Protective Treatment for Decorated Shoes

July 14, 2014 4:38 PM

My daughter has decorated some white leather clogs with designs done with colored Sharpie pens. What sort of clear treatment can she put on the shoes that will protect the designs?
posted by Jackson to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

I've had good luck with a couple of layers of Liquitex Varnish on top of some glitter shoes I wanted to protect-- it's flexible, clear, and doesn't flake or crack. It does get cloudy and sticky in water, so I'd only use that if she won't be wearing the shoes in the rain-- and probably you'll also want to spot-test an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn't cause the Sharpie to run.
posted by Bardolph at 5:31 PM on July 14, 2014

There are also spray varnishes you can use. I would suggest them because thicker layers of varnish, as applied by brushing, might take longer to dry, and might crack with normal shoe wear. This is totally a your mileage may vary situation.

Golden makes a mineral spirit spray varnish (MSA Varnish), a Polymer spray varnish, and an archival varnish spray.

Liquitex also has spray products.

Whatever you use, be sure to use appropriate safety precautions, ventilation, etc.
posted by bilabial at 6:29 PM on July 14, 2014

Clear nail polish?
posted by mothershock at 6:55 PM on July 14, 2014

There's also the stand-by mod podge to seal/cover things.

Whatever you use, you'll want to see if the sealant will dissolve the sharpie ink and cause the lines to bleed all over etc.
posted by k5.user at 6:32 AM on July 15, 2014

Clear nail polish will definitely make the Sharpie smear. Voice of experience here. Also it will crack and flake.
posted by Adridne at 6:43 AM on July 15, 2014

Angelus Acrylic Finisher is water-resistant and designed to be used on shoes.
posted by corey flood at 8:33 AM on July 15, 2014