HalloweenCostumes.com "Back to the Future 2 Light Up Shoes"

[cavx]

Sure he can take your money, now. Doesn't mean you get shoes any faster. Unless the Chinese can make these least close to what he has asked, it won't happen.

 

[TheRealMcFly]

Sounds like an agonizing process. If they come to be what's to stop the factory from using his project for their next batch of V2s?

I've got flexible super glue and shoe goo. What's the recommended adhesive for the sock toe? I want to get it in place and then run a final line along the edge of the sole as cleanly as possible.

 

[cavx]

Sounds like an agonizing process.

Yes it will be. Nothing like this "just happens". It takes time and patients and sometimes a lot of money.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

I wore my HC mags outside for the first time. I had to go back home and made several adjustments to the toe-box via steaming.

The full steam-mod killed my big toes. There just isn't enough room, it was pinching my toes down. I think I would recommend people take their true size and buy one size up if they're only modding the toe via steam, so if you're a US8, buy a US9 instead.

To fix it, I heated the toe back up and manually went in and pushed up and out around the big toe area. Then I put it on my foot, walked around for a little bit and got a sense of where my big toe was. Then I steamed it again, and kept making adjustments and opening up the area until I had a nice area around the big toe. It still looks like it did with the full-steam mod, so that's cool.

Still debating doing the sock-mod. I just don't know enough about how the process goes yet.

Also, I'm wondering if anyone who has gone into the shoe walls could enlighten me. My foot is getting squeezed a little bit behind the big-toe at the "lace rib" on the inside wall of the shoe nearest the toe. Is there anything in there that looks like it could be adjusted, altered, or removed to make more width in the shoe at that area?

 

[cavx]

Mine were tight at first. They do loosen up a bit after the first few times you wear them.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

Mine were tight at first. They do loosen up a bit after the first few times you wear them.

Considering the particulars of my foot, I don't think any amount of loosening up would alleviate the problem.

And I think the real solution is probably gonna end up being the sock-toe.

 

[cavx]

Considering the particulars of my foot, I don't think any amount of loosening up would alleviate the problem.

And I think the real solution is probably gonna end up being the sock-toe.

Awesome, we need more MAGs modded to have the sock toe. Please document the process.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

Awesome, we need more MAGs modded to have the sock toe. Please document the process.

I only have a rudimentary understanding of the process. I need more input myself. I can't wear the shoes for a substantial period of time until I do something. My foot just won't allow it. So I'm motivated.

I need to know:

Tools/consumables needed.

Technique for separating the toe from the sole.

How to remove the foam and toe-form.

Re-gluing process in general, and specifics like where to start gluing (tip? sides? other?) and which direction to go around the toe when gluing.

Other things I haven't thought of.

And maybe other considerations like how to preserve the way the knitted fabric lines run or whatnot, for aesthetic reasons.

 

[cavx]

All good points and why I have not done mine.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

All good points and why I have not done mine.

Well, like I said I am definitely willing. If I can get a rundown then I can start it.

 

[cavx]

Well, like I said I am definitely willing. If I can get a rundown then I can start it.

So apparently you need a source of hot air. Many have used a hair dryer. I have very small heat gun. The idea is to heat up the glue that holds the shoe together. Eventually the glue lets go and you can peel the front of the shoe open. Be careful not to burn the fabric. The toe box is sewn at the edges and that is then glued to the pink card board inside the midsole.
I have not done yet,so just getting my head around this.

The guys do cut the front off. I have not done this part yet, so I hope it is possible to separate the layers without cutting. Sometimes during the separation from the midsole, the fabric rips. Once the toe is open, you need to peel both layers of cloth off the rubber toe cap. Those that do cut trim the tear off and this helps give them the flatter toe. Personally if I do this, I am wanting the toe to slump so will need all the fabric if the original toe of the shoe.

Yes you are going to want the lines in the fabric to stay straight. I suggest watching the tutorials about gluing the toe back together.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

So apparently you need a source of hot air. Many have used a hair dryer. I have very small heat gun. The idea is to heat up the glue that holds the shoe together. Eventually the glue lets go and you can peel the front of the shoe open. Be careful not to burn the fabric. The toe box is sewn at the edges and that is then glued to the pink card board inside the midsole.
I have not done yet,so just getting my head around this.

The guys do cut the front off. I have not done this part yet, so I hope it is possible to separate the layers without cutting. Sometimes during the separation from the midsole, the fabric rips. Once the toe is open, you need to peel both layers of cloth off the rubber toe cap. Those that do cut trim the tear off and this helps give them the flatter toe. Personally if I do this, I am wanting the toe to slump so will need all the fabric if the original toe of the shoe.

Yes you are going to want the lines in the fabric to stay straight. I suggest watching the tutorials about gluing the toe back together.

Yeah, I suspected heat would have to get involved. I guess I'll try a little at my first chance. I'm also hoping to preserve as much fabric as possible.

Which tutorial?

 

[cavx]

There are a few on YouTube now from Jedifyfe and others that have done cut open toe slims. No one has documented the sock type yet. I would like to see HD video of the sock type so we can better see how it looks on a completed shoe. So fair, airair and glasses are the only ones to have done this awesome mod.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

There are a few on YouTube now from @Jedifyfe and others that have done cut open toe slims. No one has documented the sock type yet. I would like to see HD video of the sock type so we can better see how it looks on a completed shoe. So fair, @airair and @glasses are the only ones to have done this awesome mod.

I started some preliminary toe separating. I can't go at that type of work long, but I learned some things.

You can start the separation by misting the glued seam between the toe and the sole and then steaming it with an iron, makes the glue separate easily.

Trouble is you can't get the iron too far into the seam, so I gotta switch to another heat delivery method. Probably try and find my heat gun.

Also, I'm trying to remove the board from inside the shoe since it sandwiches the toe-cloth between itself and the midsole. It rips up easy enough from the bottom, but is also glued to the toe cloth and that's proving a bit more difficult to separate. So I'll probably just give up on that for now, since it shouldn't be able to prevent me from pulling the toe up now when I can get a complete separation of the toe-box.

It really does take a long time though. I spent nearly hour and I've only got about 1/8 inch separated all the way around.

 

[cavx]

Yes this stuff takes time. It worked out to an average 2 hours to remove a set of "yellows" off the shoes to prep them for replacing with my clears.

In the tutorials they use spoons and butter knives and other metal objects and I found a wood tongue depressor (you can buy a 50 pack for about $2.00 at most cheapy shops) works best for sole removal because it doesn't get hot and melt the rubber. So as you soften the glue, you can keep it wedged in there and not have to worry about it destroying the shoe.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

Yes this stuff takes time. It worked out to an average 2 hours to remove a set of "yellows" off the shoes to prep them for replacing with my clears.

In the tutorials they use spoons and butter knives and other metal objects and I found a wood tongue depressor (you can buy a 50 pack for about $2.00 at most cheapy shops) works best for sole removal because it doesn't get hot and melt the rubber. So as you soften the glue, you can keep it wedged in there and not have to worry about it destroying the shoe.

I was using a cheese spreader., works well enough. I just need to get the heat deeper into the seam.

 

[cavx]

I was using a cheese spreader., works well enough. I just need to get the heat deeper into the seam.

You will need at least a hair dryer or a heat gun then.

 

[DragonGalvy]

Mr Southpaw -

I gotta switch to another heat delivery method. Probably try and find my heat gun.

don't use a heatgun, their temps are too high! You might distort the midsole. I tried drying a pair of Reeboks on an oil fin heater once and they were ruined by it. Heatgun would probably do the same. Better off buying a hair dryer. I never owned one before I had a live-in girlfriend though.....

 

[airair]

I started some preliminary toe separating. I can't go at that type of work long, but I learned some things.

You can start the separation by misting the glued seam between the toe and the sole and then steaming it with an iron, makes the glue separate easily.

Trouble is you can't get the iron too far into the seam, so I gotta switch to another heat delivery method. Probably try and find my heat gun.

Also, I'm trying to remove the board from inside the shoe since it sandwiches the toe-cloth between itself and the midsole. It rips up easy enough from the bottom, but is also glued to the toe cloth and that's proving a bit more difficult to separate. So I'll probably just give up on that for now, since it shouldn't be able to prevent me from pulling the toe up now when I can get a complete separation of the toe-box.

It really does take a long time though. I spent nearly hour and I've only got about 1/8 inch separated all the way around.

You don't really need to do anything complicated for this sock toe.

Its basically use a hair dryer or some heat source.
Use heat all around the toe area so it unglues as best as possible.
Then you can use a flat screwdriver or whatever you want to pry the toe area away from the grey soles.

Once you've done that, you simply need to remove the grey fabric from the pink cardboard, and unstitch the grey fabric.

You will see that the grey fabric is tightly glued together, but if you steam iron the fabric or use a hairdryer, the hard/flexible piece thats in the toebox goes soft.

You can seperate the two grey layers of fabric for the toebox and if its still warm, the hard/flexible piece thats in there should be soft and easily removed or peeled off.

You can then either leave the 1mm foam fabric thats glued to the layers of grey fabric if you want ultra thin sock. Or you can just leave it.

Either way, you will have grey fabric thats much more stretchier than if you leave that toebox/flexible piece in there.

You can then cut off however much excess you want and glue the grey fabric back. The key is not to cut too much off as you don't want to stretch the grey fabric too much before glueing back.

I've seen numerous toebox modifications where the grey fabric is abnormally stretched, and the grey soles are sort of pulled back after being glued.
I always push the grey soles forward, and let the grey fabric be loose enough so that it easily glues to the grey soles without distortion.

Alternatively, you can just steam iron and have some muffin top. On larger sizes, muffin top is less noticeable so might be more acceptable if you don't or can't be bothered taking it apart.

 

[MrSouthpaw]

You don't really need to do anything complicated for this sock toe.

Its basically use a hair dryer or some heat source.
Use heat all around the toe area so it unglues as best as possible.
Then you can use a flat screwdriver or whatever you want to pry the toe area away from the grey soles.

Once you've done that, you simply need to remove the grey fabric from the pink cardboard, and unstitch the grey fabric.

You will see that the grey fabric is tightly glued together, but if you steam iron the fabric or use a hairdryer, the hard/flexible piece thats in the toebox goes soft.

You can seperate the two grey layers of fabric for the toebox and if its still warm, the hard/flexible piece thats in there should be soft and easily removed or peeled off.

You can then either leave the 1mm foam fabric thats glued to the layers of grey fabric if you want ultra thin sock. Or you can just leave it.

Either way, you will have grey fabric thats much more stretchier than if you leave that toebox/flexible piece in there.

You can then cut off however much excess you want and glue the grey fabric back. The key is not to cut too much off as you don't want to stretch the grey fabric too much before glueing back.

I've seen numerous toebox modifications where the grey fabric is abnormally stretched, and the grey soles are sort of pulled back after being glued.
I always push the grey soles forward, and let the grey fabric be loose enough so that it easily glues to the grey soles without distortion.

Alternatively, you can just steam iron and have some muffin top. On larger sizes, muffin top is less noticeable so might be more acceptable if you don't or can't be bothered taking it apart.

Thanks airair. I'll note down the other steps. My biggest problem is how tedious it is, and I'm afraid to use any force for fear of damaging something. I guess I need to just figure out how much power I need to put into prying. I've spent more time in it than I think it should take.

I tried the steam-mod already, my foot doesn't like it. Even after I went back in and made some adjustments. So, it's sock-toe time.