How to Draw a Shoe Step by Step (Simple Guide)
This beginner friendly tutorial shows how to draw a shoe. It provides simple illustrated examples and easy to follow instructions.
The example is of a sneaker (from the side view) but you can draw other types of shoes in a similar way. The approach shown in this tutorial is to first define the main parts of the shoe and then to gradually add it’s various design elements and smaller details.
It’s recommended that you start in pencil and make light lines as you will need to do some erasing when adding the shoelaces. You can trace over your drawing with a thin black marker or darker pencil lines once you’ve added all parts of the shoe.
For drawing socks see:
How to Draw Socks Step by Step
Step 1 – Draw the Sole of the Shoe
Start by outlining the sole of the shoe. Make it narrower at the front and wider as it goes towards the back. Draw it’s overall shape with a bit of a curve (especially near the front).
Step 2 – Outline the Overall Shape of the Shoe’s Upper Area
On top of the sole add the overall outline of the main part of the shoe. You can refer to the example for it’s shape.
At this stage of the drawing leave out all of the shoe’s smaller details. You basically just want it’s silhouette.
Step 3 – Draw the Smaller Parts
Add the smaller parts and different design elements as shown above. Start by adding the tongue coming out of the shoe’s opening. Next, outline the area for the laces (the eyestay) followed by the toe cap and heel counter (at the front and back of the shoe).
Finally, add the stripe along the side and the outsole along the very bottom.
Step 4 – Draw the Shoelaces
Running along the upper/front area of the shoe add the shoelaces. As mentioned at the start, you will need to erase a bit of the shoe’s outlined when adding these in
A very helpful trick you can use for spacing the lace segments is to start by drawing the first and last one. Afterwards add the segment in the middle followed by the ones in between.
If you simply draw them all in a row you might find that by the time you get from the fist segment to the last one they don’t properly fit on the shoe.
After you’ve outlined the laces add the eyelets (little metallic rings) around the holes that they go through.
Step 5 – Draw the Stitches
For this fairly simple step add the stitches. Draw these as dashed lines that run close to the edges of each of the parts drawn in the previous step. Also, add stitches along the shoe’s opening (as shown in the example).
As the stitches pretty much follow the shapes of the the different parts of the shoe, you should check to make sure that you are happy with how each of those looks before adding them. You can then make some very light lines (barely visible) to act as guides and draw the dashes along those using a black marker or darker pencil strokes.
Once you’ve added the stitches darken the rest of your lines as well.
Step 6 – Color the Shoe
To color the shoe you can user whatever medium (paints, markers, colored pencils, etc…) and colors you prefer or have available. In the example it’s blue, white and orange. There colors tend to go well together and can help contribute to creating a nice looking art piece.
If you are going to be following the example color as follows:
- Shoe (main body) – blue
- Tongue – orange
- Shoelaces – orange
- Eyestay – white
- Toe cap – white
- Heel counter – white
- Side stripe – white
- Sole – white
- Outsole – orange
You can of course just use the white of the paper for the white (if drawing on regular paper).
Conclusion
This tutorial shows how to draw sneaker in six simple steps going from it’s main parts down the smallest details. Drawing larger to smaller is a good approach to art in general and can work great for other types of footwear as well.
If you like these kinds of easy to follow step by step guides also be sure to try the following:
