Suede is a very popular material mainly because of its soft, gentle surface. However, it is also a material that requires continious care if you want to enjoy your shoes for a long time. Nevertheless, it’s not harder than with smooth leather, especially because you don’t need to polish it with wax or shoe cream.
Here are our go-to tips to look after your suede shoes:
Use a brush
Remove stains asap
Use the crepe brush
Spray it
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1: Use a brush
We recommend to remove dust and dirt particles with a regular shoe brush with soft bristles after each wear. This only takes a few seconds but is a huuuge time saver in the long run. Why? Because it prevents dust from settling in the material.
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2: Remove stains ASAP
For coarser soiling, more elaborate cleaning is unavoidable. It is certainly best to remove the dirt as soon as possible. This is because the longer you leave it in, the harder it will be to remove the dirt.
Dry dirt residues can be removed easily with a suede eraser. Work with the eraser carefully, but still with little pressure, on the stain or dirty spot.
For harder stains, cleaning products such as Saphir’s Omni’ Nettoyant can help. Pour a bit of the cleaning luquid in a small jar and use the small brush that comes with the product. Take a bit of the liquid and start scrubbing with a bit of pressure. Always work in the natural direction of the nap and rinse the brush from time to time to dilute the liquid. Keep in mind to treat both shoes equally, otherwise the color of the suede may appear differently. When finished, let the shoes rest and dry over night with a pair of shoe trees inside.
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3: Use the crepe brush
Next step - we recommend using a crepe brush to restore the natural feeling and nap of the suede. Carefully work with it back and forth.
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4: Spray it
As a last step, treat the shoes with Saphir Renovateur Spray. It cleans, refreshes the color, nourishes and impregnates. Spray from a distance of 10-15 cm and then let it soak in for at least 10 minutes before use.
Some people are also working with home remedies such as baking soda for oil stains or white wine vinegar for more difficult stains. We’d say don’t-try-this-at-home since we have not tried it ourselves. But, we’re happy if you would like to share your go-to products or recommendations with us.🙂
Curious to know how you can bring life back to your suede shoes? Read our step-by-step guide How to Restore Suede Shoes
