Need help painting ballet shoes.

[tazdev3225]

My DGD is having her first dance recital next week. The dress rehearsal is Thursday. She has pink ballet shoes that have to be painted white before the dress rehearsal. I heard that but then missed the part about how to do it. Has anybody had to do this and what kind of paint do I use? I am thinking that the high gloss enamel I have won't work. I would buy her new shoes but I can't find any in the stores around here. Help! please.

 

[blissventure]

I would call the teacher and ask them for specific instructions on what they want you to use to paint those shoes.
(It's better to ask for repeat instructions than to have paint flakes all over the dance floor from a paint that doesn't adhere well.)

 

[Robmom]

There is special paint for shoes. Check with a shoemaker or someplace like that. The dance school should be able to tell you where. Then after you find it, put some newspaper in the shoe and go outside and spray paint them. Leave them to dry overnight. I had to do this for 8 years. Well, actually I got DH to paint them.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I've been doing this for years. Stuff them with newspaper and spraypaint them.

 

[Darsa]

We did this for DD a couple of years; we did as above, stuffed with newspapers and we were able to use regular spraypaint. Needed LOTS of time to dry and a couple of coats to look good.

 

[ilovepcot]

Yep...just as they said above. Newspaper and spray paint. You don't need to go to lots of trouble over a young childs dance shoes. Highly doubtful she can use them much longer if at all.

My 93 year old grandfather sprayed his shoes with metallic gold paint! None of the family realized he'd done this until we were all about to enter a really beautiful upscale restaurant. My mom was pizzzed! When we asked WHY he'd done it, he replied, "I wanted my shoes to look spiffy"! They were *hideous* and looked way worse than clown shoes.

 

[tazdev3225]

Thank you all. I am assuming I can use regular spray paint. This is our first of many years to come. The shoes are really getting to small for her anyway so I'm not worried about ruining them as long as I can get them to look white.

 

[Angelhalo]

I've been doing this for years. Stuff them with newspaper and spraypaint them.

This is exactly how we did mine when I was little.

 

[jel0511]

REALLY stuff then tight. My DD's sometimes shrunk when spray painting them. Since the leather gets wet from the paint, sometimes when it dries, they shrink up a bit.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

My 93 year old grandfather sprayed his shoes with metallic gold paint! None of the family realized he'd done this until we were all about to enter a really beautiful upscale restaurant. My mom was pizzzed! When we asked WHY he'd done it, he replied, "I wanted my shoes to look spiffy"! They were *hideous* and looked way worse than clown shoes.

Aw, he sounds cute.

 

[hedgehog2owl]

my daughter's dance teacher just did hers. It appears she used spray paint.

re ruining them: last year, they spray painted them silver. Before the first class this year , my husband removed the silver with paint thinner, and they looked just fine after that.

lol @ metallic gold! That's what color they painted the shoes this year! DD loves them!

 

[muffyn]

REALLY stuff then tight. My DD's sometimes shrunk when spray painting them. Since the leather gets wet from the paint, sometimes when it dries, they shrink up a bit.

what...
no references yet to O.J's glove?

 

[Nancy]

we always used Krylon spray paint. Make sure you stuff them really full and don't take the papers out till the shoes are dry. You might also need more than 1 coat too.

We had to spray so many shoes over the years. I used to hate the fact that I would spend 50.00 or more for their tap or character shoes and then have to spray them. The worst was the bright red.

 

[lillygator]

wow - grew up in dance and usually the studio did all the shoes so they would match.

 

[Imzadi]

My 93 year old grandfather sprayed his shoes with metallic gold paint! None of the family realized he'd done this until we were all about to enter a really beautiful upscale restaurant. My mom was pizzzed! When we asked WHY he'd done it, he replied, "I wanted my shoes to look spiffy"! They were *hideous* and looked way worse than clown shoes.

Aw, he sounds cute.

Yeah, when you get to be 93, you become exempt from having to be straightlaced and mundane all the time. Go Grandpa!

 

[tazdev3225]

Thank you all for the advice and the funny grampa story. I sprayed them last night and they seem ok today. I will need to touch them up but hopefully the teacher will give us the thumbs up at class today. I said next year I'm buying white but then I'll probably have to spray them chartreuse

 

[ilovepcot]

My granddad would love all you ladies. He'd put on his bow tie, gold shoes and insist on taking all of you to lunch.

 

[Robmom]

what...
no references yet to O.J's glove?

I actually thought the same thing when I read it.

 

[BCV513]

My mom always used spray paint. It always worked without a problem.

 

[swald91]

Are they leather ballet shoes or canvas? You can use a leather dye-may actually color better than a spray. Remember to cover the soles on the bottom good-if you get any type of spray paint on the suede bottoms they may become slippery.