Best way to mask/obliterate brand logo on black rubber rain boot?

December 13, 2010 8:08 PM

What's the best way to mask/obliterate brand logo on black rubber rain boot?

I recently purchased some rubber rain boots (http://www.6pm.com/tretorn-kelly-black). They're black, tall, and shiny. Each boot also bears a glaring, white, largeish Tretorn logo near the top of the boot. This white logo is itself also rubber, placed in in a little rubber rectangle that is affixed seemingly permanently to the rubber of the boot itself. I'm liking the boots and nothing against Tretorn per se, but I generally try not to wear things that have an eye-grabbing brand name on them.

What's the best way to cover up the logo in the most inconspicuous, permanent, and of course, waterproof way possible? Black acrylic paint? (might have weird texture and might chip off?) Black sharpie? (might eventually fade)? Maybe black enamel paint? I think trying to slice it off will probably just look even worse.

If I botch it the first time with some ill-chosen material, it'll probably make for an even bigger cover-up challenge... so I'm interested to hear if there are any paints/inks/materials that seem right for this job before I totally mess up my great new boots!

Thanks!

posted by parsley7 to Grab Bag (14 answers total)

Acetone (rubbed onto the logo with a q-tip) may eat the logo off, leaving a flat surface (to color, paint over, or leave as-is). (Someone want to back me up on this with Science?)

Last week I got some nail polish on my laptop (mouse button + still-wet thumbnail) and, like a moron, decided to take it off with my 100% acetone nail polish remover. More like 100% acetone surface-of-laptop-button remover. So, like, be careful what you get it on.
posted by phunniemee at 8:21 PM on December 13, 2010

Assuming that the white is a layer of paint I would say just rough up the raised part with some sandpaper until you get rid of all the white. The logo would still be there but not nearly as visible. You'd want to be sure to mask off the rest of the boot so that it doesn't get scratched, but at least this way you don't have to worry about something flaking or fading as time goes on.
posted by Rhomboid at 8:21 PM on December 13, 2010

I'd put a piece of black electrical tape over the logo. If it doesn't look right, you can probably just peel it off.
posted by pinky at 8:22 PM on December 13, 2010

A tire patch is a black piece of rubber that comes with rubber-specific adhesive.

I also recommend trying acetone first.
posted by fake at 8:51 PM on December 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Electrical tape won't last and will leave a sticky mess behind. I would recommend Sugru (a moldable silicone product) - you can easily smooth it on like clay and it will stay flexible after it cures.
posted by O9scar at 8:57 PM on December 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

Cover it with black Shoe Goo — use a piece of ice to smooth out the Goo.
posted by nicwolff at 9:20 PM on December 13, 2010

I once bought a black rubber laptop bag/satchel that had a similar white rubber logo attached to one side. I used a black permanent marker to essentially dye the white rubber black. The surface was slick when I first coloured it, but after a couple of hours, the ink sunk in. It never rubbed off or faded, though I wasn't splashing the bag around in puddles like I'm assuming you'll do with your boots.

The rubber of the logo was matt. I can't tell from the pictures you linked to whether yours is shiny, and if that would make a difference.
posted by Georgina at 9:28 PM on December 13, 2010

Sharpie might fade, but it is dead-easy to reapply (and cheap, to boot!) so that's probably what I would go for.
posted by that girl at 10:27 PM on December 13, 2010

Seconding the sharpie. I got a pair of black croc flats (stop laughing!!! they're soooooo comfortable!) that had white croc logos and a stupid plastic rhinestone connecting the backstrap to the upper, which I hadn't noticed in the item picture. Three coats of black sharpie, and they're still blacked out about six months later, although starting to fade to purple.
posted by smirkette at 10:51 PM on December 13, 2010

oh, those rubber logos are SO hateful...2 step process:
1) sharpie (the color/finish won't match soooo...)
2) black paint pen. the color/finish will match, but it may crack a bit over time...thus the sharpie underneath.
posted by sexyrobot at 11:57 PM on December 13, 2010

You could try that spray on truck bed liner material... I bet you could get it in a can at an auto parts store!
posted by Glendale at 3:58 AM on December 14, 2010

Seconding a tire patch. They're easy to cut to shape and to affix. Oldey-timey tire patch kits usually included a cheese grater to rough of the target surface first. I'd put some tape around the logo then grate/file the logo down a bit before putting on the patch.
posted by plinth at 5:44 AM on December 14, 2010

Sugru is absolutely what you want here. It's the consistency of play-do, more or less, but cures in a few hours to a sturdy silicon/rubber that is probably not too different from the boot material itself. It comes in black and other colors. If you are quick with it you can get it unbelievably smooth with plastic wrap or a baggie.
posted by dirtdirt at 9:19 AM on December 14, 2010

Response by poster: Wow, just wanted to say a big thanks for all these intriguing ideas. It's so great to learn about some of these materials I didn't know about or wouldn't have thought of using. I think I may test a few out on something else and see how it goes, and then take it to the boots! But in any case these are great tips not just for these boots but also for all manner of future fixes. Thanks!!
posted by parsley7 at 9:31 PM on December 14, 2010