Name: grace
Message: Hi, I came to find your site because I was doing a search.  I want to dye a pair of sneakers black.  They are Nike Presto, and the outside is made of some sort of synthetic fabric but it's deep purple.  I was wondering if you know of a black dye that I could use, and a place where it's cheap and not wholesale...or even if I should buy the ones they sell at the local stores.  Thanks. 

Synthetic material is a problem! What kind of dye you should use all depends on the exact composition of the fiber used to construct the outer part of the shoes, as well as on the presence or absence of stain-resistant finishes.

Polyester is very difficult to dye at home, and  polypropylene is impossible to dye at home. Nylon can be dyed, but it requires immersion in a very hot dyebath, which is not very good for a pair of shoes.

You're probably best off with avoiding dye entirely, and using fabric paint, instead. See Fabric Paints: a different way to color fibers for more information on the difference between these two product categories. Look at the fabric paints at an online source such as Dharma Trading Company or PRO Chemical & Dye (see my Sources for Dyeing Supplies page for links to these and other suppliers around the world), or check out the fabric paint selection at your local crafts store.

Unlike your synthetic Nikes, cotton or hemp canvas sneakers are easily dyed with Procion MX fiber reactive dye, as long as they are not water-resistant and can survive being washed. You can just presoak cotton canvas sneakers with soda ash, then paint or squirt on different colors of Procion MX dye, such as from a tie-dye kit. Excellent tie-dye kits include those made by Jacquard, Dritz, Dylon, Rainbow Rock , or Tulip. The results can be very exciting and fun. Caution: do not use a hot-water dye, such as all-purpose dye, on shoes.


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[updated 2-15-2008]