For most of us suede shoes can be something we balk at, and mostly because we just aren’t sure how they’ll wear, or whether they will last as long as regular leather. Usually this doubt arises mainly from trepidation about how they’ll handle wet weather.
In actual fact one of the great things about suede is that it will get better with age. A well made pair of suedes should last a long time, and with a simple amount of care you’ll see that it isn’t as hard as you might think. Obviously using shoe trees after each wear and putting your shoes on in the morning with a shoehorn will help keep them in shape, but when it comes to cleaning it gets a little more tricky.
Our resident shoe guru Ben recommends a suede brush as an essential tool to have at home. This usually has coarse boar (not steel like old brushes) bristles one side for keeping the suede pile from lying flat and crepe or rubber bristles on the reverse for lifting away anything that’s sticky or set in.
This video from Leffot in NYC shows just how robust suede is. These guys are serious about shoes and stock some great brands.
