Do it yourselflifestylePhotographyshop
September 5, 2017

Designer Dupe | DIY Wink Espadrilles

By:
Amanda Puleo

I have been eyeing the Jason Polan Wink Embroidered Smoking Slippers from Soludos for quite awhile now. But I just couldn't justify spending the money on them because they aren't a pair of shoes that I would wear constantly. They would be more of a quirky piece I would pair only with certain outfits. So I decided to make them instead! These were inspired by the Soludos that retail for $75. My D.I.Y version cost me about $25. They are so fun and simple to make!

Supplies You'll Need for this Project

• a piece of paper (or a few)
• pencil
• marker or thicker tip pen.
• Permanent Nontoxic Fabric Markers Black 2 Pack (linked below)
Dirty Laundry Elson Espadrille (I wanted ones these ones in particular but you could use whatever kind of canvas shoe you wanted really! White lace-up sneakers could also be fun!)


I started by drawing different eyes/winks/eyelashes all over a piece of paper with my marker. I tried a variety of different shapes, styles, and thicknesses to see which ones I liked best! Get creative! After I drew a bunch of different ones and felt satisfied with a certain style, I cut my favorite ones out of the sheet.

I lined my favorite ones up on the shoes to figure out placement and sizing. Don't worry, these don't have to be perfect! They are just a guide for you to use when you draw on the actual shoe.

Once I got a general idea of where I wanted the eye to be placed, I used my pencil to sketch out the eye on the shoe. Make sure you do it really lightly so you can fix mistakes if you have to. I would suggest practicing drawing it a few times before you draw on the shoe! And it doesn't have to be perfect! I wanted a irregular look, I think it gives it more character. So DON'T STRESS about making it perfect!!

After you draw the first one, repeat on the other shoe with the winky eye! As you can kind of see, I have thicker sections of pencil strokes in certain areas, that's where I messed up or wanted the line in a different area. So I just planned on thickening up the lines with the fabric marker.

Take your Fabric Marker and start to trace over your pencil marks! Take your time! You have to go over your strokes a couple times to get a good solid line.

As you can kind of see in the top right photo, I accidentally dropped my marker and it made a mark on the shoe, of course in a super apparent spot where I couldn't hide (oops). So I used a little tiny bit of stain remover and a magic eraser to get out the stain. It worked! Just took some time. So be careful!

Once you finish tracing over all the pencil marks, let the shoes dry for 24 hours. The fabric markers are waterproof! (side note: I haven't got them wet yet so hopefully that is true) And once you are satisfied with the thickness of your lines, you are done!

So excited about these!! Can't wait to wear them this fall! I would love to see your own creations!! Have fun! <3

Wearing: Hat/Modcloth (old—similar here and here), Shoes/Dirty Laundry Elson Espadrille