Alright, so let’s talk about this little project I got myself into: pierced shoes. Yeah, you heard that right. I decided to take a perfectly good (well, kinda old) pair of shoes and poke some holes in ’em. Sounds a bit mad, but hear me out.
How This Whole Idea Popped Up
I was scrolling online, you know how it is, and kept seeing these sneakers with little metal eyelets or rings in places they don’t normally go. Looked pretty cool, kinda custom. Then I saw the price tags. Ouch. Seriously, for a few extra holes and some bits of metal? I thought, “Hang on, I’ve got tools. I’ve got old shoes. How hard can it be?” That’s usually my first mistake, thinking “how hard can it be?” But this time, it actually turned out alright, mostly.
Getting My Stuff Together
So, I dug out an old pair of canvas sneakers. The ones that are comfy but you don’t cry if they get paint on them. Perfect candidates for a bit of experimental surgery. For the piercing part, I rummaged through my toolbox. Found a sharp, pointy thing – I think it’s called an awl? It’s basically a thick needle with a handle. Seemed like it would do the job. I also grabbed a pen for marking, and later on, some small metal eyelets I had from another forgotten craft project.
Safety first, kinda: I figured I should probably be careful not to stab myself. That was my main safety precaution. Highly professional, I know.
The Actual Poking Process
First, I had to decide where the new holes would go. I didn’t want them to look totally random, so I tried to make a bit of a pattern along the sides, near the laces. Made little dots with the pen.
Then came the moment of truth. I took the awl, placed it on the first dot, and pushed. Man, that canvas was tougher than I expected! I had to put some real muscle into it. There was this satisfying, kinda crunchy pop when it finally went through. First hole done! It wasn’t perfectly neat, a bit frayed, but it was a hole.
I just repeated that for all the marks I made. Some were easier than others, depending on the layers of fabric. My hand got a bit sore, not gonna lie. It’s not like sewing thin cotton, this was more like wrestling a tiny, stubborn piece of fabric.
- Mark the spot.
- Place the awl.
- Push like you mean it.
- Wiggle it a bit to make the hole decent.
Once all the holes were there, I decided to put in those little metal eyelets. Just to make them look a bit more finished and stop them from fraying too much. That involved pushing the eyelet barrel through the hole and then using the little tool that came with them (or sometimes just a pair of pliers, carefully) to set them. This part was a bit fiddly. Some went in perfectly, others looked a bit squashed. But hey, character, right?
The Big Reveal and What I Reckon
So, after a bit of poking, prodding, and minor hammering, I had myself a pair of “pierced” shoes. They definitely don’t look like those super expensive store-bought ones. My holes aren’t perfectly aligned if you get your magnifying glass out, and some eyelets are a bit wonky. But you know what? I kinda love them.
It was actually pretty fun to do. There’s something satisfying about taking something old and just messing with it, making it your own. It’s not about perfection; it’s about the trying. Plus, every time I wear them, I remember the afternoon I spent stabbing them with a pointy stick. Good times.
Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. Maybe with a different kind of shoe, or different “piercings.” It’s a cheap way to get a custom look, and honestly, it feels good to make something with your own hands, even if it’s just poking holes in stuff. Way better than just clicking “buy now” on something everyone else has, if you ask me.
