How $680 Gucci sneakers are professionally restored
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.
- Rio Jongsae Kim is the owner of Kim's Shoe and Bag Repair.
- He shows us how to restore a pair of Gucci Ace sneakers that retail for about $680.
- This includes cleaning the shoes, regluing the metallic snakeskin panel, and repainting the shoes.
The following is a transcript of the video.
Narrator: Hi, I'm Rio. I'm the owner of Kim's Shoe and Bag Repair. And also, I'm running a YouTube channel Repair Studio. Today I'm doing a restoration on a pair of Gucci Ace sneakers that retail for around $680. These shoes were brought by one of my clients. Unfortunately, they were not maintained well. There are three main things to be restored. First of all, the rubber soles are stained, so they need to be removed. Second, leather upper gets scuffed, so they need to be repainted and refinished. Lastly, metallic panel at the back is faded, so it needs to be retouched.
I am taking off the shoelaces and insoles from the shoes. Now I'm using a toothbrush to remove the dust from the inside of the shoes before cleaning, because this dust or sand can cause some scratches on leather while I'm cleaning. I'm using a leather cleaner with a soft hairbrush and gently moving the brush in a circular motion to clean the interior and exterior of the shoes. Now I'm wiping off the foam and water quickly to avoid any water damage. The rubber soles are dirty and stained, so I'm brushing them to clean out the dirt first and using a thinner scrubbing of the stain with rag.
Metallic green panel is originally made of leather and printed with a metallic snakeskin shape layer. When people try to wear the shoes, they tend to touch, hold, and bend the heel area. I'm using a leather glue with an awl to glue the pealed metallic back on. It's very hard to find the exactly same paint color to match the green metallic panel. Since it's not even one solid color, I have to mix several paint colors to make the light and shade of metallic panel.
The exterior of the shoes are scuffed and discolored in some areas. So I'm using a leather paint to touch up the scuffed area first and applying evenly all over the shoes. I'm using a matte finisher to protect the paint from peeling off or cracks. Shoelaces are not cleanable like the original condition. So I'm replacing with new ones. Now I'm applying shoe deodorizer to eliminate odor and keep fresh. I'm very excited for my client to see this restoration.