Finding shoes to customize
There are many ways to use 3d printing to customize shoes, but its all in vain if the shoes are ugly to begin with. However, its not feasible for the average person to spend retail price for shoes they intend to cover in glue and plastic. Its important to find sources that offer a balance between these two paradigms.
The first pair of shoes I customized I came across by complete accident. I had to shower at my gym, but I forgot my shower shoes. Due to my fear of contracting orthopedic syphilis in public showers, I decided to stop by Shoppers World for a pair of shower shoes. There I found a gorgeously ugly pair of bootleg Yeezy runners and took them home for a measly $8. Upon taking them home, I realized I had a roll of olive PLA filament that matched the color of the shoes perfectly. I printed an army of spikes and the rest is history.
A few sources for affordable shoes a that i utilize for this project are thrift stores, discount stores like Ross, Foreman Mills, and Walmart. These store have an abundance of bootleg foam runners, women platforms, and basic shoes that are perfect for customization. Another novel place i discovered to gather shoes are abandoned homeless encampments and places blighted by drug abuse. Although this sounds dangerous and insane, I have found that the homeless have a tendency to abandon absolute heaters. On top of that, they also love to collect and stash costume jewelry, industrial scrap, electronic waste, children toys and bags. I like to repurpose this junk for small embellishments, especially the gems from old toys and straps from abandoned bags. I stay in Kensington, PA, so there's no shortage of tweaker junk laying around for the taking. Overall, I'd say I source 60% of the materials for my projects from the skreets, and this project is no different
Printing Spikes
Spikes are relatively easy to make. A simple drafted extrusion or drafted sweep can make the spike geometry in a few steps. I used Cura to adjust the scale of the spikes and arrange them on my print bed. You can use Cura's jitter settings to create a fuzzy or textured spikes. Conversely, you can adjust the retract setting on Cura to create what looks like seaweed fibers on the spike. I used this to make the spikes on the green foam runners to give the appearance of a reptile that just emerged from am eerie bog.
Printing scales
Scales actually came as an accident. When printing a large amount of small scales, my Ender 3 would retract so much in so little time that the filament would become marred and the print would fail. I had hundreds of small failed spikes that I had no idea what to do with. I then realized that I could glue them up in a shingle pattern to create scales. I also realized you could glue up a large section of scales o a flat surface and then use the hotend of a glue gun to melt the scales to be form-fitting to the shoe. I used gyroid infill on the spikes which made a small 's' shape in the center of the scale, which i thought looked rally cool and organic. Overall, adding scales is a great way to utilize failed prints and makes the shoe look all the more alive.
Gluing spikes
There are a variety of fastening methods and adhesives you can use to attach your spikes. For foam shoes, its important to find an adhesive that is flexible and compatible with rubber and PLA. It needs to be compliant enough to flex under the weight of a human foot as well as wear and tear from wearing them on the streets. Additionally, a glue that dries clear is best. I have tried a variety of glues, including cyanoacrylate (super glue), rubber cement, Testors ABS plastic glue, scotch flex hold, low temp hot glue, and marine epoxy.
In my experience the marine adhesive works best because of the water resistance and high flexibility. Although prohibitively expensive and toxic, it is the best adhesive for the application.
A close second was the scotch flex hold, as it was very compliant and held well. It wasn't as resistant to scrapes and damage as the marine adhesive was, though.
I would stay away from super glue, hot glue, or rubber cement. Hot glue and rubber cement are compiant enough, but they dry with a distinctive color and dont accept paint well. They also dont hold as well as more industrialized glues. Super glue works, but ut dries yellow and has little compliance. Spikes broke off almost immediately when using super glue and hard plastic epoxies. Super glues can be used to great effect on nylon and acrylic fabrics, though, as those materials consist of weaved plastic fibers.
Its important to note that many of the foam runners come with a finish that needs to be removed before gluing starts. I use acetone on a shop rag and sand the spot where im placing a spike to mitigate any chemical interference in the gluing process.
Adding embellishments
I like to add small things like gems, spikes, straps, chains, jewels, wires and words to the shoes. I used my Ender 3 to print out small phrases and charms to add to the shoe. I frequently raid my nearest dollar store for gems, beads and costume jewelry to incorporate. I also keep my eyes peeled for any groundscore jewelry or chains to find in the street, as I like the weathered look of the embellishments. Lastly, I like to use the nylon straps and clips from old backpacks to add more aggressive, tactical styling to the shoe.
One thing to consider is to incorporate the filament itself to the shoe. I used green PLA to form faux laces on my green foam runners. I used purge strips to weave in between to create spider webs. I also used misprinted material to add more geometric shapes to the shoe. d
Painting and Finishing
There are many ways to use color to finish the shoe. In the heels I made for my girlfriend, I opted to paint the shoe and add gems to get rid of the initial ugly black and white colorway. On the other hand, I chose not to paint the green foam runners and use an aerosol glaze. Both methods proved to have a variety of issues and troubleshooting involved.
The paint you choose must be compatible with rubber or fabric, and scuff resistant. For this application, I choose Rustoleum 2X paint and primer as well as Zinissser 123 Primer for priming (which is also a rustoleum product). The Zinisser is a thick flat enamel that is the most opaque white spray paint known to America next to Kilz. When painting a dark shoe a light color, I recommend that you prime with Zinisser 123. For painting a light shoe dark, I'd recommend Rustoleum grey primer or Flat black Rustoleum 2x to prime the surface.
The best method for applying paint to shoes is the best method to applying paint to anything. Clean, sand, prime, paint, finish.
I choose spray paint because it creates an even finish, but I have considered using gesso or brushed on acrylic to create a brushed texture. when using spray paint, it is important to start off light and gradually build coats to avoid dripping. I recomend following the directions on the bottle of your specific spray paint. I mix and match paint and clear coat to achieve the finish I want.
One issue I ran into was failed paint adhesion to the foam runners. I tried to use Rustoleum Triple Thick Glaze to get a gloss finish, but I had found that the waxy factory finish interfered and caused cracking. I'm not too mad about it, because it looks like a reptile shedding a layer of shin, which is pretty tight. But, to mitigate this Id recommend thoroughly removing the factory finish with acetone or paint thinner ad sanding the shoe before begining the glue process.
Are you selling them?
Yes, and no. I really don't care to profit from this idea, as i think its a really accessible and fun introduction into manufacturing. I see this as a great tool for teachers to show student different manufacturing techniques and how they come together to make a fun product. The technology is very accessible, as an enterprising middle schooler could definitely making their own. On top of that, I feel like the punkish appearance of the shoe has wide appeal to the DIY crowd. It would be cool to see these shoes used a a sort of cyberpunk jean jacket, with people trading spikes and charms. Ultimately I'd want this to turn into a duct tape wallet type fad. I think its an awesome craft and it has the potential to inspire people, I would love to see what others do with it. However, I am considering holding sip and paint type events where people can come together and make their own. If you want to buy one of the pairs I have already made my site will be up soon!
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