ShoeBaker × KixKote: Bake Something of Your Own

Partnership disclosure: ShoeBaker is a KixKote-sponsored artist.

I have spent a lot of time figuring out what a sneaker can become. A different color. A new texture. An idea that takes a few tries before it feels right. Teaching lets me share that process and put the tools in somebody else’s hands.

Now I’m bringing KixKote into that next chapter. You can shop the products through ShoeBaker, or pair an Essential Kit with a sneaker workshop and work through your idea with me.

Bake something of your own.

You don’t have to arrive with everything figured out. Start with a pair, an idea, and a willingness to learn. The kit gives you materials to work with. The workshop gives us time to talk through the design, practice the steps, and make something personal.

The Essential Kit: a place to begin

The KixKote Essential Kit is $59.95 and brings together five 1oz WALK101 primary paints, Brush Boost, Sticky Icky, Adhesion Promoter, Sole Flex, Finisher 2, and a paint brush set. It is available on its own, so you don’t have to book a workshop to start creating.

The paints bring the color. Brush Boost helps paint flow during brushwork. Sticky Icky is a binder additive designed to improve adhesion and durability. The primers help prepare compatible surfaces for paint, and the finisher is the final protective layer. Each has a job; the point is to choose what your material and design need.

Sneakers and acetone are not included. Follow the directions on each product, including material compatibility, preparation, ventilation, mixing, and curing instructions. Test on a small area first.

First, help the paint bond

Adhesion Promoter

KixKote Adhesion Promoter is intended for leather and compatible synthetic materials. It goes into the preparation stage, on a properly cleaned surface, to help the coating bond. Apply controlled, even coverage and allow it to flash off as directed before painting.

Sole Flex

KixKote Sole Flex serves a different material group: compatible plastics, rubber, and nylon. Think trims and other areas where adhesion can be more difficult. It does not make every surface paintable, so a compatibility test comes first.

The Primer Kit

The KixKote Primer Kit pairs Adhesion Promoter with Sole Flex. Choose the primer for the surface you are working on. Having both in the kit does not mean both need to go on every part of the shoe.

Then, bring the color

WALK101: more room to mix

The WALK101 12-Color Kit expands your paint palette with one bottle of each color in your selected size. It is a paint set; it is a different purchase from the Essential Kit with its brushes and prep products. Choose it when more color options are the next thing your work needs.

ChromeFlex: Royal Pulse

ChromeFlex Royal Pulse is the metallic paint option in this launch. It gives you another finish to consider for accents and panels. Prepare the compatible surface first and build your color with controlled application, following the bottle’s directions.

UV Blaze: color with another side

The UV Blaze 6-Color Kit brings together the UV-reactive range for designs that respond under blacklight. You can buy the full set or choose individual shades below. UV-reactive means it responds to UV light; it is not a promise that the paint will keep glowing after the light is switched off.

• UV Blaze / Laser Beam: one individual shade from the UV Blaze range, for a specific color choice or restock.
• UV Blaze / Toxic Lime: one individual shade from the UV Blaze range, for a specific color choice or restock.
• UV Blaze / Magna Glow: one individual shade from the UV Blaze range, for a specific color choice or restock.
• UV Blaze / Neon Surge: one individual shade from the UV Blaze range, for a specific color choice or restock.
• UV Blaze / UV Vibe: one individual shade from the UV Blaze range, for a specific color choice or restock.
• UV Blaze / Pink Voltage: one individual shade from the UV Blaze range, for a specific color choice or restock.

A color made for the project

KixKote Custom Color Matched Shoe Paint lets you work from a Pantone reference or a physical sample. It is an option for a restoration, a team color, or a project that needs a particular shade. KixKote handles the color matching. Confirm your reference, selected size, and turnaround before ordering; custom colors are made to order.

Adjust how the paint works

Soft Feel

KixKote Soft Feel is an additive intended to improve the feel of compatible finishes, including fabric and suede applications. Mix a small test batch according to the product directions before committing to a whole piece. Those materials need their own approach; our standard sneaker workshop recommends smooth leather shoes.

Thick Sauce

KixKote Thick Sauce adjusts paint thickness. It can help when you want more control and less running during detail work. Add it gradually, mix thoroughly, and test the result. More additive is not automatically a better result.

The Core Additives Kit

The KixKote Core Additives Kit includes Sticky Icky, Brush Boost, Soft Feel, and Thick Sauce. That gives you separate ways to adjust binding, brush flow, feel, and thickness. Pick the additive for the problem you are solving and use the manufacturer’s mixing directions. You do not need to put all four into every batch.

Finish with intention

The topcoat affects how the finished pair looks as well as adding a protective layer. Start with a clean, dry, dust-free surface, apply light and even coats, let them dry between applications, and allow the finish to cure before wear.

• Finisher 1 / Flat: the low-sheen option for a matte look.
• Finisher 2: the finisher included in the Essential Kit. Review the listing and confirm the bottle’s finish designation before choosing a sheen for your project.
• Finisher 3 / Gloss: the option for a shinier finish.

Learn it together. Keep creating afterward.

Our ShoeBaker Sneaker Workshop gives you guided time to develop and customize your own pair. The workshop-and-kit packages pair the existing group session with one Essential Kit per participant. The kits are priced at $59.95 each, added to the workshop rate.

For example, a 10-person adult workshop with 10 kits totals $899.50 for two hours or $999.50 for four hours, before any applicable tax, shipping, travel, or extras. Bring your own smooth leather sneakers unless shoes are arranged separately. Confirm the date and kit delivery timing with ShoeBaker before purchasing a workshop package.

Explore workshop-and-kit packages →

Prefer to work at your own pace? Shop the Essential Kit separately or explore all KixKote products.

I want the work to make you curious about what you could create too. There’s room for your ideas here.

Bake something good.
Baker / ShoeBaker