What if you could actually bulk-sell custom designs and make money out of your creativity? The marketing idea of AliveShoes is unique: They don’t only invite you to design a pair of cool sneakers, but also to come up with your own logo and packaging solution. Another interesting possibility is to pick a pair and redesign it in bulk quantities, and then resell it in Europe and the US. Note that all AliveShoes designs are crafted in Italy, and are usually ready in delivered in 6 weeks.

The reasons Nike has to let customers craft their shows

NIKEiD was the reason why world’s leading sneakers provider got lauded in the first World’s Most Innovative Companies Issue of 2008, being at the time a revolutionary practice for personalized design. Nike included ID studios in all of its leading stores and launched sales directly into theatrical heights, and also noted record performance on its online platform (nike.com).

What is really important to mention here is how consumers tapped into the opportunity to craft personalized Nike shows: back in the days, when creativity was not fully appreciated and the market was not so competitive, it was unique for a company to spot people’s desire to express their needs and wishes.

That, however, is no longer an issue. Popular social networks alike YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook make it possible for millions to generate personalized content, and so with an array of amateur technologies and creativity apps. This, of course, has its good sides and bad sides, but that doesn’t change the fact that it caused genial and incontrovertible advancements in entertainment. Even school are leaning heavily on such creative assets to breed a digital generation, and also one that makes use of its native creativity.

It is important to observe the open-sourcing process outside of the frames of social videos and posts. There are many platforms that take opportunities a step further, including Angelist, and crowdfunding sites such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter. These platforms allow direct participation in the creation of products and services, but also fuel engagement in civic and cultural activities (Meetup, GoFundMe, Crowdrise, and more).

Open sourcing didn’t go unnoticed even by big companies, which nowadays launch contents and employee-wide tenders to fuel creative entrepreneurship in bureaucrat environments. It is therefore becoming a bottom-up model of deciding and a competitive edge for brands from all industries, and we can see that looking at initiative-animated corner offices spawned at lunchroom tables, Slack channels, and cubicles.

The relationship between technology advancements and open sourcing goes two ways – the same way tools encourage creativity, creativity causes their developers to change their approach. This is why open-sourcing is most active in software environments and uses API-based architecture to reflect this cultural way.

We have GitHub, for instance, which is a communal platform for code sharing, and manifests in the best way how creativity can spread inexorably in areas we never considered. Basically, what custom design does is helping us spread our voice in the modern world, and customized sneakers are a great way to start doing that.

How to customize shoes

Start simple.

Choose canvas shoes, and use permanent fabric markers to make them look as you want them.

Of course, the shoes should be properly cleaned before you doodle them. Mistakes do happen, so take a pencil and sketch your design in advance. You can choose between using a single colour or several ones, making sure that lighter shades are applied before darker outlines. Here are some great ideas to consider:

Names, nicknames, and initials

Spirals, squiggles, swirls, or zigzags

Stars, hearts, and lightning bolts

Gemstones and studs

Skulls or smiley faces

Birds, butterflies, and flowers

Chevron, checker surfaces, polka dots, and more

Embellishment ideas for the front toe area

If interested to design a fancy dress shoe, you can consider attaching brooches and pendants in the front part. To keep them there, you should use industrial-strength glues alike Super Glue or E6000, or pick an oversized shoe clip you can easily detach upon need. You can always decorate the two shoes in different ways, but make sure they match.

Another interesting idea is to purchase blank clip-on hangers and earrings, attach them, and stick pendants and brooches directly on them.

Use shiny ribbon instead of plain laces

The easiest and most cost-effective way to beautify an old pair of shoes is to replace the laces with satin ribbon (between 1.27 and 2.54 centimetre (half of an inch). Take the ribbon, cut both of its ends at an angle, and seal them with super glue to avoid fraying. Lace up your shoes with them, and they will immediately look more personal. You can use any colour you want, including contrasting tones that look just adorable. Here are some ideas

For white shoes, the ribbon should be black or teal.

On light blue shoes, you can add some dark blue, white, or black ribbon.

Using rhinestones on flip-flop straps and sandals

One of the hottest trends in custom shoe design is attaching rhinestones to sandals and flip-flop straps, which you can easily do with E6000 and superglue. All sizes will work here, but you must be careful how you choose the colours and the patterns. What works the best, according to shoe designers, is to arrange them randomly, as they’d look more personalized and professional.

There are other parts of the shoe where rhinestones look good. Swarovski crystals, for instance, are a great solution for fancy wedding dresses.

Dressing up flip-flops with wrapped ribbon

To dress up a plain pair of flip-flops, get some colourful ribbon band, glue its ends to the base of the straps (alike candy canes), and wind the band all along the strap. Once you reach the other end of the sandal, cut off the excess pieces, and stick the edges to the base. Of course, it doesn’t have to be satin ribbon – you can get any other sustainable fabric you like.

Bonus tip: Instead of one, take two ribbon bands, and glue each end on a separate strap, wrapping them together. It will look just amazing when they meet up in a pretty bow right above your toe thong, and they will attract attention right away.

Painting fabric and canvas shoes

First and foremost, make sure you have all the supplies you need.

There is hardly anything as creative as painting footwear to resemble who you are and what you enjoy. This is why so many people abide to the method of painting canvas shoes, be those made of regular fabrics or genuine leather. You should remember that paint will last the longest on fabric, and you will most likely have to repaint other materials like leather and plastic. Here is a list of your supplies:

Fabric/Canvas shoes

Acrylic paint primer

Acrylic paint

Acrylic sealer

Palette and brushes

Permanent (and thin!) marker

Tapes for painting

Decide which area you want to paint, and cover the rest with painter’s tape. This way, you will get crisp and well-marked lines to work on, and you won’t get all messed up. Before you begin painting, apply some paint primer on the surface.

All of this will decrease the effects of the canvas’s original paint, and clean it properly for you to work up your magic. Primers, for instance, help paint stick to the canvas, but you should apply only thin layers to preserve the original texture.

If your design is delicate and there is a lot of open space (scrolls, vines, and lace), primers are not recommended. Instead, you should apply several coats of paint starting with the darker ones.

Paint primers and all other supplies can be found in any craft/art store and household appliances market.

Before you begin, make a pencil sketch of your design

This helps to mark the painting area, and make sure there won’t be any mistakes. Sketch lightly, as otherwise your pencil marks will be visible even after you’ve painted the canvas.

As it is only your first attempt to design shoes, choose a lighter and a simpler solution.

Next, take some acrylic paint, and fill up the marked area.

Of course, it may happen that you cross a line or make a mistake, in which case you should let the paint dry, and apply a new coat over it. Smaller mistakes can even be corrected with primer.

The creative fellows among you may also be interested in some shading, in which case we recommend lay down the basic colour, letting it dry, and only then repaint the shadows and the highlights.

Give paint some time to dry

For most acrylic paints, this shouldn’t take longer than 20 minutes. Still, it may be a good a idea to consult a professional, because some oil based paints require more than an hour to dry.

Outline the work you’ve done with permanent markers, so that it will stand out more than you expected. This cool tip helps make your work more professional and neater.

Next, take a clear acrylic sealer, and spray the shoes. In such way, you will protect them from smudging and tear, and you will be able to clean them often without causing any damage. Once done, peel the tape off, and your shoe design will be ready to go.

Note that the tape should be removed only for as long as the sealer is wet, because you may accidently chip it off. Just in case, let the shoes dry for a day before you put them on. You should also know that no spray sealer is a 100% guarantee that the paint won’t be spoiled, and you should skip wearing these shoes on wet weather.

Glitter up your shoes

Make sure you have all supplies you need.

If looking for an original and remarkable way to dress up your shoes, look no further than glitter. Some people chose to cover the entire surface of the shoe with glitter, while the more modest version is to choose a small portion (a tiny detail such as a star or a heart). For high heels, on the other hand, you can glitter the sole base, and keep the rest of the surface plain. Here is the list of your supplies:

The shoes

Gloss finish and mod podge

Glitter

A newspaper and some painter’s tape

Paint and foam brushes

Plastic wrap

Plastic bowls

A stirring stick or a spoon

Some acrylic sealer

If there are laces and embellishments, remove them first

In such way, they won’t be an obstacle while you’re glittering the desired surface. Therefore, remove them completely, and work on a clean surface. You can easily put them back in place once the glitter is completely dry.

Use rubbing alcohol to clean the glittering area

Get some rubbing alcohol and soak a cotton ball inside. Use it to wipe the area that is about to be glittered, and repeat the process as many times as necessary until the ball is completely clean. There shouldn’t be any oil or dirt on the surface, as it may prevent your glitter and mod podge from sticking to it. Don’t skip the process even if you think your shoes are absolutely clean – the last thing you want here is to spend glitter in vain.

Areas that won’t get any glitter should stay protected with painter’s tape

This is another useful tip that helps you work like a pro, and gives you a clean surface to operate on. You can also get some newspaper or an old cloth the fill the inside while working, so that no glitter will reach the inner part of the shoe. Next, pour some mod podge in a clean plastic bowl, and stir the glitter inside it.

Stirring works the best with a spoon or a Popsicle. The thickness of your glitter will be decisive on as how many coats you should brush onto the surface, making it a priority to obtain a smooth consistency. In any case, try to use only as much glitter as necessary, as otherwise you’ll get a chunky material that is difficult to spread.

Take the glitter glue, and spread it on the surface with a painting brush. Expect the first layer to be thin and not as sparkly as you expect it. That’s not an issue, as you’ll get just the right amount of glitter when applying the next coats. Repeat the same process for the other shoe.

Take some plastic wrap, and cover the bowl until the shoes are completely dry

Meanwhile, also rinse glue off the brushes and store them in a dry place so that their bristles are not overly damaged.

Same goes for covering the plastic bowl, as the glitter glue must remain fresh inside.

You will know it is time to apply glitter only once the glue on the shoe becomes completely clear.

Then, apply your glitter in as many layers as you need. Make sure you leave just enough time for a coat to dry before you apply the next one. Fully-glittered shoes will usually require four to five coats, depending on how much glitter you’ve poured in the original mixture. At the end, cover the glitter with a thin coat of glossy mod podge. In such way, you will seal your design and make sure glitter is not shed all around the shoes. Once the mod is dry, take the newspaper out and remove the tape. In few hours (depending on the humidity), your shoes will be ready to wear.

To protect them even more, you can spray some acrylic sealer in the very end. This can also be any waterproof shoe spray, as long as it is clear and glossy. A matte version may cause the sparkle to decrease, so make sure you’ve purchased the right sealer. Note that the spray should also be completely dry before you can wear your shoes. The approximate time a sealer takes to dry is between 20 minutes and 2 hours.

Now, it is time to put your laces and embellishments back on, and show the world your marvellous new shoes!

Bonus tips

Less is more! This is the first time you’re custom-designing shoes, so let go of all pressure that you should design a masterpiece. Besides, simple lines and shapes often turn out more attractive than overdone, tedious designs that can’t say much about your personality.

If you are talented for artwork, practice even more, and you may eventually prepare shoes for sales on the local market. There is a big chance that a craft or artisan store will be interested in your work.

Practice on shoes that are no longer used or wanted, and you may as well transform them into the new hit everyone will be obsessed with.

Warnings

Always have a clear plan on what you wish to achieve, as coming up with instant ideas can ruin both your shoes and your project.

Use only waterproof materials, especially some high-quality glue and resistant sealing spray.

There is no 100% guarantee that your shoes won’t be damaged by moisture, so avoid wearing them in the inappropriate conditions.

Awesome Custom Shoes Designs Created By Graphic Designers

As a graphic designer you can extend your tentacles in various domains of activity cause everyone needs a good image for its product. I’ve seen a few graphic shoes designs before making this article but researching for it made me realize there’s more to it than I imagined.

In this last part of the article there are 42 custom shoes designs hand made or printed on the shoes, boots, high heels or sneakers. The design type can vary from childish to badass or simply cool.

Samurai Dunks

Customized Shoes

Custom Designs 2010

Nike Custom

TIXINDA is a mexican design brand creates by Anabel Vanoni and Eric Morales “Dr. Morbito”, it’s a fusion between design and urban-ethnic art, engaged in recovering our cultural identity valves through the creation of exclusive innovative and ludic products.

TIXINDA was born since LOVE in long run searchs and spiritual needs, rescuing to ethnic magic and is much more than what shows at first sight, is a project that propose to mediate between prehispanic and present cultures to join them in a simple, deep and engaging way.

Sneakers Custom 3

Style Kicks

Mixmag kicks Customised Sneaker

Sneakers

Wolve Sneakers

Custom Shoe Illustrations

ChombaChucks

Custom Sneakers Smallworld

Sneakers

More kicks

My own shoe monster Pro-Ked shoes

Customised Sneakers 02

tsunami chucks

Custom Adidas Stan Smith

Custom Kicks

ES21 sneakers Hiruma

Custom shoes, Rockacoca 2009

paint shoe

Castle Crashers Sneakers

Sneakers

Doggy sneakers

Custom Sneakers Fingers

Gon Sneakers

Sneakers 5a

New kicks

ES21 sneakers Sena

Custom Nike Dunk High

Custom Kicks – pair 2

Custom shoes

Custom painted Nike sneakers

The Empire Strikes Sneakers

Shoes For Molly

Costumize Onitsuka Tiger

Born This Way Shoes

FLORA & FAUNA CHUCKS

Yet more custom sneakers

Custom Converse :: Pacman

Retro- F Version- ZOMBIE shoes

Ending thoughts

Custom shoes are the new trend.

For some of us, they are a solution to an annoying foot commodity problem, while other simply like the idea of wearing shoes that are out-of-the box.

In both cases, custom shoe design is the perfect opportunity to show the world how creative you are.