DIY spike heels.

What I wore: 30 days. No outfit repeats. Day 10.
AE jacket, Forever 21 skirt, DIY heels.

When I first saw Sam Edelman’s spiky Lorissa high heels (these), I wanted to immediately drop everything and buy them with money I didn’t have. But if I’d done that, Ryan would have killed me (though I could have put up quite a fight in those heels). So instead of dropping $200 on those shoes, I created my own DIY version for under $50, a much more reasonable price. And I quite like them! Not all of my DIY projects turn out so hot but these were winners, so here’s how I did it:

1. Acquire a relatively inexpensive pair of high heels (a pair you don’t care if you ruin, just in case this doesn’t go as planned).

•   Tip: I would recommend getting them just a tiny bit big, as you want some room to add a little heel cup type thing to protect your foot from the screws. Don’t go too much bigger than normal though- the screws make the shoe heavier and if it’s too loose, your shoe will constantly slip off.

2. Buy your spikes. I ordered mine online at http://studsandspikes.com/. (Mine are size 13 and size 16 cone spikes).

3. Get a drill, a drill bit that’s big enough for you to force your screw through the opening but not so big that your screw will wiggle around in the hole (it should be difficult to push your screw through the hole), a sharpie, a small screwdriver and a person who’s allowed to use power tools (NOT ME).

4. To get my spikes in the right spot I pushed them against the outside of the shoe in the spot where I wanted them, which left a little indentation where the screw hole was. I marked this spot with my sharpie and then we (Ryan) drilled a hole where the mark was.

• Tip: I would recommend positioning your spikes in a design that’s not TOO precise. That way if you’re a little off when you make your hole, it’s not the end of the world.

5. Push the screw through the hole from the inside of the shoe and screw it into the spike on the outside (this is the time consuming part, as it’s hard to work from inside the shoe).

6. When you’ve got all of your spikes screwed in where you want them, apply a heel strip (not a cup that goes on the bottom of your heel, but a strip that rests on the back of your heel). This should give you protection from the backs of the screws and make the heel fit a bit tighter on your foot.

7. Voila! Spiked heels. Easy, huh? 

Before and after.