My boots were falling apart after much abuse and were due for a replacement. Although it is unlikely I will wear my costume again, I wanted a small project to work on while I still can. These will go on a display mannequin that will be a main feature in my new home.
Old
Fresh pair from Wasted Fett
Masked the soles and airbrushed the upper with water-based acrylic; 80 parts neutral grey: 20 parts black.
Since the pipings are rubber, I was able to easily wipe the grey acrylic off with a damp rag. This is to ensure they'll grab the rattlecan paint that comes on later. I hand painted the elastic bands on the sides with undiluted black acrylic.
More masking is applied to paint the pipings with black primer.
The mid section is hand brushed with layers of heavily diluted black until desired shade. It should not be as dark as the sides.
For a preliminary weathering pass, I applied washes of black and earth ochre on the white soles, and purple around the areas where desired as seen in reference photos. Before applying the washes, I spritz the boots with water to soften the paint coverage so they look natural-ish. The black paint on the pipings have started to come apart, and that's fine! It perfectly adds to the illusion of wear and tear, which is to be expected of our seasoned bounty hunter.
Installed
MachineCraft spikes that fit perfectly!
Completed weathering with layers of acrylic washes, Fuller's Earth and rounds of scrubbing.