How to Fix Battered Heels

I bought a pair of pink shoes from the flea market. Their heels had some scratches and the top layer of the faux leather had peeled off. Here's how I fixed them!

Starting point: battered, peeled faux leather,

1. Find a nail polish or an acrylic paint that matches

If possible, the finish should also match. For example a black shiny nail polish would work well on PVC, and black matte acrylic for faux leather. I have a pink nail polish that's sadly slightly darker then my shoes.

Shoes and (almost) matching polish.

2. Grab a brush and paint the scratches

With nail polish you can use the brush they come with, but for more precise work, put a drop of polish on a palette (like a piece of a plastic bag, something that doesn't go mushy) and paint it on with a thin brush. For best results, try to get the polish/paint only on the scratches, so it doesn't show on the intact leather. Especially if your polish or paint is darker, it can show on the shoe, like mine did a bit.

3. Let dry well, apply second coat if needed

Give your fixes time to dry thoroughly before you decide if another coat is needed. Some material soak up paint and can appear a lot darker when wet, so you can only see the final result when the polish or paint has dried. Apply second coat only on dry surface to avoid making the previously applied coat roll off.

4. Let dry, enjoy!

Since your shoes are usually a long way from anyone watching, the results don't need to be perfect. Just hiding the most obvious scratches and dents does wonders!