Hi there, lovelies! From skirts to jackets, suede seems to be everywhere these days! Along with faux leather, it is the go-to, on-trend material to incorporate into your daily wardrobe. I recently realized that the number of suede shoes in my shoe collection is giving leather a run for its money. It’s important to take care of these special materials to ensure that they last in your wardrobe.

Now, I realize that, more often than not, we don’t take that into consideration when we buy these items. We just see something we like, save up for it and buy it! So, I thought I could offer a little bit of assistance because I, at one point, looked at some of those shoes within my wardrobe that I spent a long time saving for and was like ‘omg, I would be so upset if these got ruined due to weather I wasn’t expecting’, or something along those lines. Shoes are meant to be worn so, of course, they won’t last forever. However, when you spend your hard earned dollars on them, you do hope they will last for quite a few years. Today, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned about how to take care of suede shoes.

If you’re a shoe gal, then you’ll love this post HERE where I showcase five new pairs of shoes I recently bought!

How to Take Care of Your Suede Shoes

Protect your suede shoes with suede protectant spray

Before you wear your shoes, spray them with a suede protectant spray. First you need to use a suede brush on your shoes before spraying. This raises the suede up on your shoes, so you can spray every fiber of the suede. You want to use short, deliberate strokes to brush your shoes with a suede brush, preferably the rubber side for this part of the process.

Then, spray with the protectant spray. You should hold the bottle about 8 to 10 inches away from the shoe. Finally, brush your shoes again with the suede brush. I recommend doing this outside, as the spray is a little pungent, on a day without any chance of rain. Once you have completed the spray, leave them outside to dry. I’d say give them about three hours, then you are good to go!

I personally recommend this suede cleaning kit. There are a couple of suede protectors that I recommend and they are linked below:

Use a suede eraser for most stains

You can find a suede eraser HERE. I have heard that you can use a clean, damp kitchen sponge and use it as an alternative to a suede eraser, however, I have never attempted it myself. It may sound counterintuitive being that water can stain suede but I’ve read that it works. Just a tip in case you are looking for all options or are in a time crunch and unable to wait for a suede eraser to be ordered and delivered to you!

How to Clean Mud Off Your Suede Shoes

First, you want to let them dry for a full 24 hours before attempting to clean them. Then, use a suede brush – or even a new nylon-bristled toothbrush – to brush away the dried mud. You’ll then want to use the suede eraser around the edges of the stain to lessen their appearance. To finish, use a velvet lint brush to wipe away what the eraser pulls up from the suede. You should see the original texture of your shoes once you have completed these steps. To finish, spray your suede protecting spray over the shoes to prepare them for their next use.

What to Do If Your Shoes Get Wet

If your shoes get wet, they should be fine in most cases. This is especially true if you they have been sprayed with a suede protector prior to wear. However, if they do happen to get water stained, you can spray a little bit of the suede protector on it. Then brush it with your suede brush, and it can help get those stains out.

For more severe water stains, especially those involving salt from snow, you can mix 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water, apply it to just the small areas of the stain. Then brush the stain out with a clean nylon-bristled brush, like a new toothbrush, or your suede brush. From there, don’t forget to spray your suede protecting spray over the shoes to prepare them for their next use.

Restoring an Older Pair of Suede Shoes

If you want to restore an old pair of suede shoes that you want to wear again, then you can easily do that with boiling water. First, boil a pot of water. Then, hold your shoes over the pot to steam for a few minutes. This helps to restore the material to its original surface texture.

Avoid Wearing Them in the Snow

I know it’s not always possible to not wear suede shoes when it snows. Many parts of the world have consistent snow throughout the winter. However, if you can avoid wearing them when there’s lot of precipitation that will be better in the long run for your suede shoes. As you know, snow is oftentimes dirty, slushy and salty that could pose a threat to the integrity of your beloved suede beauties.

What to Do with Oil and Grease Stains

If you get oil or grease on your suede shoes, you may be out of luck. However, I would attempt to clean them in the ways I have described above. If that doesn’t work, I would call your local cobbler and see if they have any magic up their sleeve to help you.

How to Keep Their Shape

To keep the shape of your suede shoes, stuff them when storing them to maintain their original shape when you’re not wearing them. It’s also good to give your suede shoes 24 hours rest before wearing them again.

I hope these tips were helpful! At the end of the day, your shoes shouldn’t be punished for the material they’re made out of so definitely wear them! Suede isn’t as delicate as people think it is. It’s pretty simple to take care of once you know how to take care of them. If you do all of these things, they will wear well over time and likely look better than when you first purchased them!

As you can tell from all the photos, I love a good pair of suede shoes. From pumps to boots, suede is a beautiful texture to incorporate into your wardrobe. I’m rounding up some of my favorite pairs of suede shoes below!

Let me know if you have any tips I missed to keep your suede shoes clean!

Thanks for stopping by today, ladies! Have a wonderful day! xo.