Press on. Stand out. Repeat.

Feature image for the Silver Samba Mama DIY press-on nail set. A hand with silver mirror chrome nails, white 3D stripe accents, and a red and green plaid accent nail holds a silver metallic Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba sneaker. Bold chrome balloon-style text reads "Silver Samba Mama" against a red and green kente-patterned textile background.

Silver Samba Mama | Set Stories

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by

Erica
in

Calling all my sneaker femmes and thems! Who’s in the mood for some sneaker nail art?

I’ve wanted to design custom press-on nails based on the adidas x Wales Bonner Silver Metallic Sambas ever since I got them, but time kept slipping away from me… You know that pair of kicks that had you begging strangers on the internet for an assist, just for everyone – including you – to lose all of the raffles? These were those shoes for me. So I did what every sneaker lover reluctantly does when a pair of sneakers becomes an instant grail. I got them on the resale market. Le sigh. Very much worth it, though! 

Alright, no long talking. Let me tell y’all how I designed these Silver Samba Mama custom press-on nails. 

The Vision

First things first, when I sit down to figure out how I’m going to achieve any of my nail art designs, I go through my POLISH Method. Here’s a walkthrough on how I did exactly that for these DIY press-on nails:

Point of View 

I made this set when it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit in NYC – it wasn’t giving summer vibes. I was in the mood for a cool, edgy set that did a lot of the personal style talking while I was bundled up in my extra-long black puffer. Mood is set, what next?

Origin

We’ve already established that the inspo for these adidas Wales Bonner nails were the Silver Metallic Sambas, but let me tell you why. First, they are sexy. They’re the kind of shoes that steal the show from the rest of your outfit in the best way possible. Even with the extra pair of lace shoelaces, they don’t lean too feminine, which made them the perfect inspiration for some cool, edgy nail art. Adidas Wales Bonner nails to match my silver Sambas

Layout

Here is where I decide on the nail shape. Very simply put, medium almond is my default, so I chose medium almond for this set. I used to alternate a lot between medium square, medium coffin, and medium almond, but for some reason, I started to prefer almond. That said, I’m typing this with a stunning set of square nails on currently, so it really just depends on whatever way the wind blows, I guess. 

Inventory

I’ll provide a full breakdown of all the products I used later in this post, but long story short, I knew immediately that these were going to mirror chrome nails. I mean, look at the shoes! I had no choice but to go the silver mirror chrome route. Because of the texture on the sneakers, I also knew I wanted some 3D/textured elements on this set, so I pulled out some clear acrylic for that. And to jazz things up a bit more, I had some ivory flat-back pearls on hand, so I used them, too!

Sketch

Below is a picture of my sketch. Messy notes written in pencil with a very rough idea of how I wanted the set to look.

Handwritten DIY press-on nail set map for "Silver Samba Mama" dated February 2026, showing sketches of ten medium almond-shaped nails across right and left hands with size notations and step-by-step instructions. Designs include silver mirror chrome, ivory 3D cream swirls, pearl accents, diagonal white stripes, and a red, green, and navy plaid accent nail inspired by Wales Bonner.
Every set starts here — the map that turns inspiration into nail art.

During the sketching process, I went back and forth about how I wanted the 3D/textured elements to look. I thought I could do the “W” in the Wales Bonner logo, but honestly, I was pressed for time and didn’t want to spend an hour trying to figure out how to draw it. Then I realized I could lean into the adidas “three stripes” logo and create variations of three lines on each nail. 

The one thing I knew I wanted to include for sure was a “hero nail”. I was in love with the geometric print dustbag the shoes came with. It’s such a strong contrast to the metallic chrome of the shoes, but it still somehow works cohesively as a design element. Oh, Grace Wales Bonner. The designer that you are! So when it came to the design of this set’s hero nail, I just followed Grace’s lead. 

Highlight & Harmonize

After sketching, I gazed at the sheet of paper and tried to visualize the completed set. I loved what I was seeing, but I was stuck on how I wanted to finish it. I knew the mirror chrome nails would have a glossy top coat, but I was undecided about the hero nail. After about 3 minutes of internal debate, I settled on making the hero nail matte just like the actual dust bag. Keeping it true to the form of the original inspiration was a great way to ensure the design was harmonious. And keeping the hero nail matte actually highlighted it more since all of the other nails were so reflective. 

The Execution

I’m a gel polish girlie, so all of my custom press-on nail sets are achieved with gel polish. For the nail art design of this set, the main technique used was all-over chrome application. We’ll tackle isolated chrome another day. For the hero nail, it was mostly a lot of hand-painted linework. Check out the nail-by-nail, step-by-step process below. 

Nail by Nail

First step-prep: Buff & etch the nails! 

I etch the underside of each nail using an e-file to help create a rough surface area so that the nails stay on for at least 2 weeks once applied. I then take a small nail buffer and file the top of the nail to ensure the gel polish does not peel off. 

For this set, both hands had the same design for each finger, and the thumb, middle, and ring finger designs were all achieved in the same way.

Ten DIY press-on nails in medium almond shape displayed in two rows on a black background, featuring silver mirror chrome as the base. Designs include white 3D wavy ridges, stacked ivory pearl dots, bold diagonal white stripe wraps, and a red, green, and navy Wales Bonner-inspired plaid accent nail. PolishedSole logo watermark visible at center.
Silver chrome meets kente plaid. The full Silver Samba Mama set.

Thumb, Middle, Ring:

  1. Clear base coat, 1 coat, cure
  2. Solid black polish all over the nail, 2 coats, cure between each coat
  3. Chrome-specific non-wipe top coat, 1 coat, cure
  4. Mirror chrome application all over the nail, lightly brush away chrome flakes
  5. Top coat, 1 coat, cure (When doing chrome designs, I use a separate bottle of top coat that I specifically reserve for top coating the chrome layer, so I don’t get specks of chrome on non-chrome press-ons.)
  6. Clear builder gel, 1 coat, cure (I always flip my nails upside down after applying builder gel so that it self-levels evenly and creates a beautiful apex.)
  7. Glossy top coat, 1 coat, cure
  8. Draw on cream/ivory design with a liner brush, do not cure yet
  9. Carefully pour clear acrylic powder over the entire nail, making sure to evenly coat the ivory design without disturbing it (I do one nail at a time here and use a tiny scoop to pour the acrylic over the nail while holding the nail directly over the acrylic container.)
  10. Cure

Index: 

  1. Clear base coat, 1 coat, cure
  2. Solid black polish all over the nail, 2 coats, cure between each coat
  3. Chrome-specific non-wipe top coat, 1 coat, cure
  4. Mirror chrome application all over the nail, lightly brush away chrome flakes
  5. Top coat, 1 coat, cure
  6. Clear builder gel, 1 coat, cure 
  7. Apply flat-back pearls using Rhinestone UV/LED cure gel
    1. Place a line of gel glue where the pearls will go
    2. Apply pearls along the line of glue using tweezers
    3. Cure
    4. Neatly apply more gel glue on and around the pearls to secure them in place
    5. Cure
  8. Glossy top coat, 1 coat, cure
Two medium almond-shaped DIY press-on nails with a bold red base, dark navy rectangular blocks, and green dotted diagonal lines, inspired by Wales Bonner's signature kente-influenced plaid pattern, displayed on a black textured background.
The accent nail doing all the talking — Wales Bonner plaid, press-on style.

Pinky:

  1. Clear base coat, 1 coat, cure
  2. Solid red polish all over the nail, 2 coats, cure between each coat
  3. Matte top coat, 1 coat, cure
  4. Draw on purple boxes and lines with a liner brush, cure
  5. Draw on straight green lines with a liner brush, cure
  6. Matte top coat, 1 coat, cure
  7. To make green lines dotted, use purple gel polish and a liner brush to draw tiny diagonal lines along the green straight lines, cure
  8. Clear builder gel, 1 coat, cure
  9. Matte top coat, 1 coat, cure

Oh, and before I forget, here are a few more tips I think are non-negotiables:

  • Always follow the curing instructions based on the safety guidelines for each specific product.
  • Use an appropriate UV/LED lamp – at least 48W. Those handheld flashlight ones and tiny 1-nail-at-a-time lamps do not completely cure gel polishes.  
  • Wear nitrile gloves at all times when handling gel products!

Here’s a step I never skip when making homemade press-on nails: 

After each set is done, even when the non-wipe top coat is fully cured, there is likely some residue left on the press-on nails. I also use a lint-free wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol and wipe each nail. I then take another lint-free wipe, dip it into some water with a bit of Dawn dish soap, and wipe each nail. Finally, I take one more lint-free wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol and do one final wipe down of each nail. This gives me peace of mind that any residual inhibition layers are completely wiped off. 

The Toolkit

Now that you know how I did this set, I’ll fill you in on all of the products I used below. 

Don’t be alarmed! I know it looks like a lot, but most of these things are items you buy just once or a couple of times a year.

Base & Prep:

Colors:

Finishes & Effects:

Tools:

Top Coat: