Build a pair
into a
one-of-one.
A guided studio session where you rework a pair properly, hand-painted leather colour, swapped panels and patches, custom laces, charms and hardware. Everything included, and you walk out in a pair no one else owns.
More than a paint job.
Lace Lab is guided sneaker customisation, and we mean the whole shoe. Start from a clean pair, ours or your own, then paint it in flex-proof leather colour, swap or patch the leather panels, change the laces, add charms and hardware, and stitch on the details.
Walk in with a reference, a team, a lyric, an inside joke, or a picture of a pair you could never afford. Walk out two and a half hours later in a finished pair, heat-set and sealed. Beginner-friendly, forgiving, and unreasonably fun.
No two pairs come out the same. That's the point.
What you can customise
Not just a paint job.
Most sneaker classes hand you a brush and stop there. Here the whole shoe is on the table, the leather, the laces, the hardware, the stitching. Come with a picture of something you thought was impossible and we will tell you honestly whether we can build it in an afternoon.
01
Paint & finish
Flex-proof leather colour that moves with the shoe instead of cracking on the crease.
- Full colour range, mixed to your spec
- Fades, drips, splatter and linework
- Stencils and taped hard edges
- Sole and midsole colour
- Heat-set and sealed before you leave
02
Leather work
The part most people don't expect. We don't only paint the upper, we change it.
- Swap or overlay leather panels
- Cut leather patches and appliqué
- Contrast swooshes, toe boxes and heels
- Texture and material mixing
- Shapes, letters and logos in real leather
03
Laces, charms & hardware
The details that make a pair read as finished rather than painted.
- Custom laces, colour, flat, rope or waxed
- Lace charms and tags
- Eyelet and metal hardware swaps
- Aglets and lace locks
- Tongue, heel tab and badge swaps
04
Mods & stitching
Where a custom stops looking like a customised shoe and starts looking like a sample.
- Embroidery and stitched detail
- Sewn-on patches
- Studs and spikes
- Reworked branding
- Whatever you turn up with a picture of
All of it is included. Laces, charms, leather, hardware and mods are part of the session price, there is no add-on menu and nothing gets upsold at the bench. Your artisan will help you scope a build that actually finishes in the time you have.
Book a sessionFive steps. Two and a half hours. One pair.
No experience assumed. Your artisan stays with you the whole way, and a little technology handles the planning so you can focus on the painting.
Every session pairs the Artis House Hub, your live guide on your phone, with the Shoe Designer, which turns any photo or idea into a paint-ready mock-up and colour guide. You design digitally, then paint by hand.
Settle in and open the Hub.
Your artisan greets you and gets you settled, then you scan into the Artis House Hub, your session agenda, guide, and the design tools you'll use next.
⏱ 15 minutesMock up your colourway.
Open the Shoe Designer on the studio tablet. Upload a photo, describe an idea, or pick a theme, it renders a clean mock-up and a colour guide you'll paint from. Your artisan helps simplify it for a first pair.
⏱ 30 minutes
Choose your pair, laces and leather.
Paint a fresh blank from our shelf or a pair you brought. We deglaze the factory finish, tape your lines, and lay down a base so the colour bites and lasts.
⏱ 30 minutesThe good part. Paint, panels and parts.
Block your colours, then build detail, fades, drips, linework, whatever your design calls for. Leather paint is forgiving; mistakes wipe or paint over. This is the long, satisfying middle.
⏱ 120 minutes
Seal, lace and finish.
We heat-set the paint so it flexes without cracking, brush on a protective finish, and re-lace. Your pair and a care card go home in a box, and your design is saved to your account via the Hub.
⏱ 45 minutesEverything at the bench, included.
- Premium flex-proof leather paints, full colour range, sole colour
- Brushes, palettes, prep & deglazer
- Tape, stencils & the Shoe Designer mock-up
- Heat-set finisher & protective sealant
- Custom laces, colour, flat, rope or waxed
- Leather panels, patches & appliqué
- Lace charms, eyelets & metal hardware
- Embroidery, patches & studs
- Apron and all consumables
- One-on-one guidance from your artisan
- Your finished pair & a care card, boxed to go
One session. Your shoes, your call.
Your session covers all the paint, tools, sealant, and guidance. Bring a clean pair you already love, or add a fresh blank canvas to paint. Same rates as our live booking.
The Lace Lab session
Design, prep, paint, and seal, everything included. Bring your own pair at no extra cost.
Kids and group rates are applied automatically at checkout. Bringing your own pair? Leather and smooth synthetics take paint best, we'll advise on anything you bring.
Things first-timers ask.
Click any question to expand. Don't see yours? Reach out, we read every email.
Do I need my own shoes?
Your call. Bring a clean pair you love, or add a fresh blank canvas when you book, we stock all-white Air Force 1s and Pumas ready to paint. Leather and smooth synthetics take the paint best; we'll advise on anything you bring.
Do I really need zero experience?
Yes. The session is built for first-timers, your artisan helps you plan a design that's achievable and shows you every technique. Leather paint is layer-able and very forgiving.
Can I do more than paint?
Yes, that is the point of Lace Lab. As well as painting you can swap or patch leather panels, change the laces, add charms, eyelets and hardware, restyle the tongue or heel tab, and add embroidery, patches or studs. It is all included in the session price. Bring a reference and your artisan will help you scope a build that finishes in the time you have.
Will the paint crack or peel?
Not when it's done right. We use flex-proof leather paint, heat-set it, and seal it, it moves with the shoe and holds up to real wear. Your care card covers how to keep them fresh.
Can I bring a custom design or logo?
Absolutely. Bring it on your phone or describe it, and our Shoe Designer helps turn it into a paint-ready mock-up and colour guide. Email a reference 48 hours ahead for the smoothest start.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothes you don't mind getting a spot of paint on. Aprons are provided. Closed-toe shoes are best in the studio.
Do I take them home the same day?
Yes, painted, heat-set, sealed, and boxed. Give them a short cure before heavy wear; the care card has the details.
How many people fit in one session?
One to eight for an open session; private bookings for larger groups, birthdays, and team events. Tell us your group size when you book.
Is it kid-friendly?
Children 12 and up can join a session with a parent or guardian present. Safety briefings happen for every guest, regardless of age.
What's your cancellation policy?
Cancel or reschedule free up to 48 hours before. Within 48 hours we offer a credit toward a future session. Message us, we'll work it out.
Pairs painted here.
One-of-one shoes hand-painted by first-timers, yours could be next.