Giving Old Boots New Life With Angelus Leather Paint

Of course when I want to try a product I don’t have a piece of furniture that would work for testing but what I did find was a pair of old worn leather boots.  I thought this would be a good substitute.  My reasoning being if this paint can stand up to the flexing of a boot without cracking then of course it would stand up to being sat on.

The best part is my daughter has wanted a pair of Junk Gypsy type boots with bright color on them. In particular turquoise and pink, so this project was a way for her to have what she wanted for about $225 less than what buying the JG boots would cost me. When she goes out of shoes every six months I don’t want to make that kind of shoe investment.  Maybe after she stops growing but not now.

Angelus Leather Paint

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened the Angelus Leather Paint. Was it a dye? Was it a stain? Was it thick like latex? Would it smell? And of course the most important question would it crack?

My first impression when I opened it was good. The consistency was a thin paint. Not too watery but not too thick.  One of the best parts for me was that it had no strong odor. I’m scent sensitive so this is always a big concern for me.

I did not use the Angelus Leather preparer since the boots I was painting were very worn and the leather didn’t feel like it had a protective coat on it and it wasn’t slick. The only preparation I did was clean the boots to ensure there wasn’t any loose dirt under the paint. I used a damp cloth for this and then let the boots dry thoroughly.

Immediately on the first coat I was impressed with the coverage. It’s clear that the Angelus leather paint is highly pigmented. The turquoise color was almost a one coat coverage. The only reason I put a second coat of paint over it was the brush marks. You can’t really fault the paint for that. If I was using an airbrush I feel like the paint would have covered the first time.

The lighter colors were a different story. The pink was a three coat coverage because it wasn’t as opaque as the turquoise.  The light purple was a two coat coverage.  The boots I was painting were medium brown so if I was painting these colors over a black leather I would need more coats to ensure an even coverage.

I did my best to blend the pink and the purple but the leather paint dried quickly.  This was a learning process for me. If I were to do this over again I would blend the pink and purple as I went instead of painting one color at a time. Live and learn. I was able to go back over the blends at the end to make the transition from pink to purple look better.

Once the paint was dry to the touch I was impressed how the paint laid down. It’s smooth. There are no brush marks, which I was impressed with because I’m not a neat painter. The paint looks like it self leveled and blended in with the texture of the leather.  It doesn’t look like it’s just sitting on top of the paint.

Then it was time for the all important crease test.

I’m now planning to buy the clear coat for this paint. I didn’t buy it when I bought the kit because if it didn’t work I didn’t want to invest too much.  I also ordered the additive they sell so that I can paint on vinyl.  I have a heat bonded vinyl seat that I was dreading trying to give a makeover to because I wasn’t sure how I was going to reupholster it.  Now I know I’m going to repaint it instead!

My daughter loves her new boots! To be honest so do I. I have already picked up a pair of boots for myself.

I can't wait to use this paint to update a few leather purses that need a facelift. It's going to be fun breathing new life into leather pieces I already own. The possibilities are endless!

Watch the whole transformation from start to finish in my YouTube video.