The Air Jordan 1 Heritage was hit for some and a miss for a lot more. I really like the shoe for multiple reasons, but mostly for the customization capabilities. Right now my favorite part has been to see other people trying their own customs with this shoe as the base and seeing their artwork.
I've started on a Bred Toe custom with one pair, but decided to do a Chicago custom to see what it took to match the paint. You can do a multitude of color mixtures and it can be pretty tedious, but I found two ways to color match to where you don't have to mix paints.
1. Use acetone to remove the factory finish from the heel and collar. Even after you feel that you've removed the factory finish, keep using the acetone to remove the paint. What you'll see is as you remove the paint, the hue of the heel and collar begins to get lighter. Once you feel it's light enough, go over the heel and collar with Angelus Red Paint. As you put your thin, even coats on the heel and collar, you'll begin to see it match the front portion of the shoe as you lay down your coats of red on those areas as well.
2. Use acetone to remove the factory finish from the heel and collar. Once you feel that you've removed the factory finish, use Angelus White Paint as a base and paint over the heel and collar. You don't have to have it completely white, but by painting a few coats of white over the factory red on the heel and collar, you will lighten the shade of red, providing an easier base to match the Angelus Red Paint you'll be painting on the rest of the shoe.
A lot of people ask me about getting a factory finish for their customs. What I've primarily been using to get the best factory finish is Angelus Matte 4-Coat. You only need a couple of thin, even layers to do the job. Not only will it give you a factory finish, but it also has a scratch resistant protectant.
I hope those two tips will help you if you're trying a custom for yourself. Here are the links to the paints I mentioned and brushes I used for this custom:
Red Paint: https://bit.ly/388GI5t
White Paint (Flat): https://bit.ly/2ZfzeKd
Matte 4-Coat Finisher: https://bit.ly/3vne6jV
Black Paint (Flat): https://bit.ly/3bGR23p
Brushes: https://bit.ly/397UXez
White Paint (Flat): https://bit.ly/2ZfzeKd
Matte 4-Coat Finisher: https://bit.ly/3vne6jV
Black Paint (Flat): https://bit.ly/3bGR23p
Brushes: https://bit.ly/397UXez
The 1/2" Angular, #6 Flat, and #6 Filbert are my workhorses when it comes to brushes. The #2 Round brush is perfect for the details. All 4 of the brushes come together in the brush kit linked above.
I have a few tutorials on my YouTube channel, so make sure you check them out for more tips: https://www.youtube.com/c/JuanWilson
