What You Need to Get Started Fast
Whether you aim to personalize your own kicks or dive into the world of professional shoe customization, this comprehensive guide will equip you with everything you need to kickstart your custom painting adventure.
Discover the exact tools, supplies, and equipment our professional customizer and instructor, Robsawne Little, uses to design his bespoke creations.
Learn from Robsawe Little, a professional sneaker customizer and Shoemakers Academy instructor. Discover more about our Make it Custom with ROB course and how it can help you enhance your skills.
Stencil Cutting Materials
Cricut Maker 3
A must-have tool for cutting stencils. This machine will cut air-brushing stencils and leather parts for custom-made shoes.
Oracal 651 Stencil Film
This is the raw material you need for your stencils. Yes, this works with the Cricut cutting machines.
Cricut Joy Transfer Tape
This tape is integral. Apply it to the face of your stencils to help you accurately apply your stencils to your shoes.
Air Brushing Supplies
Central Pneumatic
Air Brush Compressor
Your airbrush will need an air source. This small electric air compressor with a 1/5 HP is a great choice.
Avanti Air Brush
The Avanti AV-AB-03 is Robsawns choice for air-brushing custom shoes. It’s not expensive and can help you achieve amazing results.
Angelus Leather Paint
This is the top brand for leather paint and is trusted by footwear customizers.
Angelus Leather Paint Duller
It cuts the gloss and keeps your painted parts looking like leather. Just a few drops will give your customs a professional look.
Angelus Matt Finisher
This is a critical Item. It is a must-have to protect your custom shoe paintwork. Two light coats will help defend your shoes from scuffs and scrapes.
Angelus Leather Paintbrushes
Quality paintbrushes can help make hand-painting custom shoes easy. These work great for the final touch-ups.
Other Supplies You Will Need
X-ACTO X5285 Basic Knife Set
For fine cutting, trimming and skiving you will need a razor blade.
220-Grit Sanding Block
These foam blocks are just what you need for the light sanding necessary to prepare the leather surfaces of your shoes to accept paint.
StikTek Masking Tape
Tape for masking off your shoes is a personal preference. Robsawn’s choice is StikTek. You can find this at Harbor Freight.
Cotton Pads (Lint-Free)
You will need a lint-free cotton pad to apply Acetone for clean-up and leather surface prep.
Ball Stylus Tool
These ball-tipped burnishers are the ideal tool for ensuring that your making tape is fully pressed into the shoe upper panels. We recommend using these to reduce paint seepage.
Heat Gun
You will need a heat gun to speed up your painting process and to keep your paint from smudging. A quick hit with hot air allows you to move on to the next layer quickly and efficiently.
Latex gloves
My choice of protection to keep my hands paint-free and safe when applying Acetone.
Dust mask
My choice for personal protection. You need a dust mask like this to wear in the work area.
Acetone
Acetone (and cotton swabs) are every customizer’s handy helpers! Acetone is required to prepare leather surfaces and is a must-have for sole removals, glue clean-ups, and quickly fixing any unwanted smudges.
Learn from Robsawe Little, a professional sneaker customizer and Shoemakers Academy instructor. Discover more about our Make it Custom with ROB course and how it can help you enhance your skills.