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Top Techniques to DIY Tie-Dye Shoes & Sneakers

Published Date March 06, 2023

Peak tie-dye season is approaching, and nothing is off limits! Learn how to tie dye shoes and enjoy wearing unique shoes all year round. Get inspired with different styles of tie dye shoes for men and women— there are endless ways to tie dye and customize your casual canvas shoes, spiffy sneaker shoes, everyday running shoes and more! Read on to find different tie-dye designs to try and get inspired to create your own colorful kicks with Tulip!

What you need:

  •       Tulip One-Step Tie Dye Kit
  •       Natural fiber fabric shoes
  •       Wire rack + baking sheet or protective surface cover
  •       Masking tape

Optional Materials:

  •       Disposable shallow tray
  •       Disposable cups
  •       Embellishments
  •       Shaving cream
  •       Paintbrush
  •       Ice

How to marble tie dye shoes with shaving cream

How to marble tie dye shoes with shaving cream

1. Tape

Before you tie dye shoes, use masking tape to block off any areas you don’t want dyed. This method works best with slip-on canvas shoes because of the flat surface area, but you can try it with any natural fiber fabric shoes!

Marble shaving cream and dye

Marble shaving cream and dye

2. Marble

Cover your work area with a protective surface cover. Add shaving cream to a shallow pan and drizzle your desired color(s) of dye to the top. Use a spatula to swirl and create a marbled pattern.

Dip prepared shoe into marbled shaving cream

Dip prepared shoe into marbled shaving cream

3. Dip

Carefully dip each shoe into the marbled shaving cream.

Scrape excess shaving cream from shoes

Scrape excess shaving cream from shoes

4. Scrape

Scrape off excess shaving cream with the spatula and use a paper towel to clean off any additional product. Let dry for the dye to completely set, then remove tape.

Blue marbled tie-dye shoes

Blue marbled tie-dye shoes

Reveal!

These swirled shoes look super! The Tulip Marbling 4-Color Tie-Dye Kit has almost everything you need to try this technique— just add shaving cream!

How to ombré tie dye shoes

How to ombré tie dye shoes

1. Tape

Before you tie dye shoes, use masking tape to block off any areas you don’t want dyed. The ombré tie dye method works on any natural fiber fabric shoes, such as slip-on canvas shoes, sneaker shoes, and running shoes!

Pour dye into cups

Pour dye into cups

2. Pour

Pour One-Step Tie-Dye into cups for ease of use and place your shoes onto a protected work surface.

Brush dye onto shoes

Brush dye onto shoes

3. Brush

Use a paintbrush to apply dye to the shoes. Dip paintbrush in water and brush dye upwards to create a gradation of the original color and blend into the next. Let dry for the dye to completely set, then remove tape.

Embellish shoes if desired

Embellish shoes if desired

4. Embellish

Embellishments are optional but are great for adding a touch of personalization to your tie-dyed shoes!

Pink and orange ombré tie-dye shoes with embellishments

Pink and orange ombré tie-dye shoes with embellishments

5. Reveal!

Aren’t these ombré tie-dye shoes adorable? Try this technique with any of your favorite Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kits and easily create awesome ombré designs!

How to ice tie dye shoes

How to ice tie dye shoes

1. Tape

Before you tie dye shoes, remove the laces and use masking tape to block off any areas you don’t want dyed. The ice dye technique works on any natural fiber fabric shoes, such as slip-on canvas shoes, sneaker shoes, and running shoes!

Pile ice over shoes

Pile ice over shoes

2. Ice

Place shoes onto a wire rack over a baking sheet or plastic bin. Pile ice over the shoes, making sure you cover as much of the shoes as possible with ice. The tray will collect the runoff from ice and dyes as the ice melts.

Sprinkle dye powder onto ice

Sprinkle dye powder onto ice

3. Dye

Sprinkle the dry dye powder(s) over the top of the ice. As the ice melts overnight, it'll transfer the dyes to the shoes! Let dry for the dye to completely set, then remove tape.

Blue ice dye shoes

Blue ice dye shoes

4. Reveal!

Your tie-dye shoes are ready to wear! Try this technique with the Tulip One-Step Ice Dye Kit for super cool tie-dye effects.


How to dye shoes a new color

How to dye shoes a new color

1. Mix

Mix the dyes to color your shoes. Use a 1-Color Tie-Dye Kit or try using the Tulip Color Mixing Kit for custom colors—the color mixing chart has 50 unique color formulas to try, so pick your favorite!

Prepare shoes to be dyed

Prepare shoes to be dyed

2. Prep

Prepare the shoes that you want to dye a new color. You can dye any natural fiber fabric shoes, such as slip-on canvas shoes, sneaker shoes, and running shoes!If necessary, use masking tape to block off areas you don’t want dyed, remove the laces, and expose the tongue of the shoe. Place shoes (and laces) onto a wire rack on top of a baking sheet to collect excess dye.

Freshly dyed shoes and laces

Freshly dyed shoes and laces

3. Dye

Apply dye to the shoes by touching the tip of the bottle to the surface, and slowly squeezing to saturate with color. You can dye the shoelaces too, if you’d like! Once you’ve finished applying the dye to your shoes, place them in a sealed plastic bag and let them set for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Custom dyed magenta shoes

Custom dyed magenta shoes

4. Reveal!

Rinse, wash and dry the shoes. Lace up your kicks, and your custom dyed shoes are ready to wear! This method is great for refreshing an old pair of shoes with new vibrant color.

DIY Dotted Rainbow Tie-Dye Shoes

DIY Dotted Rainbow Tie-Dye Shoes

Who doesn’t love rainbow tie dye? Learn how to tie dye shoes with this dotted rainbow pattern by dotting One-Step Dyes on the shoe, letting the colors blend slightly. This technique works best if the shoes are dampened before-hand.

DIY Rainbow Ombré Tie-Dye Shoes

DIY Rainbow Ombré Tie-Dye Shoes

There are so many ways to make rainbow tie-dye shoes! Use the ombré technique to create a colorful horizontal rainbow gradient that spans across both shoes. High-top canvas shoes look so much better with tie dye!

DIY Vertical Ombré Tie-Dye Shoes

DIY Vertical Ombré Tie-Dye Shoes

You’re probably a pro at designing rainbow tie-dye shoes by now, but here’s one more colorful design to try. These colorful kicks have a vertical rainbow gradient that spans across both shoes! Grab yourself a Tulip Tie-Dye Party Kit and try all three rainbow techniques!

DIY Stripes Tie-Dye Shoes

DIY Stripes Tie-Dye Shoes

Check out these super stripey slip-on canvas shoes! It’s easy to learn how to tie dye shoes with multicolored stripes. Carefully apply One-Step Dyes directly from the bottle onto your shoes in a striped pattern. Keep the color wheel in mind when using this technique so that the dyes won’t turn muddy!

DIY Drizzle Tie-Dye Shoes

DIY Drizzle Tie-Dye Shoes

Here’s how to tie dye shoes with just one bottle of dye! This drizzle technique is an incredibly easy way to tie dye shoes. Prepare a bottle of your favorite One-Step Tie Dye and drizzle it directly onto the prepared shoes for an organic striped pattern.

Pink and Wine Tow-Toned Tie-Dye Shoes

Pink and Wine Tow-Toned Tie-Dye Shoes

These two-toned tie-dye shoes are terrific, don’t you think? If you want to learn how to tie-dye shoes like this, just use the ombré technique to blend two colors of One-Step Tie-Dye.

Custom Pastel Tie-Dye Sneakers by Jeff PurYear

Custom Pastel Tie-Dye Sneakers by Jeff PurYear

Custom Tie-Dye Sneaker Shoes by Jeff PurYear

Looking for more advanced tie-dye shoe styles? Check out these custom tie-dye sneaker shoes by Jeff PurYear!

Custom Rainbow Tie-Dye Sneaker Shoes by Jeff PurYear

Custom Rainbow Tie-Dye Sneaker Shoes by Jeff PurYear

These detailed tie-dye shoes are a great way to add a stylish splash of color to any outfit. With a little extra patience and practice, you can use tie dye to create unique works of art that you can wear!

Now that you know how to tie dye shoes, get out there and start crafting your own one-of-a-kind tie-dye kicks and matching tie-dye socks to complete your colorful outfit! Freestyle your own tie-dye socks or snag a pair of Crazy Socks for even more tie dye fun—designs appear like MAGIC when you add your favorite Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye colors! Check out these links and tie-dye from head to toe— and don’t forget to tag us on social media @TulipColorCrafts!

 

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