Orders

• When will my sneakart order arrive?

We aim to process your order within 2 working days. It’s packed and posted immediately then it’s up to the postman. Royal Mail, who do the first leg in the UK, say it should be delivered in 3-5 working days by worldwide airmail. If you live in the UK expect it in 1-2 days from the time we post it.

• What payment do you accept?

We accept most major credit or debit cards and you can use PayPal. If you don't have a bank account, get someone to buy you a sneakart voucher. You can then apply credit to your account that you can spend anytime.

• My order hasn’t arrived yet?

If it's more than 20 days since you ordered please contact us by email or call +44 1661 844 103. We'll get on to it immediately and let you know what's happening.

• I don't have a bank account, how can I pay?

If you don't have a bank account, get someone nice to buy you a sneakart voucher. You can then apply credit to your account that you can spend anytime you like - yey!

• My order was damaged in transit

Don’t worry – we keep all your order details and another one will be sent to you as soon we get the first order back from you. Send it to: sneakart Ltd., Unit 4, Bearl Farm, Stocksfield, NE43 7AJ, UNITED KINGDOM.  We need your original order sheet returned to check the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again. We will refund your return postage cost to your credit card or PayPal account.

• 30 day money back guarantee

We are sure you will love your sneakart items however, if you are not satisfied with your order, you can return it to us within 30 days and we will refund your money. Items must be returned in a perfect, unused condition and the sender must pay for return postage. Please include your invoice in the return parcel and write on it a reason for the return.

• Our fixed shipping rate to anywhere in the world

Our shipping rate to anywhere in the world, stays the same whether you buy one sheet or 50 and includes secure packaging and a sneakart re-use folder.

• Can I get a discount for larger orders?

Yes! If you want more than 20 pattern sheets or sticker sets or have a wholesale or distribution enquiry please contact us and we will get back to you asap.

• Can I change or cancel my order?

All sneakskin is printed to order so once placed it is difficult to change. If you log in to your account and select "My order" you will see the status of your order. If it has not printed or dispatched we may be able to change it but you'll have to act quickly! Please contact us or call +44 1661 844 103. We'll see what we can do.

• What currencies do you accept?

At the moment we accept US dollars, UK pounds and Euros. Choose whatever suits you best. Please consider that once you have placed an order this will fix your account in the chosen currency. Please contact us if you need to change your account to another currency.

Sneakskin application

• What’s the Template Sheet for?

If you want to customise a particular piece or panel of your shoe accurately, you need to create a template first. Template Sheet is much less sticky than the Pattern Sheet so it’s really easy to apply and remove. It’s about as sticky as a Post-It Note. Apply the Template Sheet to the part of the shoe that you want and draw the area you want to customise on it. Simple as that.

• I forgot to place the Tear-Off between the template and film and I can’t get them apart.

Unfortunately there isn’t an easy way we know to separate the two films and still be able to use the Pattern Sheet to customise the shoe. Second best is to simply use the piece you’ve cut out as a template. Leaving the film on the backing paper, place it over a fresh area of Pattern Sheet and draw around it. You can then cut out a new piece of Pattern Sheet and apply it to the shoe.

• I've stuck the Pattern Sheet onto my shoe and I can hardly see the print.

Sneakskin is best used to customize light coloured shoes, preferably clean white ones. Because sneakskin is transparent it will clearly show whatever’s underneath it. If you try to customise a dark coloured shoe or a really dirty shoe you probably won’t be able to see the print very clearly – you need to use a light coloured shoe, preferably white, light grey, metallic silver, gold or pastel coloured and make it as clean as you can before you start applying sneakskin.

• Will the sneakskin come off my shoes when I wear them?

As long as you followed all of the steps carefully and thoroughly the sneakskin shouldn’t easily come off your shoe through normal wear. It’s hard to say just how long it will stay stuck on as it depends on what you do with your shoes. We reckon you should get a good few months use out of your sneakskin, longer if you don't wear them every day.

• Can I place the sneakskin over seams and overlaid pieces?

It's not ideal, but if you do place the sneakskin over raised seams make sure you have enough film to drape into the seam or over the join. If you do this it shouldn’t come away from the shoe when you wear it. Try not to stretch the sneakskin over these joins in the shoe and simply press it down. If the sneakskin’s over-stretched there is a chance it might not hold up so well.

• Will I damage my shoes using sneakskin film?

If sneakskin is applied and removed carefully according to our tutorials there is no reason why there should be any permanent damage to your shoes. Make sure you remove the sneakskin slowly, steadily and with care to ensure your shoe surface stays in it's original condition. Take extra care with very soft leather found on more expensive designer shoes.

• What is the best shoe material to apply sneakskin to?

Sneakskin is best applied to real leather and synthetic leather. Canvas, like that found on Converse All Stars, sometimes works but we can't guarantee it will last as well as a leather-type surface. Suede, wool and moulded EVA surfaces like those on a pair of Crocs won’t give good results so avoid these.

• What else can I apply Sneakskin to?

Sneakskin was developed to withstand the flexing and movement of a shoe but it will also work on other leather or synthetic leather items such as bags, pencil cases, sports equipment or helmets. Let us know how you get on.

Living with sneakart

• How can I keep my sneakskin customised shoes looking good for a long time?

You can wipe sneakskin clean with water, a bit of detergent and a soft sponge or cloth. Sneakskin is completely waterproof but don't try to clean it using solvents as they will destroy the print. With a tiny bit of regular maintenance you can keep your shoes looking good for many months. You can also remove the skin anytime and replace it with a new fresh design!

Sneakskin removal

• When I remove the sneakskin will there be any glue residue left on my shoes?

If you’re careful and remove the sneakskin slowly and gently there shouldn’t be any glue left on your shoes. We can’t 100% guarantee that will always be the case – it often depends on the type of material your shoe is made of - but it's usually no problem. PLease bear in mind we have to make the glue much stronger than a regular sticker so that is will withstand the abuse it's going to get on the shoe. Check out our tutorials for more inf.

• When I removed the sneakskin some glue was left on my shoe, how do I clean it off?

This rarely happens but if it does, don't worry - glue residue won’t permanently damage your shoe and is easy to remove. If there’s alot to clean just roll it into beads using your (clean) thumb, just like you would a price sticker from a new product. When the glue’s in small beads, you can simply pick it off. To remove any remaining thin layers of glue we recommend very lightly rubbing the shoe with Acetone (nail polish remover) or Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol or CD cleaner). Be very careful not to rub the shoe too hard with either of these chemicals as they can cause damage. If you rub lightly and for a short time only, they can effectively remove light areas of glue staining without causing any harm to you or the shoe. If you have sensitive skin or any cuts or broken skin on your hands, we recommend you wear gloves if you’re going to be using either of these chemicals to clean your shoes.

Patterns

• Why is the Pattern Sheet size 29×22cm?

We made the pattern sheet so that it can cover several very large panels of a mens average sized shoe or it can cover several smaller panels on a pair of shoes. Most shoe panels should fit into this size.

• How many Pattern Sheets should I order to cover my shoes?

One sheet will cover a pair of small shoes or several panels on a large pair. For example, we've found that you can get complete coverage on a shoe like a Converse All Star up to around size 5 UK (38 Euro and Womens 8 US) but bigger than this you will need 2 sheets. If you use a shoe like a Nike Air Force 1 with many smaller panels you get better utlisation of the sheet. You can cover several panels and get really good effects with only one sheet in most shoe sizes. It really depends how much coverage you want and how big your shoes are.

Stickers

• How many Sticker Sheets should I order to cover my shoes?

One sticker set should be all you need but it depends how much coverage you want and how big your shoes are. Have a look at your shoes, look at the sticker previews on the website and size them up thinking about where you would place them and what will look good.

• What is a mirrored set?

Most sticker sets are designed to be placed on a left and right shoe. A mirrored set means that within one sheet all designs will be duplicated and reflected so that they work on both shoes. Any text stickers will not be reflected for obvious reasons…

Custom upload

• Why can’t you produce custom uploaded pre-cut sticker sheets?

We are constantly reviewing this situation and as soon as we are able we will make this option available. If we see some really fantastic designs uploaded as icons on a pattern sheet, we may create pre-cut sticker sheets from these oursleves if the artist agrees.

• Why was my 'private' artwork rejected?

This could be for a number of reasons; if you selected to go private then it may be that your artwork dimensions or file format were incorrect, please check our specifications in the tutorials section. Another reason may be unsuitable content, we can't print images relating to famous people, trademarked or copyrighted items. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more info.

• Why was my 'public' artwork rejected?

This could be for a number of reasons; perhaps we already have something similar in our library, perhaps we feel the artwork is not quite good enough to go 'public'. We will happily print out 'private' artwork for your own use if it meets our criteria but if you want to be a sneakartist we need something a little bit special that will appeal to other sneakart customers.

• My design includes commercial photos or illustrations that I own a license to, can I make them publicly
  available?

If you own the rights to an image (ie. you've created it yourself) then it is up to you what you do with it. If you have a license that allows unlimited distribution of the image for commercial purposes then it's also ok to use in your design, this is usually called an extended license. Please check what rights you have to use an image publicly.

• Can I use a trademarked logo as part of an original design?

Unless you own the copyright or the trademark to the logo you can't use it in anyway on a design, even if you have selected 'private' and we are printing it out only for you. As a small company we can't risk the wrath of the big guns so we don't take any chances.

• The colours in my artwork did not print out as I expected.

Our colours normally print out really well, however we cannot guarantee colours will print out exactly how you view them on your computer as every monitor displays colours differently. For best results please use CMYK settings and the sneakart colour palette in the templates.

Gallery

General

• Why use the term Sneakers and not Trainers?

Calling athletic shoes “sneakers” was first recorded in the U.S. in 1881 and was given a boost when Keds® – rubber-soled and canvas-uppered, were mass-marketed in 1917. In Russia ‘sneakers’ are still called kedi for this reason. In the U.K. athletic shoes began to be called trainers in 1968 and that name has stuck ever since. In Spanish and Portugese speaking countries they are called tenis and in Romania they are adidasi – both for obvious reasons. We use the term ‘sneaker’ mainly because it’s distinctive and global.