I am not a newbie when it comes to painting shoes with chalk-style paint, specifically the brand we own and produce “Missouri Limestone Paint Company”. I’ve painted shoes made of quality leather as well as those that are from cheap man-made materials. Then I’ve worn the heck out of them. This latest pair I painted two coats and applied two coats of salve – all in less than an hour.

Would you like to know how I did it? First, a sneak peek to see the transformation in progress.

I started out by cleaning the shoes well with Windex. This is my go to cleaner for many things I paint.

All the added color on this pair is from our chalk-style paint. This paint is on there for good, trust me. Cleaning didn’t remove it, nor could I scratch it off. I didn’t want to sand it or use chemicals on it, so…. I painted over it. 😏

I also know from experience, our paint does very well on rubber. I painted a Rubbermaid mailbox several years ago….no sealer….and it still looks brand new today. So, I also painted the soles of this pair of shoes, but did not seal them.

I painted the first coat. It dried quickly, but so also helped it along with a hair dryer. You can see the reddish look coming through along with the spots from the original paint splatters. But look! No brush strokes! Our paint (when applied in thin coats), does not leave brush strokes.

It is time to apply the salve. I love Wise Owl Salve and keep it on hand for projects like this.

As you can see, I applied the Wise Owl salve on the left shoe so you can see what a difference it makes.

I applied the first coat of salve and buffed it. Then, I applied a light second coat and just rubbed it in, but did not buff. Remember, I DID NOT use the salve on the soles.

And there you have it! Another pair of shoes given a new life. I promise not to paint in these! I will periodically apply another coat of salve and buff it in.