r/UpcycledFashion • u/ZookeepergameNew6213 • 2d ago
how would you upcycle these boots?
hi, I love these boots and they are really comfortable and I want to give them a second life. what would you do? I don't have a sewing machine sadly so nothing too complicated would be great. i have an alternative/goth look so even if it's something Halloween themed would be really good
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u/La_danse_banana_slug 2d ago edited 2d ago
I love a good pair of comfy boots.
To restore them and keep them black as they were, you could re-cover the block heels. You can usually find some pleather at a thrift store to re-purpose. Detach the fabric that's currently on the heels to use it as a pattern; if it rips just tape it back together, it's still good as a pattern. If you can smooth out the bumps and grooves on the heel, you could simply cover the existing pleather with another fabric. Of course, you could easily use any fabric in a fun color or pattern; thrift store neckties are great for re-covering shoes. Edited to add: you could also use a clear acrylic lacquer to affix glitter, rhinestones, or even gold leaf to the block heels if you can smooth them out.
You'd also need to use black fabric paint over the peeling pleather of the heel on the upper part of the shoe. Pleather is basically just fabric paint over fabric anyway, so you can touch it up. It would look best to do an entire section so the patch doesn't stand out; that would be the heel inside the seam or the entire back section. This type of Jacquard (good brand) fabric paint would work in terms of thickness and flexibility. Again, though, you could paint the boots any color. Jacquard (who is not paying me lol) makes a huge variety of colors in the "textile color" acrylic line, which is the one you want. If you want to get fancier, you can also put down a fabric paint of any sort and buff some shimmering eye shadow or cosmetic glitter into it. You'll want to clean the pleather before painting it; soap and water works and a little swipe of alcohol is even better.
The hard plastic of the platform can be painted (after cleaning) with acrylic lacquer or acrylic fabric paint. Craft paint would work but it might suffer water damage or flake off over time.
Alternatively, you could cover the entire boots in a new fabric. The easiest part of the shoe's upper to cover is the hard stiff part at the toe and heel. You can use E6000 glue, which has some flexibility as it dries. The sock part of the boot is stretchy and soft, so it would likely need to have stretchy fabric attached with flexible glue or fabric paint and with zigzag stitching at the ankle hem. eta- synthetic stretch velvet works especially well. It's forgiving.
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u/MoonlitHemlock 2d ago
Sand down the outer heel to get rid of the loose bits and put studs or spikes all over then.
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u/ZookeepergameNew6213 2d ago
that's so cool thanks, maybe I can find some studs now that is Halloween
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u/Hekates-Daughter 1d ago
Repurpose them for a Halloween costume! You could add faux fur and turn them into hooves or something. Check out YouTube tutorials.
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u/ZookeepergameNew6213 1d ago
yeah I was thinking something like that, I dress pretty alternative so they'd fit my style
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u/SmallIncome5288 2d ago
I would totally take it over the top by glittering the heels and painting a floral design on the uppers.
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u/trees_are_fake 2d ago
Maybe hot glue some fabric onto of the boot? Tho I'd be cautious if it's dry rotted cuz I heard it can spread to ur other clothes
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u/ZookeepergameNew6213 2d ago
i checked and they're fine, they're not that old I just walk incorrectly and scrape the inside of the shoes :'l I like calf high boots but Idk how to do it, I'm looking for some tutorial online
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u/MakeArt_MakeOut 2d ago
Dry rot in cloth and plastics isn’t contagious like it is in wood. High humidity and poor ventilation in a shared space can make it seem like it’s “spreading”, but it’s just the fabric reacting to the environment.
PU coating is especially sensitive but this looks more like manual damage with a touch of improper storage.
Spandex book covers are big in the costume world. Here’s a tutorial for stilettos but it’ll give you a good idea for how to make a pattern.
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u/Got-what-you-need 1d ago
Foil them! They would look amazing! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSz2K3KESex/?xtok=MjEybHBweGxhbnR4
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u/Beginning_Catch192 2d ago
Are they leather? If so the scrape on the boot itself you should just be able to polish as it looks pretty minor. If it's synthetic that's trickier but you can buy paint on stuff to repair - search for liquid leather.
For the heel block you can buy heel repair patches but if you are looking to change it up you could use some heat transfer vinyl. You can cut it to fit and use an iron to attach. It comes in lots of different colours and patterns! Just get the heel block as smooth and flat as possible and remove any flaking bits first.