Listen, your girl likes to save money, okay? Story time!
I bought these boots from Clarks a few years back, as a Christmas present for my Mum actually. But sadly they didn’t fit her but I decided to keep them, as they fit me perfectly and were so comfortable.
But over the years, even though I’ve worn them a couple times, overall I’ve found them pretty hard to style. They’re an awkward colour for my wardrobe and don’t go with a lot of my clothes, so I found that, sadly, I was hardly reaching for them.
Which seemed like such a waste – they’re gorgeous, leather, have the perfect heel height, and are so comfortable to walk in for a long time considering the heel.
So I tried listing them on eBay but after literal months listed at such a low price, they hadn’t had so much as a watcher ð which just made me sad because they’re such nice boots and were just gathering dust in my wardrobe.
Meanwhile, I found myself searching online for the perfect pair of black leather boots to invest in. I wanted smart/casual, with enough of a heel to give me height but not too high that I couldn’t walk distances, I wanted ankle boots with a Chelsea boot sort of style, and a pointed toe that wasn’t too pointy – I don’t ask for much ð
But I am fussy, and I just couldn’t find what I was looking for. I thought I’d found the perfect pair in Primark, but I tried to wear them and they were WAY too high, I could barely walk (they are now listed on eBay).
And then I had a thought.
The Clarks boots are exactly what I’m looking for, they’re just the wrong colour. What if I could just dye them black? That would save me a lot of time and a whole lot of money looking for a new pair (why are boots so expensive please?!), and it’s more sustainable and could be a fun little project.
So I looked into a little bit and ordered some acetone and black leather dye.
I put down some paper to protect my floor, then gently rubbed down the boots with the acetone to strip away the shiny top layer and some of the colour. I then left them overnight and the next day I went in with the dye, brushing it on in sections and leaving to dry.
In total, I did about six coats of dye because the original colour proved quite strong and I don’t think I used enough acetone during the first step.
But now – voila! They’re like brand new boots!
I’m so happy with how they turned out and equally as happy with how much money I’ve saved ð
They look amazing and now I have the perfect boots I always wanted – little did I know they were just sat in my wardrobe the whole time. I’m so glad I thought to do this and so glad it worked out, I couldn’t be happier with my up-cycled leather boots ðĨ°
Now I just need to make sure I take good care of them, polish them now and then, and enjoy them for many, many years to come.
