ShockQueen

If you have shoes/boots with platform soles, and the paint coating chips away, revealing a different color base underneath, what do you recommend as far as repainting the sides of the platforms?

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SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!

shoerepairer

Are you looking to re-paint the base sole or the side of the platforms? wasn't 100% sure from the post?

If its the sides, do you know what the platform is now, is it covered with material or sprayed plastic?

What colour is it?

do you have a picture?

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ShockQueen

I have a picture taken of them here:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...hY2tCZXJye.jpg

It looks like they're thinly painted, so I was hoping to just be able to run it over with more paint. I saw Krylon made a new one called "Krylon Fusion" that bonds to plastic. Do you think I'd have luck there?

__________________
SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!

shoerepairer

If these where black it would be a lot simpler!

Here in the UK you can buy a water based dye that can be mixed to achieve different colours, the beauty of these is they will cover pretty much any surface & have an amount of flexibility when dry.

The two most popular brands in the UK are made by Punch (Lady Esquire) & Dylon. Both are very similar as the two products are owned by the same parent company.

You can mix them & put it in a jar for future touch ups. Sadly I'm not familiar with whats available in the USA but would advice to find a mixable water based shoe dye, Sure others will advice various paints but they won't be as good.

Lee

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Repair Reuse Recycle. Cobbler it.

ShockQueen

Would a water-based dye work on painting plastic though? If so, then I can certainly look around for something like that. If not, I'll see what other options there are for painting over the red to get it brown again.

__________________
SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!

shoerepairer

Water based dye is the correct dye for plastic & the punch & dylon products will both dye black shoes white so are perfect for dying the red back to brown again.
Its EXACTLY what you need.

Lee

__________________
Repair Reuse Recycle. Cobbler it.

ShockQueen

So if I want to just say heck with it, and do black for the soles, what would you do then, if it's easier to do?

__________________
SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!

shoerepairer

If they where mine (baring in mind its what I do for a living!) I'd smooth the damage with some special "stuff" I have, then spray them with plasic heel spray!

But for DIY I'd do exactly what I said before, use a water based shoe dye there's no easy way, The only difference is you can always get black!

Lee

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Repair Reuse Recycle. Cobbler it.

avidsiman

Acrylic paints are good for plastic surfaces as they essentially become part of the plastic when they dry without cracking or peeling. Acrylics are easy to work with, most are water soluble, don't fade over time, come in a huge selection of colors for color matching, and even the best brands are cheap. You can find quality acrylics at an art supply store or a hobby shop. I'd try the hobby shop first as they stock paints intended for plastic, metal, and wood whereas art stores cater to paper, canvas, and ceramics. hobby shop staffs are more knowledgeable too. Look for pre-thinned paints which have the consistency of water so you can paint straight from the bottle. Although you'll get much better results with an aerosol spray or, preferrably, and airbrush. Tamiya makes a good paint as do Monogram Humbrol, Pactra, and Polly-S. The latter two being cheaper and requiring a little manually thinning on the user's part.

lightly sand and clean the affected part of the boot with ultra fine grit sand paper and wipe with isopropyl alcohol. Once dry, apply the paint in ultra thin layers letting the paint dry sufficiently between coats. If you screw up, use the isopropyl alcohol to wipe the paint off and start again when the surface is dry. The most common mistake novices make is they try to make the repair in a single coat of paint. You need to work in thin layers to build up opacity without making the surface become gloppy or develop that 'orange peel' look. Acrylics tend to dry very fast, and the thinner the layer, the faster it will dry. So even if you apply many layers, it won't take long. Take your time, do it right the first time.

If using an airbrush or spray, consider painting the entire heel instead of just the affected area as doing so may result in a more consistent look. Touchups tend to give themselves away from being of different reflectivity/gloss than the original surface even when the color matches.