Joy & Imagination Review: Insta-Worthy Shoe & Bag Customisation Workshop In Singapore

Lifestyle Fashion Footwear Activities & Events

By Karmen on 12 Dec 2021

Digital Editor

Nearly everyone owns a pair of white sneakers. After all, they're timeless and easy to style, but what if you could have a custom designed pair that's the only one of its kind?

Joy & Imagination offers a hydro dipping workshop in Singapore where you can design and personalise kicks that'll make you forget about those plain ol' white sneakers.

Nestled in an industrial area in Jurong, Joy & Imagination is a three-storey workshop space that can host up to 40 people.

The business owners have to be KAWS fans as the interior is like a little KAWS universe with artwork on the walls, figures sitting on shelves and a giant Instagrammable statue.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

It can be difficult to visualise what prints will look like on the shoes, so you can take a look at the ones on the sample shelf for inspiration.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Step 1: Choose your print

There are a wide variety of prints you can go for, from feminine florals and graffiti-style prints to bright graphics that kids will love. I was pretty tempted by a fierce-looking tiger print but eventually went for a beautiful tropical print with butterflies.

Step 2: Tape your shoes

The hydro-dipping workshop at Joy & Imagination comes with a pair of shoes (non-branded or branded: adidas, Puma, etc.). I chose a pair of Puma sneakers for its sleek look and wave pattern at the sides.

This taping process is also a customisation step as you'll decide where the print will be placed. Tape up the parts you want to remain white and leave the areas you want printed tape-free. When dipping the shoes in the water print, the areas covered with tape will remain untouched.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

For the most professional-looking end result with clean lines, the shoes should be taped with precision and care.

I'll admit that this step was a little tedious thanks to my shaky hands and fumbling fingers. Gazing over at two 11-ish year olds, I saw that they were breezing past the taping process. Fast forward to later, their shoes turned out perfectly printed - a sign that this step will be easy for the average person.

Step 3: Hydro-Dipping

This is where the real fun starts! You'll be led outside to do the hydro-dipping using a container of water with the print film floating on top.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

After a staff member sprayed an activater on the surface to liquify the film, I pushed one shoe through the print and immersed it in the water. And voila, the print had successfully transferred onto the shoe!

There's an art to this step as well. As the toe of the shoe has a large surface area, you'll want to strategically decide on the print that will land there. For example, I fancied a butterfly at that area, and so positioned the tip of my shoe right above a butterfly on the print film.

Gloves will be provided for this process so there's no need to worry about the print staining your hands.

Step 4: Peeling off the tape

The sneakers were left to dry for a few minutes before it was finally time to peel off the tape and reveal my work of art!

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Step 5: Add laces & accessories

After patting myself on the back for a job well done, I moved on to the accessories station where there was a wide variety of shoe laces, ribbons and adorable character-themed clips to customise the sneakers.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

And here's the final result, a pair of sneakers with mismatched KAWS eyes, white ribbon laces and a one-of-a-kind print.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

It's said that the prints are unique to every shoe, even if you choose the same shoe design and print. Joy & Imagination is even offering a $20,000 prize for anyone who can create a perfectly identical print on both sides of a pair of shoes.

KAWS backrops aside, there are also other photo-worthy corners including this cute princess-y lounge area located at a shoes-off zone on the third floor.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

Besides shoes, you can also bring your own bags to give them a makeover with a customised print.

Prices start from $89/pax for a group of four. You can top up for accessories and branded shoes which are priced lower than in stores as the owner purchases them at a bulk price. The entire workshop will take about three hours, plus-minus depending on how fast you can tape up your shoes.

The location is admittedly a little ulu, accessible by feeder bus or a 10-minute car ride from Pioneer and Boon Lay MRT Stations. But considering how much I'm in love with my new custom sneakers and the fun I had making it, the journey there is totally worth it.

Joy & Imagination
Address: 1 Sunview Rd, Ecotech@Sunview, #08-60, Singapore 627615
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