• 60 designs

Shoe Painting Ideas for the Toe, the Side Panel and the Heel

Three shoe designs at a time, each with the colours it needs and the panel it sits on: toe box, side, heel, tongue or sole band. Deal until one fits your pair.

Shoe Painting Ideas for the Toe, the Side Panel and the Heel

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  1. Checkerboard across the side panelBlack on white, or any two colours. Pencil a grid square to the sole line; fill alternate squares. Flat brush.
  2. Constellations on a black shoeWhite and pale yellow pen on black canvas. Star dots joined by thin lines, one constellation per side panel.
  3. Nebula sponged over both side panelsNavy, purple, magenta, white. Sponge dark to light in clouds, flick white stars, keep tape on the sole band.

Next step More line work for markersPaint a bold abstract canvas

All 60 designs

Easy 20

  • Confetti flecks over the side panels Five bright colours on white. Short dashes at every angle, crowded near the heel and thinning toward the toe.
  • Dipped toe colour block One colour on white. Tape a straight line across the vamp and paint forward from it, as if the toe was dipped.
  • Fake stitching along every seam One bright pen colour. Short even dashes beside the real stitch lines on every panel edge, a pen width away.
  • Initials on the heel tabs One dark colour. One letter on each pull tab, or both stacked on the back seam strip. Paint pen, pencil first.
  • L and R on the rubber toe caps One bold colour. A block letter on each rubber toe cap, facing the wearer. Handy on a child's first laced pair.
  • Ladybirds climbing the eyelet row Red, black. One ladybird beside every second eyelet, all heading for the collar. Dotting tool for the spots.
  • Outlined daisies on the toe cap Yellow, green, black liner. Yellow centres first, then outline the petals; the white shoe is the petal colour.
  • Panels coloured by the stitch lines Three or four flat colours. Treat each stitched panel as one shape and fill it; the stitching is the outline.
  • Paw prints walking heel to toe One dark colour. Alternate left and right prints along the outer side, as if something crossed the shoe.
  • Polka dots across the toe box One bright colour on white. Print dots with a pencil-end rubber over the toe box, larger toward the laces.
  • Rainbow eyelet rings Six rainbow colours on white. Ring each eyelet in the next colour, from the toe end up to the collar. Fine brush.
  • Same design, swapped colours Any two colours. Left shoe colour A on B, right shoe B on A. Works with stripes, dots or checks.
  • Sole band painted one colour One bright colour. Tape off the canvas and paint only the rubber band that joins the upper to the sole. Flat brush.
  • Split heart on the inner sides Red or pink. Half a heart on each inner side panel; the halves join when you stand with your feet together.
  • Sponge fade from toe to heel Two colours that mix cleanly, such as pink and orange. Dab with a sponge and overlap the two at mid-shoe.
  • Tape-masked diagonal stripes Two colours. Lay tape in diagonals across the side panel, paint the gaps, peel while the paint is still soft.
  • Toadstools standing on the sole line Red, white, tan. Three caps of different heights stand on the rubber band near the heel. White spots last.
  • Tongue painted as a tongue Pink, darker pink. Paint the shoe's tongue pink with one centre line; it shows between the laces. Round brush.
  • Toothbrush splatter over the upper Two or three colours. Tape over the sole band, stuff the shoe with paper, flick thinned paint from a toothbrush.
  • Two colours split down the lace line Two contrasting colours. Inner half of the upper in one, outer half in the other; the eyelet rows are the border.

White shoes 15

  • Bees on a dotted flight line Yellow, black, pale blue wings. A looping dotted line from heel to toe with three small bees along it.
  • Blue and white china vines Cobalt blue only. A curling vine with leaves over the toe box and heel, like painted porcelain. Liner brush.
  • Butterfly opening across the heel seam Orange, black, white dots. Body on the back seam, one wing on each side of the heel. Outline last with a liner.
  • City skyline standing on the sole line Black or navy. Rooftops along the side panel with the rubber band as the street; leave window squares bare.
  • Contour map lines over the toe One dark colour. Wobbly nested rings, like hills on a map, spreading from the toe box to the first eyelet.
  • Fern climbing the back of the heel Dark green pen. Stem on the back seam, fronds stepping out left and right, shorter toward the pull tab.
  • Koi swimming along the side panel Orange, black, a little red. Two koi nose to tail, curved with the sole line; their white patches stay bare.
  • Marble veins on smooth leather Grey, a touch of gold, on white. Feather thin veins diagonally over toe and side; soften them with a dry brush.
  • One rainbow across both toes Six rainbow colours. With the shoes side by side, the arc rises on the left toe box and lands on the right.
  • One-line face on the side panel Black pen on white. Draw a profile without lifting the pen: nose toward the toe, hair trailing to the heel.
  • Sky side panel with clouds left white Sky blue, a little grey. Paint the panel blue round cloud shapes; the bare white is the cloud. Grey undersides.
  • Strawberries tumbling down the outer side Red, green, pale yellow seeds. Five berries from collar to sole band, each tilted a different way. Round brush.
  • Sunset panel with palm silhouettes Yellow, orange, pink, black. Blend the three across the side panel; black palms when dry, trunks on the sole line.
  • Watercolour blooms on damp canvas Pink, violet, green, thinned with water. Dampen the canvas, touch in colour and let it bleed. Canvas shoes only.
  • Wildflower meadow growing from the sole line Green, red, blue, yellow. Stems start at the rubber band, so it reads as ground, and thin out by mid-panel.

Pen drawn 9

  • A different doodle pattern in every panel Black pen. Scales in one stitched panel, stripes in the next, then dots, waves, bricks; seams keep them apart.
  • Checkerboard across the side panel Black on white, or any two colours. Pencil a grid square to the sole line; fill alternate squares. Flat brush.
  • Constellations on a black shoe White and pale yellow pen on black canvas. Star dots joined by thin lines, one constellation per side panel.
  • Doodle-filled rubber toe cap Black pen on the white rubber toe. Stars, arrows, eyes and zigzags packed edge to edge, no gaps wider than a pea.
  • Mandala centred on the toe box One or two pen colours. Start from a dot mid-toe and add rings of petals until the pattern meets the toe seam.
  • One word split across the heels One dark colour. Half a word on each heel so it reads from behind, such as HEL and LO. Pencil the spacing first.
  • Spider web spun from the toe seam Black pen on white, or white on black. Spokes fan from one corner of the toe seam; join them with sagging arcs.
  • Wedding date across the heels One colour to match the flowers. Day and month on the left heel, year on the right. Paint pen, pencil first.
  • Your own handwriting round the sole band Black or navy pen. One sentence you wrote yourself, lettered round the rubber band from heel to heel.

Two-shoe pairs 6

  • Cat on one toe, dog on the other Grey, tan, black, pink. A face fills each toe box, ears reaching toward the laces. Match the eye size on both.
  • Fire on the left shoe, ice on the right Red, orange, yellow; pale blue, white. Flames rise from the left sole band, icicles hang from the right collar.
  • Monster eyes, one on each toe White, black, one loud colour. One big eye per toe box and teeth along each rubber toe cap, staring up at you.
  • Peanut butter left, jam right Tan, brown, purple, red. A toast slice on each toe box, one spread per shoe, knife swirls in a lighter tone.
  • Rocket on the left, its planet on the right Red, white, grey, navy, orange. The rocket's nose points across to the other shoe; a ringed planet fills that toe.
  • Sun on the left shoe, moon on the right Yellow, orange, navy, white. One disc per toe box; paint the right toe navy first so the pale moon shows.

Bold 10

  • Drips melting over the sole band The upper's colour plus a darker tone. Uneven drips run from the canvas edge down onto the white rubber band.
  • Flames rising from the sole band Yellow, orange, red on a dark shoe. Tongues of flame lick up the side panel from the sole, tallest at the heel.
  • Leopard spots on toe and heel Tan, brown, black. Tan blotches first, then broken black C shapes round each. Leave the side panel plain.
  • Nebula sponged over both side panels Navy, purple, magenta, white. Sponge dark to light in clouds, flick white stars, keep tape on the sole band.
  • Shark mouth along the toe cap Grey, white, red. Grey upper, a red gum line above the rubber toe cap, white triangle teeth pointing down onto it.
  • Stained glass with the stitching as leading Jewel colours, black. Fill shards inside each stitched panel, then line every edge in black with a liner.
  • Sunflower with the toe cap as its centre Brown, yellow, orange. Brown toe cap dotted with seeds; petals radiate back over the vamp toward the laces.
  • Tie-dye spiral from the ankle Three thinned colours. Spiral arms start at the ankle and sweep to toe and heel; damp canvas blends the joins.
  • Watermelon with the sole band as rind Red, green, black. Red upper with teardrop seeds; paint the rubber band green and leave a pale line above it.
  • Wave breaking along the side Navy, teal, white. The crest curls toward the toe; let white foam spill down onto the rubber sole band.

How it works

A shoe is not one surface but five: toe box, side panel, heel, tongue and the band where upper meets sole, and the front creases with every step. These 60 shoe painting ideas for plain canvas and leather pairs each name their panel and their colours.

Read the full guide

Keep fine detail off the crease

The vamp, the front of the shoe from behind the toe up round the eyelets, creases with every step, so keep fine detail on the side panels and heel and paint in thin coats. Eleven designs use the band joining upper to sole, the stripe that recalled a ship's Plimsoll line and named the plimsoll: flames rise from it, toadstools stand on it, drips melt over it.

Canvas, leather and the label

Canvas soaks paint in, so thinned colour bleeds; Watercolour blooms on damp canvas depends on it. Tanners give some leathers a surface coating, so follow your paint label's prep for the material, plus any medium or sealer it names. Pull the laces, stuff the toes with paper so each panel is firm, and tape the rubber.

  • Let the white work, as the white shoes painting ideas here do: in Sky side panel with clouds left white the bare shoe is the cloud, and Outlined daisies on the toe cap never paints a petal.
  • Put the brush down: the Pen drawn group has 18 things to draw on shoes, from Fake stitching along every seam to Constellations on a black shoe. Check the pen's label names your material.
  • Paint both shoes in step: every yellow on the left, then the right, and the pair matches. For Two-shoe pairs, stand them together and pencil the join first.

Questions and answers

What paint do I use on shoes?

Craft acrylics are made for surfaces beyond canvas, fabric included, and acrylic stays flexible when dry, which a bending shoe needs. Leather, mesh and rubber differ, so use the paint type your material needs, as the paint label says, and test inside the heel.

Can I paint a logo on my shoes?

None of the 60 does. Every design leaves the maker's marks alone, and none imitates a brand's signature stripe or emblem. Shoe art ideas that start from your own pair's panels, seams and sole band look like yours. If a logo patch is in the way, paint round it.

Which design suits a first pair, a child or a wedding?

Start with Dipped toe colour block: one colour, one tape line. On a child's pair, L and R on the rubber toe caps is useful too. For a wedding, Wedding date across the heels sits where guests see it, away from the toe crease.

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