How to Bronze Shoes

Cleaning the Shoes

Remove dirt and old shoe polish from the shoes. Before bronzing a pair of shoes, you will need to remove any dirt or polish that is on the surface of the shoes. Wet a soft cloth with water. Then take the damp cloth and carefully clean the shoes.

Rub the shoes with denatured alcohol. Once you have removed as much dirt as possible with the damp rag, rub the shoes with denatured alcohol. This will remove any remaining wax or polish from the shoes. Take a dry, clean cloth and saturate it with alcohol. Then gently rub the entire surface of each shoe.

Allow the shoes to dry. Once you are done rubbing the shoes with denatured alcohol, let them dry completely. Allow the shoes to air dry. Do not attempt to bronze shoes that are still damp from the cleaning process.

Creating a Wire Loop and Positioning the Shoes

Make a hole in the sole of each shoe. You will be stringing a piece of wire through each shoe, and using the wire to hang the shoes to dry in between coats of bronze. Try using a box cutter, knife, or drill to make the hole. Make sure you exercise caution while cutting the hole, and avoid accidentally cutting yourself.

String wire through the hole. Begin by creating a wire loop for each shoe. Take some sturdy, yet flexible wire and string it through the hole in the sole of the shoe. Then twist the wire to create a closed loop that is large enough to use for hanging the shoe. Repeat the process for both shoes.

Arrange the shoes. Position the shoes so the laces and tongues are arranged precisely how you want them to be for bronzing. Make sure you tie the shoelaces. Finally, adjust the tongue of each shoe so that it is touching both sides of the shoe. Try using a little bit of rubber cement or super glue to lock the laces and/or tongue into the desired position.

Applying Bronze to the Shoes

Prepare the liquid bronze in a bowl. Mix bronze powder with a quick-drying spar varnish according to the package directions in a plastic or glass bowl. Stir the liquid bronze thoroughly to prevent particles from settling in the bottom of the bowl. You can purchase liquid bronze at a hardware store or print supply company.

Apply a coat of liquid bronze to each shoe. Hold the shoe by the wire loop with your non-dominant hand. Then use your dominant hand to apply a thin coat of liquid bronze to each shoe with a camel hair brush. Start on the top of each shoe and work your way down the sides toward the sole. Make sure you paint all of the shoe’s surface area, including any part of the shoe’s inside that is visible.

Hang the shoes to dry. After applying liquid bronze to the shoes, allow them to dry. Hold the shoe by the wire loop you inserted, and then hang the wire loop on a hook or nail. You should let them dry for at least ten minutes, or longer, in between coats.

Apply additional coats as needed. Once the shoes dry from the initial coat of liquid bronze, look to see if there are dull spots on the shoes. This is an indication that the bronze has soaked through the shoes and you will need to apply at least one more coat of bronze. You will likely need to apply several coats of liquid bronze to each shoe until both shoes are shiny and completely covered in bronze.