Alright, let’s talk about these KAWS Air Force 1s I put together. Wasn’t planning on doing a big project, but you see those official KAWS shoes, right? Impossible to get, cost a fortune. So I thought, heck, I can probably slap something similar onto a regular pair myself. Got myself a pair of basic white AF1s, nothing fancy, just the standard ones.
Getting Stuff Ready
First thing was gathering the supplies. This part took a bit, hunting around. Needed some good leather paint, everyone talks about Angelus, so I grabbed some black, white, maybe a couple of other colors I thought might work. Found some decent brushes, nothing too expensive, just a few different sizes. Masking tape, the blue kind, you know, the painter’s tape. And some acetone, gotta prep the leather so the paint actually sticks. Seriously, don’t skip the prep. I learned that the hard way on another project ages ago.
- Plain White Air Force 1s
- Leather Paints (Black, White, maybe others)
- Paint Brushes (various sizes)
- Masking Tape
- Acetone (or leather preparer/deglazer)
- A finisher/sealer
Had to wait for the paints I ordered online, which was annoying. Always prefer just grabbing stuff from a store, but finding specific leather paints locally was tough.
The Plan and Prep Work
Didn’t want anything too crazy. I just like the simple KAWS stuff, like the ‘XX’ eyes. Decided to put those on the heel tab and maybe a small ‘XX’ on the side near the laces. Kept it simple. Didn’t sketch much, just kinda pictured it in my head.
Then the real work started. Got the shoes, wiped them down good. Then took the acetone on a cotton ball and carefully rubbed the spots where I was gonna paint. You can see the factory finish kinda coming off, makes the surface dull. That’s what you want. Let that dry off completely.
Next up, taping. This part needs patience. I taped off everything around the heel tab real careful. Taped off the edges around where the side ‘XX’ would go. Used small pieces of tape to get the curves right. Took longer than I thought it would.
Painting Time
Okay, finally painting. Shook up the black paint really well. Started with the ‘XX’ on the heel tab. Used a small brush. Just took my time. The first coat looked kinda thin, which is normal. Let it dry for like 15-20 minutes. Did another coat. Then maybe a third, just light coats. Gotta build it up slowly.
Did the same for the little ‘XX’ marks on the side. These were smaller, even trickier. My hand wasn’t super steady, not gonna lie. They ain’t perfect machine-printed looking things, but they look alright. Let all the black paint dry properly. Went and had a coffee, came back.
Finishing Touches
Once I was happy with the black and it was totally dry, I carefully peeled off the masking tape. This is the satisfying bit. Pulled it away slowly so it didn’t rip the paint off with it. The lines looked pretty clean, thankfully.
Last step for the paint was the finisher. Got a matte finisher, didn’t want them too shiny. Brushed a thin layer over the painted parts. This stuff protects the paint from scuffs and water, hopefully. Let that dry completely, gave it a good 24 hours just to be safe.
How They Turned Out
So yeah, that’s the process. They look pretty cool, I think. Got that KAWS vibe without the crazy price tag. Are they perfect? Nah. If you look super close, you can see my brush strokes maybe, the ‘XX’ isn’t perfectly symmetrical. But who cares? I made ’em. It was kinda fun, actually. Better than just letting the plain white ones sit there. Wore them out once, someone actually asked if they were customs. Felt pretty good.
