Okay, so I’ve been obsessed with the Adidas Samba trend, but I wanted something a little…extra. Enter the cheetah print Sambas. I’d seen some custom ones online, but I was like, “Nah, I can do this myself.” And, well, I did! Here’s how it all went down.
The Hunt
First, I needed the plain white Sambas. That was a mission in itself! They were sold out everywhere. Finally, I scored a pair on a resale site. Paid a little extra, but whatever, it was worth it for the project.
Gathering Supplies
Next up, supplies. I already had some acrylic paints from other crafts I was doing, but I grabbed:
- Fine-tipped paintbrushes (like, the REALLY tiny ones)
- Masking tape (the blue painter’s tape kind)
- A pencil (for sketching, very lightly)
- Acrylic sealant (to protect the paint)
Prep Time
I started by cleaning the shoes really well. Any dirt or dust will mess with the paint. Then, I taped off the areas I didn’t want to paint – the stripes, the sole, the tongue. This part took forever, but it’s super important for clean lines.
The Painting Begins!
Okay, deep breath. I lightly sketched out some cheetah spots with the pencil. The key here is lightly – you don’t want the pencil lines showing through the paint. I just did some random, uneven shapes, trying to make it look natural.
Then, I got to painting. I used black paint and the thinnest brush, I did the outline. Then I used another color to fill those outlines.
The Long Wait…
Acrylic paint dries pretty fast, but I waited a full 24 hours before doing anything else. Patience is a virtue, especially with DIY projects!
Sealing the Deal
Once the paint was completely dry, I applied a thin coat of acrylic sealant. This is crucial to protect the design from scuffs and scratches. I did two coats, waiting for each one to dry completely before adding the next.
The Final Result
I am SO happy with how these turned out! They’re unique, bold, and totally me. It was a fun weekend project, and now I have custom cheetah print Sambas that I get compliments on all the time. It’s a great feeling to be like, “Yeah, I made these!”
