FAQ

So... who are you? and why should I buy from you?
I’m Monique Kaput, a Columbia College Chicago photography major (freshman!) that paints on the side. I’ve been painting for 4 years and I think I’m pretty good. at least, I hope I am. and people tell me I am, too. I hope that counts for something.

I’ve won awards for my art in the past as well as won 2nd place in, yes, a shoe painting contest at Columbia within my first year there (this year). My art has been on display at a museum as well as one of the student galleries at Columbia. I am fairly sure I know what I’m doing. you can depend on me to give you the best artwork possible on your shoes. I never cheat anyone out of their money and I always will give you more than you pay for. I’ve been painting shoes for over a year now and none of the pairs I’ve ever done have discolored, cracked, or became dirty to the point where I could not clean them anymore. and I am also always ready to communicate with customers.
I’m sure you’ve seen other people who do this shoe painting thing, and if you’re debating on who to buy from, just know that I put my whole heart into every piece of art I do and I care more for your satisfaction than getting money for my art. I could be charging way more, but I don’t right now because that wouldn’t be affordable for the customers I am targeting.

thanks for reading!

Do you accept any other payment besides Paypal?
I actually really don’t like Paypal, but if that’s all you can pay with, that’s okay too. aside from Paypal, I accept money orders and personal checks in U.S. dollars. If you would like to pay that way, please contact me either through Big Cartel or through my email: [email protected]
What do you use to paint the shoes?
I use acrylic paint mixed with textile medium, and I use a topcoat/gloss after the paint has dried to seal it in for good so there will be minimal cracking of the paint.
Are they really weatherproof and durable?
They are as durable as you allow them to be. Don’t expect the shoes to be perfect after doing like some EXTREME SPORTS in them every day for many months, if that makes sense. There will be regular “wear and tear” as with ANY pair of shoes, but I make mine to last as long as possible.
How do I clean the shoes if they get dirty?
I do not recommend putting them in the washing machine. Wipe them clean with a damp cloth with cool or room temperature water.
Will you paint on my used shoes if I send them to you?
Hell no. Would you want to handle a stranger’s smelly germ-infested shoes? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
If the paint cracks will you give me a refund?
I cannot give you a refund but you can send the shoes to me and I can fix them. You will have to pay shipping to send to me and for me to send back to you. This is the ONLY circumstance that you can ship used shoes to me.
Is there anything you can't or won't paint on my shoes?
1. Painting both shoes to look exactly the same. (VERY tedious and boring for me to do.)

2. For religious reasons, I will not do anything relating to wicca/witchcraft or anything relating to satanism or devils, including gods/goddesses, pentagrams, upside down crosses, etc. Perhaps this will take my popularity down a notch but please understand, if you are faithful to your religion please allow me to be faithful to mine. That includes not supporting those things. FYI, I am Christian (non denomination).
As far as #1 goes, maybe we can work something out depending on the design, but #2 is not negotiable. Sorry.

How long will it take for you to paint my shoes?
During the month of January as well as summer months, it may take up to a week. During my school year it may take over a week, depending on my workload. I am a busy college student with many obligations so you may not get them immediately. Thanks for understanding. I will keep you updated on my progress on your pair if you ask me to.
Do you use real Vans?
No, I do not use real Vans shoes. I am currently painting on white canvas Vans STYLE shoes from Payless stores. They look the same without the Vans logo (and high Vans price). However, if Payless stops selling the $15.00 shoes I normally use, I may have to switch to Vans or the $35.00 Hot Topic Vans style shoe (yuck). I am sometimes able to get imitation vans from Kmart as well, which are also cheap.
Why are your shoes so expensive?
I’m a poor art college student who cannot afford to eat, pay bills and be a photography major at the same time. ;)

Actually, here’s the facts.
I charge $35.00 for my labor, and $15.00 for women’s shoes. I currently charge $21.00 for men’s shoes because that is how much they cost at the store I buy them from. Price is subject to change. (Could be soon, because Payless is currently having a sale on the men’s shoes and it may not last long.) When I am no longer able to find $15.00/$21.00 white canvas Vans-style shoes, I may need to switch to a more expensive imitation, or actual Vans.

Why are the men's shoes more expensive?
Payless sells girl’s shoes for about $15.00 including tax. Right NOW, Payless is selling men’s shoes for about $21.00 including tax. what can I say.. not much I can do about that. If you are a guy and you can fit into a women’s shoe, feel free to do that if you know what size you are.
What if my size isn't listed?
Contact me and I’ll make sure your size is included.
Where do you ship to?
I can ship anywhere in the world, but shipping costs may have to be adjusted. If you live in the U.S., shipping is $8.95 for a flat rate box.
How can I contact you?
use the contact form through my store, or you may email me: [email protected] this is my personal email, so please do not spam me with crap that no one cares about. :) please put something regarding shoes in the subject line so I don’t accidentally trash it or consider it spam.
What forms of payment do you accept?

We gladly accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or regular account payments all through PayPal.

How secure is this store?

This store uses PayPal for payments, and PayPal automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128-bits (the highest level commercially available).

Do I need a PayPal account to purchase from this store?

No, you are not required to have a PayPal account to purchase from this store. Although if you already have a PayPal account you may use it.