Okay, so I got this idea stuck in my head: lime green ja morant. Don’t ask me why, maybe saw something online, maybe just liked the punchy color with his energy. Anyway, decided I had to make something. Ended up going for customizing some plain kicks.
Getting Started
First thing, needed shoes. Found some basic white canvas sneakers online, cheap ones because, you know, first time really trying this, didn’t wanna mess up anything expensive. Waited for those to arrive. Then, the paints. This was actually harder than I thought. Finding the right lime green? Nightmare. Went to like three different craft stores. Most were too yellow, too dark, or just looked sickly.
- Grabbed some acrylic paints eventually. Found a green that was close enough, figured I could maybe mix it a bit.
- Got some fine brushes, masking tape, and a sealant spray. Read somewhere you gotta seal it or it just flakes off.
The Actual Work
Alright, shoes arrived. Felt kinda flimsy, but hey, they were cheap. First step, cleaning them. Even though they were new, wiped them down with some alcohol prep pads just to be sure the paint would stick good. Then I tried sketching the design lightly with a pencil. Wanted Morant’s silhouette, maybe his number, with big splashes of that lime green.
Taping off sections was tedious. Used the masking tape to get clean lines for the green parts. Then came the painting. Mixed that green with a tiny bit of white to brighten it up. It looked… okay. Not perfect, but passable. Started applying it. First coat looked terrible, super streaky. Panic started setting in. Waited for it to dry, which took forever, then put on a second coat. Better. Third coat finally looked solid.
Then did the silhouette and number in black. My hand wasn’t as steady as I thought. The lines got a bit shaky, especially around the curves. Had to go back with a tiny brush and some white paint to clean up the edges. It was nerve-wracking, honestly. Felt like one wrong move and the whole thing’s ruined.
Finishing Up
Let everything dry for a full day, just to be safe. Took off the masking tape. Some paint had bled underneath in a couple spots, which was annoying. Tried to fix it, made it slightly worse, then decided to just live with it. Character, right?
Last step was the sealant. Took the shoes outside, sprayed them down according to the can. Stank up the backyard for a bit. Let that dry too.
And… done. They’re definitely homemade. You can tell up close. The green isn’t exactly the neon vibe I first pictured, and the lines aren’t perfect. But standing back? Yeah, they look pretty cool. It’s that lime green ja morant idea, brought to life, kinda. Took way longer than I expected, lots of little frustrations. But hey, I made ’em. Pretty satisfying to wear something you messed up and fixed yourself.
