Do-it-yourself AIR JORDAN 1 Black Toe

Mann, all sneakerfreaks know that the HOLY GRAIL of all Air Jordans are the AIR JORDAN 1 Black Toe colorway. Why are they the Holy Grail of all Jordans you ask?

Well, they are the "first pair" of Air Jordans MJ ever wore. When MJ went to Portland to shoot that infamous Jumpman Chicago Skyline photo, he supposedly wore a pair of these. I said supposedly and you'll see why later on... Back to the Black Toes again. These Blacktoes are as rare as Saddam's @ss (that was before he got caught, it ain't so rare now).

They hardly ever go up for auction in eBay and Yahoo! And when they do, you need $1500 plus to win. The last pair on eBay went for $2250.25!!!

Here's the link : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2864046233&category=15710 The seller was rair-e-fied and it was a size 9.5. When the auction ended on Oct 26, 2003, dbay212 was the winner. I was going to put up $2,000 for them kicks but $2,250... nah a bit too much for a USED size 9.5.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I embarked on a plan to satisfy my need/desire/obsession for a pair of Black Toes. Herewith are my DIY Air Jordan I Black Toe project. Remember that I said the Black Toes supposedly look like the pair MJ wore when he shot the Jumpman Chicago Skyline poster. Well, take a close look at the tongue. It's BLACK. It's not WHITE like the official/authentic Air Jordan I Black Toes that Nike released in limited quantities in the Chicagoland area (that's according to Rairefied's auction description).

The tongue is BLACK with a red "Nike Air" label!!! Which makes things easier for us to create an "EXACT" replica of MJ's Jumpman Black Toes....

1. Remove the laces.
   
   
2. If not deadstock/new, you may need to clean leather of any dirt and grime by washing it.
   
   
3. Next coat the painting area with liquid detergent. This will remove surface wax/release agents. If not removed it'll be difficult for the paint to stick, especially water-based paint.
   It's very important that you remove all the surface wax, otherwise the paint finish will not be smooth. Take your time to coat the edges and stitch areas. Leave for 1-2 hours then wipe off with a dry cloth.
   
   
4. Once most of it is gone, use a damp cloth to remove any detergent stuck in the edges/corners.

1. Use a fine grit "wet & dry" sandpaper (600 grit or finer) to sandpaper the surface. Sanding will stop the paint job from peeling off when you wear the shoes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Make sure you don't "oversand" and destroy the smooth surface of the leather. It has to be rough but not too rough. Watch out for the stitches, you don't want the threads to "fray". Keep away from the stitches if possible.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. After sanding, clean the shoes again to remove any debris, especially those stuck in the edges of the leather. Use a dry piece of rag to wipe off the dust. Then use a damp piece of rag to get rid of dust stuck in the sharp edges/corners.

1. Test spray the primer on the plastic bag to see if it'll melt the bag. If it does, then you should use a different primer or use a Mylar/polyester-based oven bag that you can find in your local supermarket. Oven bags will not melt!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. A tape and plastic bag can be use the mask areas of the shoe from unwanted paint.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Make sure the tape forms a tight seal around the edges.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. My strategy is to start with the most difficult area first. The Forefoot the the toughest, then followed by the inner Midfoot and lastly the outer Midfoot.

1. Pick a nice cool day to do this. Ideal temperature should be 20° to 25° Celcius (68°F to 77°F) and humidity 20-40%. If it's too hot and dry, the primer would dry-up before it hits the surface of the shoe. Too cold and wet, you might have to wait for the paint to dry.
   
   
   
   
2. Make sure the room you're spraying in is well ventilated (not windy) and has no naked flames.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Test spray the primer on newpaper to clear/clean out the nozzle. Note how the aerosol is dispersed. Is the distance to far, is it too close, is it too thick?
   
   
   
   
4. Then spray the primer on the shoe evenly.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Focus on the edges/sharp corners first. Areas where there's potential that the primer won't cover properly. By doing that, some of the back-spray will settle on the big/easy areas.
   
   
   
6. Once the corners and hard to get areas are covered by primer, you'll just need a few blast to cover any exposed big/easy areas.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Wait for 5 to 10 min for the primer to set. Primers chemically different to paint in that they are design to dry up quickly and form a strong bond to the leather. They also have greater OPACITY. Meaning that you only need one or two coats of primer to block out the black surface. If you use, ordinary paint it could mean 4 or 6 coats. Not only is this expensive (paint is generally more costly than primers), but the repeated coatings could make brushstrokes visible from afar. UGHHH!!

1. Make sure the room where you're painting is not too warm. Otherwise the paint will dry up too quick and become "tacky". You'll easily get nasty brushstroke marks on the surface.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Moisten the paint brush. (What you do is dip the brush in water and then dry it with a piece of cloth/tissue.) A moist brush will make it easier to control the paint.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Paint the edges of the Nike Swoosh black. When that's dry, brush the first coat of the big area of the swoosh. When you're painting the big area, use a gentle "back and forth" action. That way the paint will flow and form a uniform finish without any brushstrokes. Don't press the brush against the surface too hard.
   
   
   
4. Wait for 30-60 min for the black paint to dry. Retouch any area not covered by the black on Nike Swoosh (ie. put on a second coat). Then use a black, permanent ink sharpie to touch up tiny areas (eg sharp edges/corners) that are too difficult to reach with a paintbrush.
   
   
   
5. Next is to retouch the red edges on the heel counter area. Use a red marker pen with an ultrafine tip. Or use a fine "sable-hair" paint brush (expensive brushes to buy from art supply shops)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Next is to retouch the white edge on the forefoot area.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Then retouch the black stitches on the heel area to white colour.

1. Below are pics of the masterpiece.
   Total time : Masking and priming            1.5 days
                    Painting and touch-up           1.0 days
                    TOTAL                                2.5 days
   
   CALCULATING COST SAVINGS OVER ORIGINAL BLACK TOE
   
   Auction winning bid for Used Size 9.5 Black Toe         US$2,250.25
   LESS :
   Deadstock AJ 1 Retro 2001(+ shipping)                      US$  140.00
   Ral Partha Primer                                                     US$     7.00
   Gunz Sangyo Acrylics (Red, Blk, Wht)                       US$     5.00
   Sable Hair artist paintbrush (3 sizes)                           US$   16.00
   "Wet & dry" emery sandpaper                                     US$    2.00
   
   TOTAL SAVINGS                                                   US$2,080.25 !!!
   
   I saved US$2,080.25 by making my own pair of Air Jordan I Black Toes. And mine are the exact replica of what MJ wore, its got a black tongue and Red "Nike Air" label. Geez, I feel realll good. With that sort of savings, I could afford a dozen pairs of AJ XVIIs.
   
   Note that these shoes are for DISPLAY. They aren't wearable because the acrylic paint will crack. If you want paint that don't crack then use a leather stainer/paint like Angelus. Follow the instructions and you may have to dilute it with acetone. Like all paint chemicals, eye and skin safety is important. And don't breath in the fumes. Niketalk Archives has shoe painting tips using Angelus.