Shoe sole and methods of making same

A method of forming a shoe sole having the appearance of leather, the method comprising:

• applying a first paint to a sole edge of a shoe sole, the first paint being of a first color, the shoe sole being of a polymer material, the shoe sole having a sole top surface, a sole bottom surface, the sole edge extending between the sole top surface and the sole bottom surface around a periphery of the sole;
• after applying the first paint, applying a second paint to the sole edge via a roller printing process to form a sole edge pattern, the second paint being of a second color different from the first color, the roller printing process applying the second paint in a non-uniform coat such that the sole edge pattern has the appearance of leather;
• after the roller printing process, applying a lacquer finish to the sole edge;
• wherein the sole edge comprises a first sole edge region, a second sole edge region, and a narrow first intermediate sole edge region, the first intermediate sole edge region being between and adjacent the first and second sole edge regions, the applying the first paint to the sole edge comprising applying the first paint to each of the first sole edge region, the second sole edge region, and the first intermediate sole edge region, and wherein the applying the second paint to the sole edge via the roller printing process to form the sole edge pattern comprises:
• applying the second paint to a rotatable roller, the roller having a printing surface, the printing surface having a first roller region having a first texture and a second roller region having a second texture, the first roller region being spaced from the second roller region;
• bringing the sole edge and the roller into contact with one another to transfer some of the second paint on the first roller region to the first sole edge region in a stippled manner and to transfer some of the second paint on the second roller region to the second sole edge region in a stippled manner, the first intermediate sole edge region being largely devoid of the second paint such that a narrow band of the first paint in the first intermediate sole edge region visibly demarcates the first sole edge region from the second sole edge region.