Clone Shoes

[judge_hellfast]

Clone Shoes seem to be the biggest pain in the back side to build. They're not difficult to put together, just time consuming as all get out. But, has anyone been tracking this:

http://forum.clonetroopers.net/index.ph ... =13015&hl=

I would love to hear your thoughts.

[the dark knight]

ive been watching those too. but in the long run, its probably cheeper to build them yourself and you can say you did them. if i was a clone im not sure how id go on those.....

[Culvan]

Clone Shoes seem to be the biggest pain in the back side to build. They're not difficult to put together, just time consuming as all get out. But, has anyone been tracking this:

http://forum.clonetroopers.net/index.ph ... =13015&hl=

I would love to hear your thoughts.

They look interesting. I'm not sure how well the seams show up from a distance. That would be a notable flaw. I'm guessing an adult with normal vision wouldn't be able to tell while standing up.

My main differntiation would be on cost. I think mine were less than $25 to build myself. They only took a couple of hours. I'm sure the all leather ones are nicer, but I'd hate to have something that expensive get chewed up by my calf armor the way mine have. The leather may hold up better than the vinyl I used. I've also had problems with the detail straps on mine falling off if I shuffle my feet. The all leather ones look like they'd have the same problem. I know I can build a new one with very little effort, but getting a new leather one would be a real pain.

Of course I know how important time is in a build like this. I spent quite a lot of money on parts I had intended to build myself because I wanted to meet a deadline. Sometimes it's worth the extra $100 to save the 2-4 hours or just get the peace of mind that it will be done and you can work on something else.

Andy

[madog5154]

I built mine from a cheap walmart shoe and i think they look good. The big problem is that the glue does not want to stick for very long on the sides when the shoe bends. Just at the bottom by the rubber. Think i worked on mine for about a week to get them done. I dont know if i could get my armor over the top of the leather ones it looks really thick. I would like to have a pair though.

[judge_hellfast]

My biggest thing about these shoes is the nice detailing on the toe and so on. Unlike built shoes where there's a few little oddities here and there, this shoe is a nice basic clone shoe design. The leather is what makes it an attractive piece as it should stand the test of time. Some of the pieces could be upgraded and this could turn into one badass shoe base.

However, the price is just a tad pricey for my liking. If it was cheaper, I'd certainly think again and possibly have a set. Kudos definitely goes to the designer on a job well done.

If anyone gets any of these shoes, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and critique of them.

[DTR1]

They are good looking shoes. I for one want the satisfaction of the build so I bought a $19 pair of Starter brand, white leather shoes from Walmart size 12. I just finished the templates for the right shoe and the left shoe will get done soon. I purchased some white vinyl from a local store for $18 bucks for one yard of fabric. I will post pics of my build here tomorrow. I will have to see what I can use to solve the problem others have had with the bending at the toe.

Total investment so far:
$19- shoes
$18- white vinyl
$7- Extra strength Shoe Goo

$44- Grand Total

I may change my mind when it's all said and done.

[DTR1]

Pictures of my templates. E3 Clone

First the toe filler Piece.



Second side filler Piece x2. One installs over the other.



Front view with filler pieces laid out.


The entire shoe Laid out and ready for transfer to vinyl.


One shoe template down and one more to go.

DTR

[judge_hellfast]

Pictures of my templates. E3 Clone
DTR

That's a great start and the best doggone handwriting I have ever seen. Clone shoe builds have always been fascinating to watch come together. I've seen some pretty amazing builds. Keep us updated on the project.

[DTR1]

I just glued down the spacers for both shoes. I will let them set over night.



Be sure when you are transferring the patterns to the vinyl to turn them face down on the back side of the vinyl so they fit correctly when you go to glue them down. I figured this out by trial and error on my first cut. I had to do the first one over because the pattern was not lining up correctly.



I have the filler pieces glued down now I will let them set up for 24hrs before I go on to the next step. FYI be sure and ruff up the surface before gluing down your vinyl. This will give you a better set. I used a 200grt. sand paper and it did a great job.





More to come!

[judge_hellfast]

Nicely done. I'm loving the step by step with pics. Looking good so far.

[DTR1]

Ok, more progress as promised. Second stage of Clone shoe assembly. I Laid out my patterns first.



Then dry fit them and trimmed off any excess before applying any glue to the shoe. When applying the glue be sure to work fast because the glue will start to set quickly. After you apply the vinyl to the glue you can let it set for a few min. It will still be workable so you can make adjustments. I put on a heavy coat but be sure to not use to much. Or your shoes will have bubbles in them. I also made sure to work from the front to the back of the shoe.





My shoes were pre- marked along the top edge of the sole from previous layouts so I had a ref. point when installing the vinyl.



Any excess glue was removed from the sole edge to clean them up for an even fit. The sides were done one at a time and overlapped on the heel of the shoe.







After each side was assembled I made sure to stuff each shoe with paper towels in order maintain there shape while drying .





The next step will be to add the toe and tounge of the shoes.



More to come.

[madog5154]

You are doing a great job ! Looking good !

[DTR1]

The vinyl is finished. Now I just need to fasten the corners. I'm not sure what I'm going to use. I'm thinking velcro?

Any way first I cut the toe panels and shins.



Then I glued them to each other and rolled them out, my paint cans were handy so I used them as a roller.



After rolling them together I glued them down to the toe of the shoe.







I attached some detail pieces to the tops of both shoes.





I taped everything together to dry and this is what I have. The shoe straps are missing but they are on order. I will post more photos when they arrive.





I'm not to sure if they are going to work or not, first they have to get approved by the 501st and second they have to wear correctly.
They may need some tweaking here and there and I will try to use them if I can because you can't beat the price that's for sure. If they don't work out I'm sure I can find something.

[TK-4484]

Looking good, I am glad to know there is a clone shoe maker 5 minutes away from my house.

[DTR1]

They are really not that bad to work on. The stencil patterns is what took up most of my time and I am sure they are not perfect but they work for me.