It began as a gift for my bridesmaids, and turned into several additional requests for custom painted shoes to give as gifts.
The first pair were Tangled themed, showing off the beautiful lantern scene that was her favorite. For the back parts of the shoes, I used some patterns that reminded me of shapes on Rapunzel's murals, crown, or clothing.
The next pair showed some Marauder's Map imagery from Harry Potter. My favorite parts on the shoes were McGonagall's footprints, that transformed into kitty paw prints halfway along the trail, and the "Gred" and "Forge" footprints on the back of the right shoe. I included footprints and labels for her most favorite characters.
These were Star Wars themed, featuring the Death Star, Millennium Falcon, and a portrait of Darth Vader. The Rebel Alliance and Empire logos are on the outside ankle areas of the shoes, and the backs say May the Force Be with You. These were super fun to do and her fifth grade class was impressed that these were the only shoes in the entire world like them.
These were for my lifelong friend and college roommate, a passionate Virginia Tech Hokie. I used Tech colors to make some lively patterns, and hid VTs and hokie feet in the patterns as well. The backs, of course, say Let's Go Hokies, and they'll be perfect gameday shoes come next fall. I have since done a second pair of these Hokie patterned shoes, with differences here and there and a different pattern on the sides where the sun and compass are. I want every pair to be unique!
These were a Christmas gift for a huge Lord of the Rings fan (like myself!). She adores Merry and Pippin, so they're featured on the fronts of the shoes. Merry stands in front of Bag End with the dragon firework behind his back. Pippin holds a pint from the Green Dragon and a piece of Lembas bread with a big bite taken out of it. On the outer sides of the shoes are more characters, Tom Bombadil on the right shoe, and Smeagol with his Precious on the left. On the inner sides of the shoes are two quotes: "not all those who wander are lost" in a 'Hobbity' styled script on one, and, "even the smallest person can change the course of the future" in elvish Tengwar script on the other. I adore these Tolkien shoes!
These were also a Christmas gift, and I was thrilled for the chance to paint horses again. Majestic unicorns and pegasus adorn all sides of these shoes, with rainbow backgrounds, starry landscapes, fireflies, and distant castle silhouettes. They're nothing short of magical, and I love how they turned out.
These were specially designed for a Harry-Potter-loving, pure-Slytherin, fashionista. I pulled patterns from Fleur Delacour's wedding gown and lace headpiece, and used some of the six-pointed stars featured on the pages of the Harry Potter books. The silver paint makes them even more striking in real life than photographs could possibly portray, and "Mischief Managed" on the backs match up with their new owner's personality well, if I do say so myself.
These were a birthday gift for a little girl, who like so many, loves Disney's Frozen. Sisters Anna and Elsa are featured on the left shoe, inspired by Brittney Lee's design artwork. Olaf, her favorite character, is on the right shoe, holding his straw hat in one hand and a coconut drink with a bendy straw and umbrella in the other. The sides an dbacks of the shoes feature patterns related to Anna and Elsa, inspired by more of Brittney Lee's work.
