Getting Started with Veneer Dunks
So I saw these really cool customized Nike Dunks online the other day. They had this kind of wood grain finish, looked totally different. Someone called them ‘veneer dunks’ somewhere, maybe? Anyway, it got me thinking. I had an old pair of Dunks just sitting in the closet, pretty beat up. Figured, why not give it a shot myself? Couldn’t make them look much worse, right?
Prep and First Mess-ups
First thing, I had to get those old shoes ready. Gave them a good scrub, cleaned off all the dirt and grime. You gotta start with a clean surface, everyone says that. Then came the taping. Man, taping sucks. Took forever to carefully cover the soles, the swoosh on one side (left the other exposed to try different things), and the inside lining. Wanted to keep those parts clean.
I decided to try painting first. Seemed like the easiest way to get that wood look without buying a ton of gear for hydro dipping or something crazy. I grabbed some acrylic paints – couple shades of brown, some black, some tan. Mixed up a base color, like a light tan.
My first attempt at applying it? Total disaster. I used a regular paintbrush. It just looked like… brown paint. Streaky. Nothing like wood grain. Looked like something a kid would do. Pretty discouraging start, honestly.
Trying Different Things
Okay, round two. Wiped off the wet paint where I could. Let the stained bits dry. This time I thought, maybe technique is the key. I tried a few things I saw people doing online for faux wood effects:
- Using a stiff brush to drag darker paint over the light base.
- Trying a sponge to dab on different colors.
- Using a special ‘wood grain tool’ I bought cheap online.
The stiff brush technique was getting closer. It sort of made lines that looked kinda like grain. The sponge just made a blotchy mess. That wood grain tool? Felt gimmicky, hard to use on the curves of a shoe. It worked okay on a flat piece of cardboard I tested, but on the Dunk? Not so much.
There was a lot of just painting, waiting, sanding lightly, painting again. Felt like I was spending hours just layering paint, trying to get something that didn’t look completely amateur.
Getting Somewhere Finally
After a few tries, I started getting a feel for layering the paint. Light base coat, let it dry. Then a slightly darker brown wash, wiped off quickly. Then the important part: using a very dark brown or black mix on a nearly dry, stiff brush. Dragging it lightly across the shoe surface. That started to look like something! It wasn’t perfect, but you could see the grain effect starting to happen. Patience was key. Letting layers dry properly made a huge difference.
Once I had a pattern I was kinda happy with, I let the whole thing dry for a full day. Didn’t want to mess it up. The final step was a sealant. I went for a matte finisher. The glossy paint just didn’t look right for ‘veneer’. The matte coat really helped sell the effect, made it look less like fresh paint and more like a finished surface.
The Result?
So, how did my veneer dunks turn out? Well, they’re definitely unique. They don’t look like real wood if you inspect them super closely. You can tell it’s a painted effect. But from a few feet away? They actually look pretty cool. Got that wood grain vibe I was going for. It’s rough, it’s clearly a DIY job, but it’s miles better than my first streaky attempt.
It was a fun process, mostly. A bit frustrating at times, definitely messy. Took way longer than I expected. But I learned a bit about painting on shoes. Would I do it again? Maybe. I feel like I could do a better job next time. For now, I’ve got a pair of truly one-of-a-kind Dunks, made with my own hands. That’s kinda satisfying.
