Worth it to dye these?
So I've had these Doc Martens Chelsea boots for a while now, a little over a year, and fit wise, they're still great, but recently I've felt like the brown I initially got, dosen't vibe with most of my all black or mostly black outfits.
I've been thinking about dying them black, but part of me is worried that I'll ruin their worth somehow, or just ruin the look, would it be worth it to dye these? Does anyone else have experience dying leather docs?
9 Replies
If you want to dye them I think it's worth it! Black docs are very iconic and the elastic panels are already black so it'll go well imo. If the dye fades the brown might show through especially at the creases which might sound bad but I think it will look really good and give the black some depth.
Used shoes don't have much resale value so it's hard to ruin their worth as long as after you're done they still function properly and you like how they look
So, if you're willing to put in the effort, why not?
Only question is how well the leather will absorb the dye. It’ll probably take some elbow grease to remove the finish, but acetone should do the trick. After that, condition them and then use a couple coats of fiebings leather dye, condition again, and then a thin coat of black polish.
You could also check a local cobbler and ask if they would be able to dye these shoes + get a quote. Don’t think it’ll ruin the look, would not really consider what value these have as i don’t imagine you’re losing much experimenting with docs.
Dunno how well docs can absorb the dye given they’re pretty much a plastic coated leather
Acetone will strip the finish and they should take the dye but you never know
Yeah probably depends on the exact formulation but I think the coating is polyurethane
Dark polish