Some people are picky when it comes to their costumes. When it comes to hard-core cosplay, nothing excites the fans more than an accurate, well put-together outfit. And, let’s face it; you feel awesome when the costume that you’ve put tons of hard work and money into is a favorite when you show it off at a con, or even a private photo shoot with friends.
Holy high-tops, Batman! Yuffie, rocking her knee-highs, from the SquareEnix hit FF7 Advent Children.
One simple phrase (and Kelly nailed it): SHOES.
Going as a character from Bleach? Get some straw sandals.
Wanting to rock out in Yuffie’s Advent Children outfit? You’ll need knee-length high-tops.
But, and here is the hair-pulling question, how can you get your hands on good, quality cosplay shoes without burning a hole through your wallet?
Duh. The internet. The answer to all woes, or at least the vast majority of them.
For the basic shoe, things like dress shoes, high-heels, or anything that you really wouldn’t need to modify, here are a few suggestions:
-zappos.com - They may not always be the cheapest place to buy shoes online, but they are by far one of the better ones. If you don’t like what you’ve purchased for whatever reason, they are more than happy to allow a return and exchange for your troubles. Zappos offers free return shipping through UPS (at least in the US, as far as I know) as well, which is a huge time-saver. On a personal level, I’ve never been dissatisfied with a purchase from this site. Just keep your eyes out for sales; good deals can sneak up on you!
-onlineshoes.com - similar to Zappos. I’ve never ordered from them personally, but a friend of mine does every now and again and is as pleased as she is with Zappos’ service, which puts the mind to ease a bit.
-shoebuy.com - Much like the two previous, shoebuy.com offers a huge selection of shoes. Keep your eyes peeled for good deals and you won’t be sorry!
Straw sandals are a must if you plan on cosplaying a shinigami from Bleach!
Now, if you’re anything like me and enjoy picking obscure costumes where the shoes are never what you’d define as normal looking, store-bought foot-ware, your hardships are far from over. Apart from doing the shoes yourself, you might find yourself having to commission someone for a pair of shoes.
A good site to commission custom shoes or custom shoe/boot covers would be etsy.com, a site that specializes in all things hand-made, or the marketplace on cosplay.com. If you can find someone to make Cloud’s giant Buster Sword, I’m sure you’ve be able to find someone willing to tweak a pair for shoes for you.
For any of those out there brave enough to try, I’ve included the tutorial from my DA page that teaches how you can make your very own boot-cover!It’s also located OVER HERE in my DeviantArt gallery.
Try your best, even if you
March 31st, 2009 at 12:36 am
YAY! ^_^ now I know what to do for boot covers
lol Great article hun XD See you in less them 2 weeks for Sakura con 
March 31st, 2009 at 6:12 am
Great advice for our awesome cosplayers out there
March 31st, 2009 at 7:47 am
Very good article, keep the cosplay oriented ones coming
Quick question though, are any of you guys planning on going to Sakura Con in Seattle?
March 31st, 2009 at 8:29 am
I’m thinking about cosplaying as Sheva this year, and thankfully her outfit is simple. I will have to sew the shirt, but everything else I can find at a thrift store for cheap!
March 31st, 2009 at 9:38 am
Nice tutorial!
For superhero boots, I find a lot of places online have many colors of Go Go Boots in various size heels.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:59 am
Why, yes! poisoningkisses! I will be going to SakuraCon this year, as will Perzephone! I’ll be doing Shiki Misaki from The World Ends With You, Dagger from FF9, and Aerith, from FF7 (though in her KH2 outfit). Hope to see you there!
March 31st, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Nice guide (and Batman shout-out, heh)!
March 31st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Great guide! I love zappos…its seriously the best place to find anything cheap. Our work place orders from there all the time too…
March 31st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Wow perfect timing. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do for the boots/thigh highs for my Witchblade cosplay, and I think you’re tutorial is going to be a MAJOR help.
March 31st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Great, hope to see you both there! I am being Makoto from the anime Kanon. My husband is going to be the main character Yuuichi. And then we are he is also going to be a creepy guy hiding in a bush following me as a schoolgirl, haha.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Alas, the shoes! As a survivor of my epic Sora shoe project, I focus on the shoes more than anything else when doing costumes (and looking at them). People don’t seem to realize that you can have the perfect costume, but if you don’t wear shoes remotely close to looking like the character’s, your look is moot. In addition to boot covers, if you approach them as a separate project, your effort will make all the difference. Great article.
April 1st, 2009 at 7:56 am
I love shoebuy.com. I bought a pair of goth boots with 5 inch platforms. They help so much. I’m short and like to crossplay. So the shoes have definitely been used to death. And they really weren’t expensive compared to what you usually pay for big platform boots. And I think the shipping and tax is usually free at shoebuy.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Great tips. Electriqueboutique.com also has affordable shoes of lower quality, and lots of boots and crazy colors!
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 am
Wow, that electrique boutique place does have cheap prices!! Thanks!