Chantel Shoes!

A few months ago we went on a jaunt to Vegas. While there, Aimee, Kevin and I met up with Palms Casino manager, Dennis Aragon. We arranged to have dinner the following night at Nove with his nephew, whose girlfriend and her sister were both in town. It was the perfect match! Each side of the table had one couple and one darling sister. Everything was wonderful: we got along perfectly, the food was to-die-for,  and I fell in love with both girls’ shoes.

 

Shoes and shiny things. Those are the two things that distract me every time. Whenever we split up to do our own shopping (even if I say I will be in the dress department) Kevin says the first place he looks for me on his way to where I say I will be, is the shoe department. Well, Chantel and Niki’s shoes combined shiny with shoes and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them all night. Finally, as we were leaving, I asked Chantel where she had bought her shoes. I knew she was pursuing a career in fashion and that they were probably out of my price range, but I still had to ask. She broke out into a huge smile and said, to my astonishment and delight, “I made them.”

 

I was hooked. As someone who routinely refuses to buy things because I think I can make them, this new idea of making adorable shoes was too good to pass up. I have been looking for the perfect inspiration to create my own shoes ever since.

 

Last Thursday I found my inspiration. I went to Marshall’s looking for props for my Fall Photoshoot Promotion, and, as is typical, got distracted by the shoes. I found a pair of stilettos by Chinese Laundry in my size. Originally 59.99, they were marked down to a very reasonable 29.99, so I took a closer look. Both the heel and the platform had sections where the man-made leather had been torn off, leaving the shoes pretty much ruined. Immediately I thought of the “Chantel shoes” I have been dying to make. I took them to the register and kindly explained that I doubted that these shoes would ever sell. The manager agreed and was ready to throw them out, when I selflessly offered to take them off of her hands if they reduced the price. She gave them to me for $10.00.

They heels are huge and will require a great deal of care when walking, but I made up my mind on the spot. I would turn these ruined shoes into a masterpiece! (Or at least an interesting conversation starter.) Now that I had the shoes, I needed to find the right “bling” for accessorizing them. Because they are a neutral color, pearls were the perfect touch. I went to several craft stores, and sent many texts to Chantal while I was trying to find the perfect types of pearls and the right adhesive. Thank goodness for Michaels coupons!

This one had 25% off your entire purchase of adhesive embellishments, Yes Please!

These come in packs of 56 and have adhesive on the back but are individual pearls

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  These Jolee's Bling pearls come in strands with adhesive on the back

One of the big questions was what type of adhesive to should use. These little beauties are going on shoes, meaning they have to withstand a lot of repeated impact. Chantel told me that she’d used boat glue for hers. So I tried asking for that. Well apparently “boat glue” is not a specific enough term in the marine world, especially when  you are looking for adhesive for shoes. The first guy asked me what on my boat I was fixing. I explained I wasn’t actually repairing a boat, he said “So what exactly are you doing?” “Well, Sir, I am trying to glue pearls to my shoes.” Hmmmm. He didn’t think “boat glue” was going to work for me.

The only thing I would change for next time is to try to find it in "clear" if possible rather than the white.

 

So I called my friend Matt and asked what the heck I should ask for when I went back. He told me my best guess was 3m 5200 Adhesive. Let me just tell you how much more seriously they took me when I went back and asked for the glue by proper name! When determining whether to get the 24-hour or 7-day “curing” type, the man asked what I was fixing, and I said “Oh, I’m not exactly sure, but I think the 7 day should be fine.” He looked at me like I was a typical girl on a guy’s errand. Oh, if he only knew!

 

What is great about this adhesive is that it is flexible and waterproof. After it cures (in either 24 hours or 7 days- like mine) it is considered the most permanent of all adhesives.

 

What’s not so great is that it doesn’t really hold the pearls in place. You have to hold them down for a while and try not to slide them around. It’s thick and tacky, but the pearls slide around a little more than I wished they would initially. I guess the real test as to this sealant’s effectiveness will be to see the condition of my pearl shoes after I wear them a few times.

 

After a few days, I had all my supplies and I was ready to go.

Lots and lots of pearls in my future

To keep the pearls I had peeled off from rolling away, I stuck them in a little matchbox.

I sent Chantel a text updating her on my progress and she said for large areas it was best to leave them in strips and put a little bit of adhesive on the back of each pearl. It sounded like it would be a lot easier to keep them in perfectly straight lines that way, so I changed my technique about an hour in.

Placing pearls one-by-one with tweezers

Covering up that "Bald Spot" with Pearls

For the first one, I did rows of pearls starting at the top of the heel and kind of "rainbow-ing" down

For the second shoe I changed my technique and outlined it with pearls and then filled them in with rows

Filling it in slowly but surely

I was keeping my fingers crossed that there would be enough. Turns out about 12 more pearls would have been ideal, but since I was just winging it on how many pearls to buy, it came out pretty darn close to perfect! I ended up leaving about half an inch "un-pearled" on the bottom of each heel, so I had just enough pearls. (Probably not a bad idea anyway)

Now I just need somewhere to wear them! 🙂