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Description
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Scyther photo by Kaminsky Kandids Photography
A few warnings before we start: These boots are not comfortable or practical in any way. You will not be able to bend your ankles, you likely won't be able to walk down stairs while wearing them, and you won't be able to go very fast at all. If you are a person who likes to have comfy feet, these are probably not for you, but if you want some badass looking cosplay feet and you don't care about how hard they are to walk in, then have at it! Personally I'm one of those people who will take looking cool in cosplay over comfort any day, so they work out great for me
Materials/tools
Scyther photo by Kaminsky Kandids Photography
A few warnings before we start: These boots are not comfortable or practical in any way. You will not be able to bend your ankles, you likely won't be able to walk down stairs while wearing them, and you won't be able to go very fast at all. If you are a person who likes to have comfy feet, these are probably not for you, but if you want some badass looking cosplay feet and you don't care about how hard they are to walk in, then have at it! Personally I'm one of those people who will take looking cool in cosplay over comfort any day, so they work out great for me
Materials/tools
- boots
- Worbla (Wonderflex would also work)
- foil
- wire mesh (optional)
- masking tape
- scissors
- markers
- craft foam
- heat gun
- insulation foam
- craft knife
- hot glue
- wood filler (industrial strength is best)
- Apoxie Sculpt (or a similar product)
- Plastidip
- spray primer for plastic
- sand paper
- paints
- paint brushes
- finishing/sealing spray
Instructions
1.
Find some boots you want to build around and wrap them up into whatever shape you want your boots to take. You'll need a boot that is as tall as you want your boot covers to be in the end. I started with a pair of high heeled, knee high boots, which I wrapped up in wire mesh and foil. I used the wire mesh mostly around the foot area to build up the right shape, and then covered the entire thing in foil. Make sure you make your boot shape a bit larger than your actual boot. Making them too close in size to your original boot will make it very hard to get your finished boots on and off your feet.
2.
Next, wrap your entire boot up with masking tape and draw on any seam lines you need. I drew mine around the ankle, at four points going down the shaft of the boot, down the front and back of the foot, and around the heel. Once you have your seam lines drawn, you are going to cut along them to make pattern pieces for your boot.
3.
Once you have your pattern pieces cut out, you can rework them to make them more symmetrical if you want, but this isn't necessary. When you are happy with your patterns, use them to cut matching pieces out of your craft foam, and then cover those pieces of craft foam with Worbla (or whatever kind of thermoplastic sheet you choose) I used the folding method and only covered the outside of the pieces to save on material. Just cut out some pieces slightly larger than your foam, use your heat gun to warm up the Worbla until they are workable, cover one side of your foam with it, and then fold the extra over the edges to the other side of the foam. Make sure you also label your pieces so that its easier to put them together the right way. It is very important to cover the foam with Worbla so that you have a solid surface to apply the wood filler later, and it also makes the boots much more durable
4.
Next, it is time to put the pieces together so that they fit around your boot. I put the bottom half and the top half together separately, and then suck them together at the ankle last. I worked directly around my boot for this step so I could make sure I was getting the pieces curved right. Make sure to check how your covers are going to fit over your boots now so you can make any changes you need to. Actually put your feet inside them so you are 100% sure they will fit. You have to make adjustments now because you won't be able to later. Once you have your pieces assembled and you're sure they all fit right, take some scraps of Worbla and reinforce all the seams
5-8
This is what my boots looked like after assembling all the pieces together. They fit directly over the original boot. All I have to do is slide the boot into them from the bottom.
9.
Here you can see how my boot fits on the inside. I marked each shoe and boot cover with a corresponding shape so that I wouldn't forget which cover went to which shoe. You can see I used a square for this one.
10.
If you need claws on your boots, now is the time to add them. I was making feet for my Scyther from Pokemon, so I needed three large claws on each foot. I carved the shapes out of pink insulation foam and hot glued them in place.
11.
Next I covered my claws with scraps of Worbla to make them durable. Just heat the scraps up with your heat gun and stick them on. Make sure you don't leave any foam uncovered.
12.
Now it it time to smooth everything out. I used an industrial/outdoor strength wood filler for this. The stronger the wood filler the better. I did about 4-5 layers altogether on each boot cover. Two thick coats to start with, and then three thinner layers, and in between each layer I sanded them down as smooth as I could get them. Make sure to let the wood filler dry completely before sanding or adding any more filler.
13.
Next, you can add any details you still need. I used Apoxie Sculpt, but you can use any similar product. Apoxie Sculpt is a two part epoxie clay and it doesn't shrink or crack at all when drying. Whatever you use, make sure it DOES NOT shrink or crack at all. Shrinking and cracking is bad. Along with any details you add, I would also highly suggest layering some Apoxie Sculpt around the top and bottom edges, for durability. Apoxie Sculpt is very strong, so it will hold up a lot better than just the wood filler will and you will need the extra protection, especially on the bottoms since you'll be walking in them. You can do your details in any style you want, but I used seamless details for mine. (I plan to make a video tutorial on how to make seamless details with Apoxie Sculpt in the near future, so I will link to it when I have the video uploaded to my Youtube channel)
1.
Find some boots you want to build around and wrap them up into whatever shape you want your boots to take. You'll need a boot that is as tall as you want your boot covers to be in the end. I started with a pair of high heeled, knee high boots, which I wrapped up in wire mesh and foil. I used the wire mesh mostly around the foot area to build up the right shape, and then covered the entire thing in foil. Make sure you make your boot shape a bit larger than your actual boot. Making them too close in size to your original boot will make it very hard to get your finished boots on and off your feet.
2.
Next, wrap your entire boot up with masking tape and draw on any seam lines you need. I drew mine around the ankle, at four points going down the shaft of the boot, down the front and back of the foot, and around the heel. Once you have your seam lines drawn, you are going to cut along them to make pattern pieces for your boot.
3.
Once you have your pattern pieces cut out, you can rework them to make them more symmetrical if you want, but this isn't necessary. When you are happy with your patterns, use them to cut matching pieces out of your craft foam, and then cover those pieces of craft foam with Worbla (or whatever kind of thermoplastic sheet you choose) I used the folding method and only covered the outside of the pieces to save on material. Just cut out some pieces slightly larger than your foam, use your heat gun to warm up the Worbla until they are workable, cover one side of your foam with it, and then fold the extra over the edges to the other side of the foam. Make sure you also label your pieces so that its easier to put them together the right way. It is very important to cover the foam with Worbla so that you have a solid surface to apply the wood filler later, and it also makes the boots much more durable
4.
Next, it is time to put the pieces together so that they fit around your boot. I put the bottom half and the top half together separately, and then suck them together at the ankle last. I worked directly around my boot for this step so I could make sure I was getting the pieces curved right. Make sure to check how your covers are going to fit over your boots now so you can make any changes you need to. Actually put your feet inside them so you are 100% sure they will fit. You have to make adjustments now because you won't be able to later. Once you have your pieces assembled and you're sure they all fit right, take some scraps of Worbla and reinforce all the seams
5-8
This is what my boots looked like after assembling all the pieces together. They fit directly over the original boot. All I have to do is slide the boot into them from the bottom.
9.
Here you can see how my boot fits on the inside. I marked each shoe and boot cover with a corresponding shape so that I wouldn't forget which cover went to which shoe. You can see I used a square for this one.
10.
If you need claws on your boots, now is the time to add them. I was making feet for my Scyther from Pokemon, so I needed three large claws on each foot. I carved the shapes out of pink insulation foam and hot glued them in place.
11.
Next I covered my claws with scraps of Worbla to make them durable. Just heat the scraps up with your heat gun and stick them on. Make sure you don't leave any foam uncovered.
12.
Now it it time to smooth everything out. I used an industrial/outdoor strength wood filler for this. The stronger the wood filler the better. I did about 4-5 layers altogether on each boot cover. Two thick coats to start with, and then three thinner layers, and in between each layer I sanded them down as smooth as I could get them. Make sure to let the wood filler dry completely before sanding or adding any more filler.
13.
Next, you can add any details you still need. I used Apoxie Sculpt, but you can use any similar product. Apoxie Sculpt is a two part epoxie clay and it doesn't shrink or crack at all when drying. Whatever you use, make sure it DOES NOT shrink or crack at all. Shrinking and cracking is bad. Along with any details you add, I would also highly suggest layering some Apoxie Sculpt around the top and bottom edges, for durability. Apoxie Sculpt is very strong, so it will hold up a lot better than just the wood filler will and you will need the extra protection, especially on the bottoms since you'll be walking in them. You can do your details in any style you want, but I used seamless details for mine. (I plan to make a video tutorial on how to make seamless details with Apoxie Sculpt in the near future, so I will link to it when I have the video uploaded to my Youtube channel)
14-15
The next step is to apply Plastidip to your boot covers. You can buy Plastidip if a variety of colors, but I used white for mine because I was planning to paint over them anyway. The reason I added Plastidip to my boots is because, no matter what you do, your boots are likely to crack when you walk in them. If you left the wood filler uncovered, the cracks would become very noticeable and could even seriously damage the integrity of your boots. Adding some layers of Plastidip will keep your boots from cracking on the surface. While the wood filler on the inside may still crack a little, the Plastidip will not. If your boots flex, the Plastidip will flex with them, and any crack in the wood filler will not show through to the surface and it will protect the boots from any damage that way. I used two cans of Plastidip for my two boot covers, and I was able to get 4 layers on each boot before running out. The more layers you put on, the more durable your boots will be.
If you are planning on painting your boots, you will need to add a primer to your boot covers after the Plastidip is dry. Regular paints won't stick to Plastidip very well, so primer is a must if you don't want your paint rubbing off everywhere. I used Krylon's ColorMaster Plastic Primer. Whatever brand of primer you choose, make sure that you are using a plastic primer. If its not for plastic, it probably isn't going to work very well. I would highly suggest also getting a primer in a color different from your Plastidip color. I made the mistake of getting white primer to go over my white Plastidip, and it was very difficult to tell if the entire surface was covered.
16.
This is how my boots looked after they had been covered in Plastidip and primer. All nice and smooth!
17.
Once dry, your boot covers are ready to be painted. I used the same painting techniques I use for all armor and prop making that I do. I start with a dark base color, dry brush my brighter color on top of it, and add any deep shadows and bright highlights last. I always use Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint for all my projects. I find that they have a very nice flexibility to them when dry, so cracking isn't as much of a problems with these as it is with other paints. To make my Scyther green boots, I used bright green, magenta, black, and white. Once your boots are painted and dry, add a finishing/sealing spray over the top to protect your paint.
To put on your big cosplay feet, simply slide your boots into the inside of your boot covers through the bottom, and then stick your feet into them, keeping hold of your boots on the inside so they don't get pushed down. If you made your covers big enough, this should be easy, but if they are a tight fit, it may take some time and patience to get into.
18.
Here you can see the finished product. Photo credit goes to the amazing Kaminsky Kandids Photography If you would like to see how walking works in them, check out the video on my Facebook page HERE I will warn you though, it does look kind of funny
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
The next step is to apply Plastidip to your boot covers. You can buy Plastidip if a variety of colors, but I used white for mine because I was planning to paint over them anyway. The reason I added Plastidip to my boots is because, no matter what you do, your boots are likely to crack when you walk in them. If you left the wood filler uncovered, the cracks would become very noticeable and could even seriously damage the integrity of your boots. Adding some layers of Plastidip will keep your boots from cracking on the surface. While the wood filler on the inside may still crack a little, the Plastidip will not. If your boots flex, the Plastidip will flex with them, and any crack in the wood filler will not show through to the surface and it will protect the boots from any damage that way. I used two cans of Plastidip for my two boot covers, and I was able to get 4 layers on each boot before running out. The more layers you put on, the more durable your boots will be.
If you are planning on painting your boots, you will need to add a primer to your boot covers after the Plastidip is dry. Regular paints won't stick to Plastidip very well, so primer is a must if you don't want your paint rubbing off everywhere. I used Krylon's ColorMaster Plastic Primer. Whatever brand of primer you choose, make sure that you are using a plastic primer. If its not for plastic, it probably isn't going to work very well. I would highly suggest also getting a primer in a color different from your Plastidip color. I made the mistake of getting white primer to go over my white Plastidip, and it was very difficult to tell if the entire surface was covered.
16.
This is how my boots looked after they had been covered in Plastidip and primer. All nice and smooth!
17.
Once dry, your boot covers are ready to be painted. I used the same painting techniques I use for all armor and prop making that I do. I start with a dark base color, dry brush my brighter color on top of it, and add any deep shadows and bright highlights last. I always use Liquitex Basics Acrylic Paint for all my projects. I find that they have a very nice flexibility to them when dry, so cracking isn't as much of a problems with these as it is with other paints. To make my Scyther green boots, I used bright green, magenta, black, and white. Once your boots are painted and dry, add a finishing/sealing spray over the top to protect your paint.
To put on your big cosplay feet, simply slide your boots into the inside of your boot covers through the bottom, and then stick your feet into them, keeping hold of your boots on the inside so they don't get pushed down. If you made your covers big enough, this should be easy, but if they are a tight fit, it may take some time and patience to get into.
18.
Here you can see the finished product. Photo credit goes to the amazing Kaminsky Kandids Photography If you would like to see how walking works in them, check out the video on my Facebook page HERE I will warn you though, it does look kind of funny
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Image size
2000x4053px 1.27 MB
Make
SONY
Model
SLT-A55V
Shutter Speed
1/100 second
Aperture
F/4.0
Focal Length
26 mm
ISO Speed
800
Date Taken
Jan 2, 2010, 5:12:32 PM
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Comments3
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nice cosplay