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Suede is incredibly delicate and so easily marked, but when you’re wearing suede shoes the whole issue is magnified. If you’ve owned a pair then you know how quickly the surface will scuff and mark if you even scrape it against your chair.
Caring for suede is about prevention and proactive treatment. Fortunately, it’s not difficult at all and just takes a bit of preparation to reduce the impact of any future damage.
Seal the Suede
The biggest impacts on suede shoes are rain, snow and salt. It’s important to prevent any issues by sealing the surface of the suede as soon as you buy them. You can buy suede protective sprays from almost any shoe shop and if you can’t, take a look at drugstores or Amazon to find an alternative. You should re-spray your shoes every three-months to maintain an effective seal.
Rub it back to life
If your shoes are looking flat, the texture is getting rough or there is a tiny blemish then you should try rubbing the surface with a specialist suede brush. This can often help to soften the texture of the leather, otherwise, use an eraser (yes.. like the ones from school) to literally rub the blemish out.
Avoid water
Even with a protective seal on you’ll want to avoid water as much as possible. Don’t jump in any puddles and certainly avoid trying to wash your shoes with water. This will only make the leather tougher and ruin the texture of the suede.
Treat liquid spills with talcum powder
Talcum powder was designed to absorb liquids and that’s why it works so perfectly for when you get liquid on your suede. Firstly, pat the area with some paper towel to absorb the excess liquid and then apply a thick layer of talcum powder to the areas that are damp. Let it sit overnight and then brush the powder off with a suede brush.
Treat dried stains with an eraser and white vinegar
Dried stains are different to a wet spill, stains like dirt or salt need to be treated firstly with an eraser to see if you can simply rub it out. If not, you need to take some white vinegar and blot the stain with a clean towel and a small amount of white vinegar. Repeat until the stain has disappeared and then leave them to dry overnight.
Get them professionally cleaned
This is a last resort for most normal problems, however, at the end of winter when you decide to stop wearing your winter suede and put it in the closet you should get it professionally cleaned. This will prevent any remaining salt or water on the surface from ruining the texture whilst the shoes are in storage.