Updated Saddle Shoes

This is an instructable on how to update saddle shoes with glitter. Saddle shoes were especially popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, glitter/metallic flat form sandals have become a noteworthy trend. Having sandals and glitter together isn't completely my style. The solution? These updated saddle shoes. I can wear the glitter trend but in a more casual and rad way (in my opinion).

Please be sure to not get glitter on your face because glitter is dangerous to eyes. If you get glitter on your face please go wipe it off carefully. We want this to be a fun experience!

Enjoy this instructable!

For this instructable you will need the following:

- canvas shoes
(I got mine at Walmart for less than $7)

- modge podge
(I have the 8 fl oz bottle of the gloss variety of modge podge but that will be more than plenty. They also sell tinted modge podge. Feel free to experiment with that if you'd like!)

- glitter
(Any color(s) you would like! I have a 2 oz bottle of glitter)

- newspaper
(To protect your workspace and inside of your shoes)

- (damp) paper towel
(To clean off extra glitter- just in case! The paper towel isn't damp just so you can tell what it is!).

- paper plate
(To mix the modge podge and glitter on)

- foam or paint brushes
(I will be using a paint brush. If you have a few paintbrushes you can choose what size you want to use).

- clear acrylic coat spray
(I am using the Krylon Crystal Clear)

- cup of water
(A cup you don't care about. I am using a plastic kid cup)
See second picture (I forgot to put it in the first picture!)

Place newspaper down on your work surface. We don't want the modge podge getting on your table/floor and want to contain the glitter!

Take the tags off your shoes.

Take the laces off your shoes and set them aside. We don't want the laces getting the glitter/modge podge mixture on them!

We want to stuff the shoes with newspaper because this will protect the inside of your shoes from getting gunked up with the glitter/modge podge mixture. It will also make painting your shoes easier!

Grab your paper plate because next we are making the glitter/ modge podge mixture!

On the paper plate, pour half modge podge and half glitter. We don't want the mixture getting too chunky. You will see how you can add more glitter to the shoes in a later step!)

To avoid wasting supplies you can always make more of the mixture if you run out of it while painting. If you do run out at any point during your project, make more of this mixture.

Mix the mixture with your paint brush until the glitter is evenly dispersed.

Your shoes probably have a front portion, middle portion, and heel portion which are sectioned off from each other with seams. Note the picture below to see my seams (I have traced the seams in red).

The next picture is of a red shaded area on the shoes. This is where we will be painting the shoes with the glitter/modge podge mixture.

Notice how we are leaving the toe and heel portions of the shoes blank.

We will be painting 4 areas (outside and inside middle sections of both shoes).

Paint one of the middle sections of your canvas shoes with the glitter /modge podge mixture you created in step 4. (You want to make sure this is a thin layer. Don't glob it on to cover everywhere with glitter. That will make the shoes uncomfortably hard.

Use damp paper towel to wipe off your shoes in places you got glitter mixture on where you don't want glitter. (Metal eyelets, tongue, sole , etc).

Next we will be sprinkling glitter onto the part of the shoes we just painted with the mixture. Make sure these areas of your shoes are still wet. We need the modge podge to still be wet because we want the glitter to stick to the shoes!

Next... Sprinkle a small amount of glitter over the area you just painted. Aren't you glad you put down newspaper? :)

While your first shoe is drying, paint a middle section of the second shoe. To make this easy on me, I painted both outside sections first so I could lean them together so they could dry.

Repeat step 8 on the shoe you just painted (wipe off any extra mixture).

Repeat step 9 for the middle section of the second shoe you just painted. (Sprinkle glitter on the painted section of the shoe).

Take a break from your shoes to let the two painted sections of shoes to dry (one section on each shoe). I wait about 30 minutes (or more if needed) before painting the other sides of the shoes. This lets the modge podge dry in the places it's supposed to be.

Put the paint brush(es) you used into your cup of water. This will prevent the brush from drying with modge podge on it/them. If modge podge dries on your brush(es), it will ruin them.

Follow steps 7, 8 and 9 for the second section of one of the shoes.

(Step 7 is paint middle section of one shoe.
Step 8 is wipe off extra mixture.
Step 9 sprinkle more glitter onto the painted section)

Repeat this process again for the remaining blank middle section.

Let the sides of the shoes you just worked on dry for 30 minutes (longer if needed we want everything to be completely dry).

Some glitter that you sprinkled onto your shoes probably didn't stick to your shoes. Gently shake your shoes to get rid of this glitter. This is an important step to complete before you spray the shoes with the clear acrylic spray because if you do not do this, glitter will stick where you don't want it to (on the soles etc). We want the spray to seal on the glitter than is stuck on your shoes so it doesn't fall off.

If you see any blank spaces within the middle sections after shaking off the glitter that wasn't stuck onto your shoes, it's touch-up time!

Simply dab a little mixture onto the blank spaces (remember don't make it chunky) then sprinkle glitter onto the space (perhaps some of the glitter that is probably on your newspaper).

Wipe mixture off areas you don't want glitter with your damp paper cloth.

Let the touch-ups dry on one side of a shoe dry before flipping the shoe over to the other side. This will prevent the glitter you just put on your shoes from wiping off.

Let's shoes dry completely then gently shake off extra glitter.

In a well ventilated area, follow the instructions on your bottle of clear acrylic spray and spray the glitter parts of your shoes. This clear acrylic coating will protect the glitter from coming off and getting everywhere!

The instructions will probably tell you to hold the bottle 10-12 inches from what you want to spray. Be sure to do this. If you spray any closer, the pressure of the spray might knock glitter off your shoes. It would also make the coat of acrylic very thick and runny. In short it will make your shoes not cute.

Let your shoes dry again. Spray another layer onto the glitter sections of you'd like. If you do, let your shoes dry again.

Remove the newspaper from your shoes And put the laces back on your shoes if you want to. Now, go rock your new updated saddle shoes. They are rad!

Hope you enjoyed this instructable! Please vote for this in the glitter contest!

Best,
Elana

:)