Alright, so I’ve been wanting to share this little project I got myself into a while back. You know how it is, you see something cool, and you think, “Yeah, I could probably do that.” Well, this time it was about making my own pair of purple pink dunks. Sounds a bit flashy, I know, but I had this vision in my head.
Getting the Ball Rolling
First off, I had to actually get a pair of dunks to mess with. Decided to go for a plain white pair, figured that’d be the easiest canvas. Spent a good bit of time hunting for a decent pair that wasn’t ridiculously overpriced. You’d think plain sneakers would be easy to find, but nope, took some digging. Once I got ’em, I just stared at them for a day or two, kinda nervous to actually start, if I’m being honest.
Then came the supplies. Man, the paint aisle at the craft store. So many options. I needed specific leather paints, right? Didn’t want this stuff cracking and peeling off after one wear. Grabbed a few shades of purple and pink, some finisher, brushes, and that blue painter’s tape. Oh, and acetone, lots of acetone for prepping the leather. Heard that was super important.
The Actual Work – And a Bit of a Mess
Okay, so prepping the shoes. This was probably the most boring part but also super critical, or so I read. Wiped them down with acetone to get rid of the factory finish. My whole room stunk of chemicals for a bit, not gonna lie. Then the taping. This. Took. Forever. Trying to get those clean lines, especially around the swoosh and the different panels. My fingers were aching, and I had tiny bits of blue tape stuck everywhere.
Finally, time for the paint. I decided to do the pink sections first. Put on that first coat, and it looked… well, pretty streaky and kinda sad. Had a moment of “Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?” But I remembered reading you gotta do thin coats. So, patience. Waited for it to dry, added another coat, then another. Started looking better. It’s funny how you can go from total panic to “okay, maybe this will work” in the span of a few hours and some paint fumes.
Then came the purple. This was the main event for me. Carefully painted the sections I wanted purple. The contrast with the pink started to pop. It was actually looking like the idea in my head. Had a few little bleeds where the tape wasn’t perfect, which was annoying. Tried to fix ’em with a tiny brush and a steady hand. Mostly worked, but you know, they ain’t factory perfect, that’s for sure.
- Thin coats are key. Seriously.
- Good quality tape makes a difference. Don’t cheap out.
- Ventilation. Acetone and paint fumes are no joke.
- Patience. Lots and lots of patience.
The Big Reveal and What I Reckon Now
After all the colors were on and dry – and I mean really dry, I waited a full day just to be sure – it was time for the finisher. Brushed on a matte finisher to seal everything in and protect it. That made them look a bit more professional, less like a craft project gone wild.
Pulling off the tape was super satisfying. Seeing those (mostly) clean lines emerge. They weren’t perfect, not by a long shot. Little imperfections here and there. But they were mine. My purple pink dunks. I actually did it.
Wore them out for the first time, and yeah, got a few looks. Someone even asked where I bought them, which felt pretty good, not gonna lie. I just grinned and said, “Oh, these old things?” It’s funny, because this whole thing started ’cause I was just bored one weekend, scrolling online, seeing all these crazy custom shoes. Then I stumbled on some forum where folks were talking about how they did their own, and it wasn’t some high-art thing, just regular people messing around with paint. One guy was saying how he messed up his first three pairs, just completely botched ’em. But he kept at it. That kinda stuck with me. Made me think, well, if he can make a pig’s ear of it and still keep going, I can at least try, right?
So, it wasn’t just about the shoes in the end. It was about the process, I guess. Getting my hands dirty, figuring stuff out as I went. Making mistakes and fixing them, or learning to live with them. Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. Maybe a different color scheme next time. But for now, I’m pretty happy with my slightly imperfect, totally unique purple pink dunks. They’re a good reminder that sometimes you just gotta try stuff out.
