Painting midsoles without cracks

What do you need?

• Preparation: Essential Deglazer to remove grease, dirt and the factory finish, plus cotton pads and cotton swabs.
• Paint: paint that is suitable for midsoles, such as the SneakersER Premium paint for leather and midsoles or a midsole paint marker. You will find the full range in midsole paint.
• Taping off: masking tape for painting your sneakers in 25 or 50 mm, or Premium Masking Tape for crisp lines.
• Brushes: an Essential starter brush set for surfaces and edges; for small details a fine brush from brushes and other supplies.
• Useful: a mixing pot for paint so you do not work straight from the bottle, and a detail knife for customizing for loose paint flakes.
• Finishing (optional): Angelus Brand Duller Gloss Reducer for a more matte look, or a finisher (see step 6).
• Protection: gloves and a well ventilated room.

Clean first: paint does not stick to dirt or grease. So clean the shoe thoroughly first and let it dry completely before you start.

Step 1: check what is on your midsole now

The right preparation depends on the layer that is already there. Hold the shoe under a good lamp, then look and feel:

What you see and feel	What it usually is	Approach
Smooth and shiny, no cracks	A sealed factory finish or lacquer	Deglazer in calm rounds; this takes patience
Paint with cracks or flakes coming loose	An old paint layer that has lost its grip	First scrape off the loose parts carefully, then deglazer for what is left
Rough or textured, paint sits in the grooves	A thin colour layer on a porous sole	Deglazer on a cotton swab; a light shadow may stay
Clear window or air unit	Plastic that can turn dull from solvent	No deglazer or acetone directly on the clear part (see step 2)

Not sure? Test from mild to strong

1. Put a little deglazer on a cotton swab and rub a spot nobody sees, for example on the inside near the heel. If colour comes off on the swab, this is your method.
2. If nothing comes off, try on another hidden spot whether loose paint can be scraped off with the back of a knife, held flat.
3. Does neither work, or do you have to press hard? Then stop. Pushing on damages the sole faster than it helps. Feel free to send us a photo through customer service.

Step 2: strip the midsole without damaging it

1. Protect yourself. Put on gloves and work near an open window.
2. Little liquid. Wet a cotton pad with Essential Deglazer and then squeeze it out well. A dripping pad runs down the sole onto the upper, even under tape.
3. Small sections. Work section by section around the sole, with light pressure. Keep turning to a clean side of the pad.
4. Know when you are done. The sole no longer feels smooth but slightly grippy, and hardly any colour comes off. A light discolouration or shadow may stay. If you keep going, the product soaks into the sole and it can turn soft or porous.
5. Scrape off loose paint. Keep the knife flat, cutting edge away from you, and scrape with short strokes in one direction. You only remove paint that is already loose; you do not cut into the sole.
6. Light sanding (optional). A light sanding with fine sandpaper can improve adhesion. Wipe away the dust afterwards with a pad and some deglazer.

Older shoes: foam gets softer over the years and can start to crumble. If the sole feels soft or brittle, work extra carefully or skip the stripping.

Air units and clear parts

Solvent can make clear plastic dull or milky, and you cannot get it clear again. Tape off the window and work the edge around it with an almost dry cotton swab.

Step 3: tape off

1. Outsole: tape off the edge where the midsole meets the outsole with masking tape. Lay the tape tight along the line and press the edge down well with your fingernail.
2. Leather upper: regular masking tape works here too.
3. Suede or nubuck upper: strong tape can pull out fibres or leave glue behind. Use a less sticky tape, or work without tape using a fine brush and a steady hand.
4. Curves: you can lay the tape in short pieces, or in one long strip that you then trim along the edge with a knife. Whatever you prefer works.

Step 4: paint in thin coats

Which paint do you choose?

Product	When it is useful	According to the manufacturer
SneakersER Premium paint for leather and midsoles	A whole midsole or large surfaces, with a brush	Can be used straight from the bottle on the midsole, elastic and water resistant, slightly matte
SneakersER Pearl paint for leather and midsoles	Accents with a pearl sheen	For leather and midsoles
SneakersER midsole paint markers (in midsole paint)	Touching up, edges, small surfaces, if you would rather not use a brush	Flexible formula, suitable for small repairs and a whole midsole
Alpha 6 Alphaflex (in textile paint)	If you want the same colour on leather or fabric too	Flexible and water resistant, ready to use on leather and textile
Angelus standard leather paint	If you are looking for a colour that the midsole range does not have	Flexible and water resistant, made for leather

Prefer a paint pen? In how to use the SneakersER paint pens you can read how to prime and use them.

How to apply the coats

1. Shake or stir the paint well and pour a little into a mixing pot. Dip only the tip of your brush.
2. Start at the back by the heel and work around the shoe in one direction. Spread the paint out as far as possible before you pick up more.
3. Accept an ugly first coat. Can you still see the old colour through it? Then you are doing it right. A first coat that covers straight away is almost always too thick.
4. Remove lint and hairs right away while the paint is wet, with a clean finger or the tip of the brush, and smooth the spot afterwards.
5. Let each coat dry with air, not heat. A fan or a hair dryer on the cold setting helps. We advise against warm air or a heat gun for midsole and leather paint; let the paint dry calmly in the air instead. Textile paint is different: according to the manufacturer you set it with heat, following the instructions on the product.
6. Repeat until the colour is even and opaque.

How many coats you need depends on the paint, the colour and the surface. For the drying time per coat, follow the manufacturer's instructions on the product.

Airbrush: that works too. Use the same thin coats and drying time. Look in airbrush paint for paint made for it.

Step 5: two or more colours

1. Light first, dark after. Paint the lightest colour first. If you go over the border into the dark part, no problem: you will cover that later.
2. Let the first colour cure well before you put tape on it. Paint that is too fresh lifts off with the tape.
3. Lay narrow tape in one strip. One long strip gives a calm, continuous line; separate pieces give kinks more easily. In a curve, lift the tape briefly and lay it down again. Then press it down firmly.
4. Seal the tape edge with the first colour. Put a thin coat of the light colour over the edge of the tape and let it dry. If paint creeps under the tape, it is the light colour and you will not see it.
5. Paint the second colour the same way as the first: thin coats, drying time in between.
6. Pull the tape off slowly and at an angle. If paint comes with it, the adhesion was not good enough or the paint was too thick. Go back to steps 2 and 4 for that section.

A colour fade is made without tape: blend the two colours into each other wet on wet.

More ideas for contrast colours in colour blocking midsoles.

Step 6: finish in matte, satin or gloss

A finisher mainly decides how the midsole looks. It does not make a poorly prepared or thickly painted sole any stronger. Once the base is right, the finisher lets you choose the end result.

• Matte, like from the factory: mix a little Angelus Brand Duller Gloss Reducer into your paint. Use it sparingly and stick to the manufacturer's dosage; more is not better.
• Gloss: according to the manufacturer, the Liquid Kicks Top Coats leather sealer gloss finish is a scratch resistant, waterproof top coat for leather, vinyl and canvas, among others. The manufacturer does not mention midsoles separately, so try it on a small, hidden spot first.
• Apply a finisher just like paint in thin coats, on paint that is completely dry.

The difference between matte and gloss is explained in matte or gloss: the effect of Duller and finisher; the order from preparation to finish in preparation and finishing.

Final check

1. Look at the sole under a lamp from every side. Touch up light spots with a fine brush.
2. Remove the tape.
3. Let the shoes cure completely before you wear them. How long that takes is in the manufacturer's instructions on the product.

From white to black, or lighter instead

• Making a white sole black: that is the easy direction. Dark paint covers quickly, although thin coats are still needed.
• Making a dark sole lighter: that takes more coats. Start with a grey base coat, for example Angelus Brand Standard Leather Paint Gray; a light colour covers faster on that than on black.
• Yellowed sole: paint makes the sole even again. More about that in painting yellowed midsoles.
• Clear sole: paint makes a clear sole opaque. If you want it to stay see-through but get a colour, you need a transparent dye; we do not sell that.

Holes, pores or a damaged sole

Some midsoles have small holes or pores that were hidden under a thick layer of paint at the factory. If you strip that layer and paint thinly, they become visible again. Painting thicker does not solve that: that is exactly the layer that cracks later. Fill pores before painting with a flexible filler. Not sure whether your sole can still be saved? Send us a photo through customer service.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

What you see	Likely cause	Fix
Cracks where the shoe flexes	Coats too thick, too little drying time or not stripped	Strip that section again and build up in thin coats
Paint comes loose after a few wears	Grease or factory finish still present	Strip until the sole feels grippy, then paint again
Paint comes off with the tape	Tape applied too early, or weak adhesion	Let it cure longer; with weak adhesion go back to step 2
Patchy colour	Coats too thick or not enough coats yet	One or more extra thin coats, spread out well
Dull, milky air unit	Solvent on the clear part	Prevent it: tape off and work almost dry
Colour creeps under the tape	Tape edge not sealed	Seal the edge first with the lower colour (step 5)

Further reading

• Painting leather sneakers with leather paint
• Preventing paint cracks on sneakers
• Why preparation matters so much
• All guides in the Sneaker guide