Dyeing leather white

[Snork]

This is not at all horse related but given that it deals with leather and horse people are mavericks, I can't imagine a better place to ask.

Can I dye the gold leather in the "swoosh" in these shoes white? Will it hold?

I need to get these shoes (German) to conform to these requirements (one particularly fussy USA federation):

"Footwear: White trampoline shoes and/or white foot covering must be worn. Although the rules state shoes must be white, we will accept “off-white” and tan. Shoes may have an un-embellished manufacturer's trademark, but no other markings, designs, or decorations. Deduction 1.0 pt. per pass. "

1pt deduction per pass is draconian, equivalent to an absolute 10% penalty in dressage (as in, your 65% goes down to 55%) so obviously a no go. Can I pull this off?

Edited to correct math.

[PaulaO]

I'm going to say no, dye won't work. If the gold swoosh is leather, it is already dyed. Perhaps a shoe repair place could remove the gold part of the swoosh and put back on just the white part.

[Amado]

There are acrylic type paints specifically for painting on leather. I would think you could cover them with that. This one says it won’t crack or peel. If you are good with a small paintbrush, you could absolutely make this work.

https://www.amazon.com/Angelus-Leather- ... s_sh_1_vtp

https://www.amazon.com/Angelus-Acrylic- ... -4-catcorr

[Amado]

Though it says no other markings designs or decorations - even if that swoosh is white, doesn’t qualify as a decoration/design?

[KathyK]

I'm also thinking that even if you can dye the gold white, the shoe will still have "other markings, designs, or decorations." With the severe penalties, I wouldn't risk it.

The swooshes look like they may be stitched on. If they are, maybe you can pick out the stitching and remove them.

[Snork]

Thank you!

A very good point about the swoosh potentially being treated as another decoration, and one I hadn't thought about. Unfortunately the swoosh is a big reason for getting these particular shoes in the first place - from what I understand, the swoosh part acts somewhat like a rock tape in holding and supporting the foot, so while it looks decorative, the main purpose of it is functional.

The kid for whom the shoe would be used, is ramping up her training. Summer is coming and with that, increased intensity. Her current "shoes" are basically socks with a sticky bottom and at 20+ h/week in the gym, it would be nice to have a little bit more support for her little foot until she develops enough ligament strength to handle the load on her own.

I wish gymnastics had TDs like we have in dressage. I would love to be able to email someone and get a determination letter. As it is, I think I'm going to order the shoes, get the above leather paint and then take the shoes with me and raise the issue at the next judges meeting/continued ed course.

Side note: It's a good thing I have all this horse experience. I don't even flinch when I find out I have to order equipment from somewhere a continent away. Most parents are like "seriously? GK Elite doesn't sell it?"

[Xanthoria]

acrylic paint marker!

...or just go old skool with some Wite-Out for $2

(the gold logo printed on the side of the shoe (iwa) might even come of with some scratching...)

[WheresMyWhite]

What do the other kids wear/parents buy?

There's gotta be a parent or coach around who can help with pick out appropriate white footwear with the support you're looking for..

[Snork]

Thanks Xan and WheresMyWhite. The youngest's coach recommended the shoe but he is from Europe and not intimately familiar with the non-FIG rules. IWAs are standard issue for international competition, and also allowed in USA by USAG, our national (rather disgraced, currently in bankruptcy proceedings) governing body. So are Milanos, a British shoe that is standard here in the USA and currently worn by both girls (oldest is fine in Milanos, she's my child with the extremely strong self preservation instinct, it's the baby we're waffling on here). Here's the sole for comparison, on the kiddo in issue no less.

Amelia.jpg (220.09 KiB) Viewed 11904 times

It's the AAU, a strictly American organization that's tripping the things up. This is the first year our gym has participated in AAU competitions so uncharted territory for everyone. I'll order the shoe, color it white and email one of the superior judges I know - fingers crossed that it is just fine! If not, she can stay in the Milanos like everyone else and we'll just scare her to death that the moment her feet hurt she needs to stop.

[KathyK]

Look at her with all that control in the air! Awesome!

[Sunshine2Me]

Knowing nothing about the rules or acceptability, could you possibly cover the unacceptable parts with some sort of tape (medical comes to mind)? You know us equestrians and our propensity for duct tape!

[PaulaO]

VetRap! Adhesive tape (the old fashioned kind from the 60s)

[SnowHorse]

I don't know if any of the paint is available for retail, but -- many many many years ago I had a white leather jacket. I didn't wear it very often, but when I did, I also carried a big heavy bag on my shoulder, and the white practically chipped off the coat. Needless to say, I was disappointed because the coat had been expensive for me, and yet it was turning too ugly to wear.

I contacted the manufacturer about it, and they told me to send it in, they'd try to fix it. They basically repainted it with some sort of paint that was used for leather, and while it didn't look like new, it did look a whole lot better.

So, there is some sort of paint out there that's used for leather, you just need to find it, or find a place that can do the painting for you.