How to Bedazzle Shoes 1

1
Choose the shoes you want to bedazzle. You can bedazzle just about any type of shoe, from wedges to heels, canvas sneakers to flip flops. Plain shoes without a lot of embellishments (at least on the area you want to bedazzle) will work the best. News shoes will work the best, but you can use older ones as long as they are clean and in good condition.

Because of how quickly they show wear and tear, flip flops and canvas sneakers should be new.

2
Wipe the shoes down with a damp, cotton cloth. If the shoes are especially dirty, use rubbing alcohol instead. Be careful if the shoes are made out of leather, however; rubbing alcohol can discolor leather shoes.^[1]You don't have to wipe down the entire show, but you need to wipe down the area you will be bedazzling.
3
Plan out your design. You will be working with strong adhesives, so it will be difficult to fix mistakes. Take a look at your shoes and now and decide where you want the rhinestones to go. Because of how heavy the rhinestones can make the shoes, it's not recommended that you cover the entire shoe. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Cover the entire heel portion on a pair of high heels or wedges.
Cover just the fabric part on a pair of canvas sneakers.
Consider covering just the rubber toe cap on canvas sneakers. Keep in mind that the rhinestones may fall off.
Cover the straps on a pair of flip flops. Depending on the material, be aware that the rhinestones may fall off.

4
Buy your rhinestones. Silver or clear rhinestones will work with just about any shoe. You can also use colored rhinestones, but make sure that they look good on your shoe. You can use rhinestones that are all the same shape and size, or play around with different shapes and/or sizes. If you are using rhinestones that are all the same size, it would still be a good idea to get a few odd sizes in order to fill in any gaps caused by curves.^[2]

For a pair of high heels, wedges, or very expensive shoes, use tiny, high-quality rhinestones. Sizes between 5ss and 16ss will work especially well.^[3]Large, plastic rhinestones will look tacky.
If you are covering a pair of casual or inexpensive shoes, such as canvas sneakers or flip flops, you can use larger and less expensive rhinestones.^[4]

5
Buy or make a jewel setter, if needed. A jewel setter is a small, plastic stick with a ball of wax attached at the tip. If you can't find one, roll a small piece of wax into a ball, and stick it onto a toothpick. The ball should be about the size of a pinhead.^[5]

This is only necessary for tiny rhinestones. If you can easily pick the rhinestone up with your finger, you don't need a jewel setter.
You can also use a pair of jewelry tweezers. They look similar to cosmetic tweezers, except that the tip is longer and thinner. You can find them in the beading section of an arts and crafts store.

6
Pour the rhinestones onto a tray. If you can't find a tray, a clean, plastic lid would also work. Make sure that the flat, back side of each rhinestone is facing down, and the faceted side is facing up. This will make the rhinestones easier to pick up.^[6]

If you are working with a lot of rhinestones, pour out only a small amount first.
If you are working with different shapes and/or sizes, it would be a good idea to sort them out first. Use different trays/lids if necessary.