How to Easily Make Glamorous DIY Versace Chain Shoes

Tools and materials:

• Block heel sandals with removable ankle strap
• Chunky gold craft chain
• 2 lobster clasps
• 2 large jump rings
• Needle nose pliers
• Glue
• Needle and thread

The inspiration:

1. Remove ankle strap

The shoes you use for this project can be any color, any heel height--whatever you prefer, as long as the ankle strap is removable. I chose a pair of black sandals with chunky heels and removed the ankle straps as my first step. 

2. Insert chain links

I removed one chain link from the chunky plastic chain I bought for this project and slid it through the loop that had previously held the ankle strap.

Now, even if you switch out the chain ankle strap for a silk tie strap or leather fringe strap, this initial chain link should remain in place. 

3. Attach chain

Next, I wrapped the chain around my ankle to figure out how many links I need for the ankle strap. I detached that amount from the chain, and attached it to the link I inserted in the loop on the back of the shoe. 

4. Sew chain

After measuring and attaching the ankle straps, I measured how many chain links I needed to go across the toe straps. For me, this was about five links.

I used a needle and thread to sew the two end links to the toe straps, leaving about 1 inch of fabric on either end of the chain.

Attaching the chain with a needle and thread is useful because if I wanted to remove it or replace it, I would only have to snip a few stitches to do so. I wouldn’t have to scrape or peel off any adhesive, which would be annoying and time-consuming. 

5. Attach lobster claw closures

Then I attached the lobster claw closures to the ankle straps. To do this, I used my pliers to open a jump ring and hook it onto the last link in the ankle chain. Then, I hooked the lobster claw closure onto the jump ring and used my pliers to close up the jump ring.

I was only able to find small jump rings, so that’s what I used, but I recommend using larger, heavy-duty jump rings that will hold up against frequent use. 

6. Glue the seams

Finally, to prevent the chain from opening up and the jump ring sliding off, I applied a little glue to the seam of the last link of the chain, and let it dry completely. 

DIY Versace chain shoes tutorial

That’s it! Super easy, right? What do you think of my DIY chain heels? Will you be making a pair for yourself? How would you style these DIY Versace-inspired shoes?