I was pretty excited when I found out our friends at Keds were sending me a pair of the classic blank lace ups, because this meant the DIY possibilities were endless. I had a million ideas in my head, some included rhinestones, others called out for studding, but I decided that I wanted to go with something a little more classic. So when I came across this DIY pair of saddle shoes on BleuBird Vintage, I knew this was just what I needed in my closet. Saddle shoes are truly an iconic pair of footwear, will forever remain classic and never go out of style.

What you’ll need:
Blank white canvas sneakers
Black Paint
1 or 2 Paint Brushes


Step 1:
Remove the laces from the shoes and set aside.

Step 2:
Begin by painting carefully around the lace holes making sure not to get any paint on the white metal. It’s a bit difficult at first, but just make sure you get a tiny little paintbrush so you can really get in there. I tried it differently on both sneakers, but found painting around the holes first was the best route to take.

Step 3:
Continue painting the side panel of the shoe but remember do not go outside the stitching marks. You have to be very careful towards the back end of the sneaker, but once you get the hang of it, it’s super easy!

Step 4:
Set the sneakers aside while they dry and go do some shopping for a cute outfit to match them with. Then when you get home they should be all ready to be laced up and to hit the streets!

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY project, it’s totally simple and a great way to spice up those plain white sneakers of yours. I think I’d like to get a few more pairs and experiment with different color paints. I’m thinking a bright red or blue saddle shoe would be a nice addition to my shoe wear collection. Thanks so much to Keds for sending these kicks our way so we could have a little DIY summer shoe fun!

Fatlace Crew
Latest posts by Fatlace Crew (see all)