After a few weeks of research I finally am getting started. The research is ongoing. I have had contact with the suppliers for everything for the complete kit except for the helmet- I believe the supplier is located in Florida and with the recent hurricanes, I don't expect a prompt response at this point. I have also decided at each step in this process to document my successes and failures. Much of what I will be doing has been done before in exactly the same way- but I will be looking for new techniques that will accomplish the same high quality outcomes if it is a better design. I am not looking to save time, money or work. I hope to achieve a high quality end result.
I am a few weeks from being able to order the armor, planing on picking up some extra shifts at work over the next few weeks. Still in search of a place to work on armor as I can't do much with spraying, sanding or bondo in my small apartment with no usable outdoor space. What can I do? Boots. Most WIP that I have seen start with the big stuff. From someone who has spent time in combat, with tons of gear and up to 24 hours on your feet and who currently works 12 hour shifts, mostly standing/walking- I would argue that your shoes/boots are the most important piece of gear you can have.
I have looked at several methods for creating the boots, from painting existing shoes, filing down the heel on shoes, covering with vinyl and ordering expensive custom made boots. I have chosen to go with purchasing cheaper shoes from Payless Shoes and using vinyl to get the end result. On my first trip to Payless Shoes I found exactly what I was looking for: a pair of shoes that was comfortable, had a completely flat sole and a mostly even thickness sole that had the right profile. In addition to the reference photo from the 501st CRL for a "phase I animated style boot" I am also using an actual animated screen version reference photo (shown below).
Cost: that's one of the first questions I get when talking about the project. I decided to track the costs of everything that I buy. Most often costs are calculated using the price of the major components, but not all the little things you buy along the way. I am tracking everything. So far: $25 shoes, $8 vinyl, $5 Shoe Goo. Will post again when I get some actual work done.
