Suede and nubuck care

Suede is easy to take care of and is much more durable than some might think. With good products and a few minutes of care you can make a beaten pair of suede shoes look like new again, and by using impregnation spray of high quality the shoes will resist water and dirt for a long time.

In short the following categories of caring and protecting producsts is needed: 1. Cleaning (Saphir Omninettoyant), 2. Pigmented suede spray (Saphir Suede Renovator or Saphir Renovetine) 3. Waterproofing impregnation spray (Saphir Super Invulner).

We also offer various brushes and other products to help keeping the suede in great condition.

How do you protect suede shoes?

You need a good waterproofing spray to ensure that water and dirt cannot penetrate the fibres. Most suede leathers today are usually treated and relatively resistant from the start, and if you also have a waterproofing spray, they are at least as durable as normal leather shoes. We sell some of the top waterproofing sprays on the market, such as Saphir Medaille d'Or Super Invulner and Tarrago Factory Sneakers Nano Protector, both of which are extremely effective and do not contain any silicone, as many cheaper waterproofing sprays do. Clean your shoes before spraying, use a suede brush and, if that's not enough, a suede cleaner like Saphir Omninettoyant. When dry and clean, spray outside at about 20 centimetres distance over the whole shoe, allow to dry

How to clean suede shoes?

If it's just surface dirt, brushing it off with a regular horsehair shoe brush is enough, get into the habit of doing this every time you come in the door so the dirt doesn't get a hold on it. If you need to, use a suede brush to remove a bit more. If the dirt is still there, you will need to clean your shoes, the best way to do this is with a gentle but effective suede cleaner, such as Saphir Medaille d'Or Omninettoyant or Tarrago Factory Sneakers WASC! Super cleaner. Brush off the worst dirt, dampen a brush and work a lather over the shoes, making sure you clean all over and that everything gets damp to avoid water streaks. Leave to dry for about 12 hours or until the shoes feel dry, then spray them with a waterproofing spray. If they need re-colouring and care, use Saphir Medaille d'Or Renovateur spray in a similar colour to the shoes.

How often should I waterproof suede or nubuck shoes?

Many people who sell waterproofing sprays claim that it should be done extremely often, which is not necessary at all. If you have a good product and shoes that are not worn too often, every two months or so is sufficient. If the shoes are worn frequently, and especially in winter when conditions are harsher, it may need to be done once a month. Note that if you clean your suede or nubuck shoes, you always need to waterproof them again.

What is the difference between suede and nubuck?

There are two different types of leathers that both are called suede, the "original" which is simply a full grain hide turned inside out, where the flesh side is sanded to the characteristic napped surface. That suede is nowadays often called full reverse calf suede or similar (sometimes also roughout, it's the same thing but with coarser sanding so it looks a bit rougher). Nowadays, however, most suede sold are split suede, where the top grain layer is split away and a separate corrected grain leather is made from it, and a thinner part of the middle layer and the flesh side is left, which is sanded and becomes a suede hide.

For nubuck, it's the outer side of the leather, the grain, that is sanded and then you get a velvety surface with a denser nap than suede. All types of suede and nubuck are treated in the same way, with waterproofing spray for protection and Renovateur spray if you want to add care and improve the colour.