DIY Comic Book Shoes That'll Rock Your Fangirl Wardrobe

Updated on 7/5/2015 at 3:20 PM

Katie Linendoll

I grew up in a pretty creative family. My mom is a professional seamstress and costumer and has been designing everything from light-up clothing to Star Wars costumes for decades. I love rocking her special creations at any opportunity, whether I'm wrapped like a present on the Today show or dressed as Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Spike TV. Point is, we always challenge each other creatively. As you can imagine, I also have an advantage at Comic-Con every year! When I recently spotted comic book shoes on Etsy, I asked my mom if she could make some for me. Her response wasn't, "How?" but rather, "When do you need them?"

For the next few hours, we bonded over yet another nerdy DIY creation, and step-by-step she shared her secret to creating an awesome comic shoe. And now, I'm sharing mom's simple-but-oh-so-awesome methods so you too can make your own at home!

For supplies, all you need is your favorite comic book, matte Mod Podge (a quick-drying decoupage glue, sealer, and finish), a paintbrush, scissors, and a pair of old shoes with a smooth surface.

Cut out the pictures and words you like best from the comic book. Be sure to find a variety of sizes and colors that are a good match for whatever shoes you’ve chosen. I found that medium-weight paper works best.

Using the paintbrush, lightly coat the back of the paper with a thin layer of Mod Podge and adhere to your shoe. As you can see in the photos, I started with a foam brush but it was too big, so I switched to an artist paintbrush and had better success. Repeat until the shoe is totally covered in a collage of pictures and words.

Let the collage dry for a few hours.

Add two more very light coats of Mod Podge and dry for a few hours between coats. Then, let it set overnight.

Put those shoes on and wear them like you're about to take out Dust Man or upstage Betty and Veronica!