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This tutorial is for the base under the armor boot cover. This is great for a more fitted boot base if you don’t want to use an actual boot under armor or if this is the look you are going for. In some cases, boots in a specific color / style are difficult to look for and painting boots can chip off very easily. The great part of this type of boot base is that you can reuse your shoes inside! (Side note: I used these shoes for a work holiday party after I cosplayed Tyrande at Blizzcon!)

How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial

Beneath the base of Tyrande’s boots I made in 2015, I used spandex over Ellie Platform Pumps, and then covered my legs in a removable worbla boot cover.

This boot cover tutorial can be used for any type of shoe. From Lynleigh XOXO Cosplay’s tutorial I will show you how mine actually came out.

How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial

I first learned this technique from Lynleigh XOXO Cosplay’s original boot cover tutorial she posted a while back:

How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial

 

The Mats!

You will need:

  • Spandex or any other stretch fabric
  • Standard fabric pins
  • Permanent Marker or dressmaker’s marker (water soluble) for light colored fabric
  • Sewing Machine
  • Non-skid pads (you don’t want to slip on that convention floor!)
  • Your shoe. I recommend using shoes that do not go past your ankles
  • Optional but highly recommended for slippery fabric: Walking Foot
  • Optional: Serger to stitch and cut off the edge of your fabric seams

Let’s get started!

  1. Cut out two (2) sheets of stretch fabric large enough to cover your foot to knee.
  2. Wear your shoe and find a comfortable position that you can work with for a long period of time. If your shoe has buckles, do not buckle your feet down. Sometimes a friend that can help can be useful.
  3. Place the spandex sheets over your shoe + leg such that your leg is sandwiched between the sheets. Important! Make sure the wrong side of the fabric sheets are facing outward.
  4. Carefully pin the spandex around your shoe first then progress up to your leg. I recommend starting from the center of your shoe and working outwards. Sometimes it helps to start from the front end of your shoe depending on the shape of it. Try to minimize the ripples on the spandex on the part of the boot cover that will show. Important! As you progress up the shin and calf of your leg, the pins MUST face upwards (see pictured) or you will endure hell trying to take your leg out of the spandex! DEM PINS AND NEEDLES (sorry Prissi we learned from that!!)

    How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial

    Make sure pins face upward as you work up your leg.

  5. Grab your marker and start tracing over the pins. Think of connect the dots. If you are using light colored fabric I recommend using a water soluble dressmaker’s marker instead as it may show when you turn the fabric inside out when you are done.
  6. Carefully work your leg out of the spandex, leaving the shoe behind.How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers
  7. Carefully remove the shoe out of the spandex.
  8. Sew a straight or very small width zig zag stitch (standard on all sewing machines) over the traced line and carefully remove the pins as you go.
  9. Put the shoe back inside the fabric and then put your leg in the shoe. You may have to adjust certain parts – If you see ripples and unnecessary bumps sticking out, grab some pins and pin down the extra sticking out parts. In my case you can see I had to re-sew a portion of my fabric. Keep in mind that the part that will affect the shape of the boot cover will be your innermost stitch.How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial
    This is a great way to test fit. I had to readjust for a perfect fit.
  10. When you are happy with the fit of your boot cover, remove the shoe and reinforce your stitch edges outside of your straight stitch with a zig zag stitch. Cut the edge of the stitch you just created. You can safely cut this with spandex fabric as it does not fray. If you have a serger you can simply serge the edges outside of your straight stitch to reinforce.Example below of reinforcing edges with a zig zag stitch

    How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial

    This comes in handy if you don’t have a serger. You can also safely cut spandex as it does not fray.

  11. Turn your newly made masterpiece inside out and voilà! At this rate you can hem the top or wear a knee length sock inside to tuck the extra spandex — or you can do whatever your heart desires to the top!How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial
  12. Don’t forget to add non-skid grips to the bottom of your shoe. You don’t want to slip on the smooth convention floor with your spandexy shoes.
    How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial
  13. From here you can attach shoe armor covers using neodymium magnets underneath your fabric or snap buttons! (I recommend magnets)How to Make Fitted Boot Base Covers Cosplay Tutorial
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