Will the rain ruin my suede shoes?

Well, that depends on the suede…

 

Good quality suede is simply full grain leather turned over.  Instead of using the smooth side, the under side is exposed.  Full grain leather is strong, supple and long wearing due to its tensile strength.  It is also very easy to maintain.  Simply brush vigorously with a nylon (not metal!) bristle brush once they are dry.  That’s it for regular maintenance!  If you’ve got a stubborn stain, you can use a very fine grit (about 220) sandpaper to gently work the stain out.

 

Poor quality suede is created by splitting a piece of leather in half like two ply toilet paper.  This gives the manufacturer double the leather to work with for the same cost.  Unfortunately this makes for thin, weak leather that will lose its shape and be difficult to keep looking good for any length of time.  Not a wise investment.

 

If you’re looking for suede shoes, ask your retailer if split or full grain leather has been used.  If the retailer doesn’t know, you can bet the farm the leather is split.  Price is not always an indication of good or poor quality.  All the usual national brand names cut every corner possible, and certainly don’t use quality leather in their production of footwear.  So how do you know for sure what you’re buying is worth buying?  Get to know the feel of full grain leather/suede.  Actually feel it.  It’s obvious when you’ve got an example of both types of leather side by side.  Ask to see swatches of the raw leather used to make the shoes you’re looking at.  At Sheppard’s we always have a full set of swatches for the shoes we sell, making it easy for the customer to see what they are really buying.  Two examples of shoe factories that use only full grain leather are Crockett & Jones and The Alden Shoe Co.

 

A great pair of suede shoes is absolute luxury, and not to be missed.  Many people shy away from suede because they think it’s difficult to maintain.  Suede adds character to an otherwise boring suit, and brings refinement to a casual outfit.  It’s a wonderful way to add versatility to a wardrobe.  We have many customers who buy nothing but suede shoes!