So yesterday I was scrolling through old concert clips of Rihanna, you know, just killing time, and man, her stage heels are next level. Seriously iconic. Got me thinking: could I actually recreate some of that magic on a budget? Figured it was worth a shot. Here’s the whole messy process.
Picking the Look & Hunting Gear
First, I needed to pick one specific look. There’s just too many! Scrolled through hundreds of pictures, paused, zoomed in, got totally distracted by outfits. Finally settled on that killer look from the Super Bowl halftime show. Those sharp, strappy black ones. Clear, classic, brutal.
Then came the hard part: finding shoes that even vaguely resembled them. Hit up like five different discount shoe shops downtown. Legs were dead after store number three. Finally found a cheap pair of basic black ankle boots with a chunky heel in a clearance bin for like $15. Not perfect – a bit clunkier than Rih’s sleek monsters – but solid foundation material. Grabbed some thin black faux leather straps, industrial-strength E6000 glue (learned the hard way regular glue doesn’t cut it), a tiny sewing kit for emergencies, and an old buckle I had lying around.
The Chopping, Gluing & Strapping Mess
Got home, cleared the kitchen table – which immediately regretted this decision. Started by carefully chopping off the basic straps the boots came with. Little scissors vs. shoe material is a battle, believe me. Took forever. Had to sand down the rough spots left behind so the new glue would actually stick.
Then came the strapping experiment. Laid the boot on its side, grabbed the faux leather strips, and just started criss-crossing them where I remembered Rihanna’s straps going – over the front, wrapping behind the ankle. Held pieces up with tiny clamps while eyeballing placement. Used way too much glue. Fingers got super sticky. Waited for it to set… kinda. Realized I needed horizontal stability, so I glued on that spare buckle as a clasp near the top. Not part of the original look, but a practical disaster fix.
The Test Run & Painful Realization
After letting the glue “cure” overnight (smelled up the whole apartment), the moment of truth arrived. Put on thick socks and gingerly shoved my foot into the Franken-boot. Stood up.
Here’s the brutal truth:
- The heel height felt manageable… until I tried walking. Totally different ball game.
- The new straps, while looking kinda cool, rubbed weirdly against my ankle bone. Not comfy.
- The glue job wasn’t invisible. You could totally see the messy edges.
Tried posing in the mirror, attempted a Rihanna-esque fierce stance. Held onto the doorframe. Almost faceplanted. Took a few blurry photos for the ‘gram. Lasted about three minutes before the discomfort won. Ripped them off.
So, What’s the Verdict?
Look, was it fun trying to recreate Rihanna’s stage heel power? Kinda! Messy, frustrating, creative chaos. Did it work? Not really. My $15 boots with glued-on straps looked exactly like what they were: a messy DIY attempt, zero stage magic.
The real lesson? Rihanna wears those heels because they’re built by pros using top-tier materials for a few minutes of stage time. Comfort? Probably zero. Us regular folks trying to glue stuff onto discount shoes? Pure madness, honestly. Huge respect for the costume designers, man. Huge. As for me? I’ll stick to admiring those killer looks online. My feet thanked me the next day.
