Give Your Boring-Old Loafers A DIY Catwalk Makeover

Use one of the fattest (technical terminology here guys) of your screwdrivers, with about a 5mm head, and using the small hole made by the thin driver, use a drilling and twisting motion to push the screwdriver through. The serrated edge should go through the faux leather quite easily. You want to create quite a large hole so the lace can go though, but don’t worry, the lace stitches will cover the unsightly holes.

Repeat this, with holes approximately 3mm apart (you don’t want them to touch and split to create one big hole, we need the in-out of the whip stitch effect) all the way down the side of your loafer, until you hit where the from ‘band’ goes across.

One you’ve punched all your holes, start from the back, and starting at the inside of the shoe, pull the leather lace all the way through, until you’re left with 2cm of spare lace inside the shoe (we will deal with that later)

Ensure the white leather of the lace faces outwards, pulling in and out of the holes, all the way down the side. Make sure the white is facing out as you go, and twist in place, it’s easier than trying to reposition it later.

Again, finish on the inside and leave about 2cm of lace free, cut off with fabric scissors for a neat edge.

That’s one side of your flats complete! Repeat on the opposite side, so that both sides of the shoe are stitched.

Next, we’re going to repeat the same technique on both the top and bottom of the loafers ‘band’ across the front of the shoe.

Start at the bottom, if you can, and it’s not attached, push the tongue of the shoe down, to ensure it doesn’t accidently get pierced. Start at the right hand side at the bottom trim of the and pierce your first hole next to the corner, the same as before, thin screwdriver for precision then larger to create the hole.

Again, about 3mm apart, create the next hole until the band is ready for the lace to be pulled through.

Start at the far right hole, and from the inside, behind the tab, pull the lace all the way through, leaving 1cm of lace at the end (you can tuck that in later) then thread as you did before, all the way along, finishing on the inside, leave 1cm of lace, then cut.

Repeat on the upper edge of the band.

We’re going to use a slightly different approach to take the stich around the shoes front. Using the same technique to create the holes, but this time punching one hole below the seam, and one above.

Start at one end of the shoe, until all your holes are punched, then, starting from the inside as always, pull the lace through, leaving a 2cm end.

It is slightly trickier to loop the laces through in this direction, and you need nimble fingers to get to the front of the loafer, but with persistence, it is doable! At the end, again leave 2cm of excess lace.

We’re going to repeat the above style for the top of the loafers tongue. Pierce one hole a little below the top seam, and repeat, 3mm apart along the tongue from one side to the other.

Once all the holes are complete, start from the inside, pull the laces all the way through the first hole, leaving a 1cm end loose inside, and loop over the top of the tongue, inside and into the next hole. Repeat until the tongue stitches are complete.

Again, finish on the inside Leave a 1cm loose lace inside the shoe.

Now to tie up those loose laces; the 1cm tabs left at the front of the band, can just be tucked in as they won’t be moved by you putting the shoes on/taking off. For the other loose ties, cut the lace in half with fabric scissors, tie a tight knot with the two pieces of laces, as close to the shoe as you can, and cut off the excess.