Suede Leather: A Durable, Easy To Wear, Stylish Leather
You Should Wear Suede Shoes!
There is this common misconception that Suede Leather is hard to maintain, is less durable than smooth calf and stains easily or that it performs very bad in rainy conditions.
But did you know that with proper care and high quality leather suede can actually be easier to maintain and more durable than calfskin?
The key here is of course the type of suede and its quality, which varies wildly and gets a bad reputation by low quality brands.
Good suede in fact takes water very well and with some brushing and suede shampoo will continue looking as good as new.
Let's take a quick look on what makes Suede Leather great for your next shoes.
1. Stylish, Elegant & Contemporary
A nice pair of Suede Shoes or Boots is simply elegant and stylish.
As a more casual leather than smooth calf, it thrives in 2024 where casual is becoming the new norm.
It also shows that as a man you care about your image, you are confident and you put some effort into your outfits.
2. Easy To Maintain & Clean
Good quality suede is easy to maintain.
All you need is a suede brush and suede shampoo for deeper cleaning.
You could also keep a Suede Protector which you spray 1-2 times per year as extra protection.
There are two main types of Suede Leather, Full-Grain Suede and Split-Suede.
Both are quite similar in appearance but do have a few differences in properties.
Full Grain Suede costs more but it takes water very well but even good Split-Suede will fare well.
As long as you buy from a reputable brand, they will use good quality suede and you should not worry.
At The Noble Shoe, we use only the best suede leathers in the world for Carlos Santos, Crockett & Jones, Enzo Bonafe and Paolo Scafora.
3. It Works With All Types Of Shoes
Most (if not all) types of shoes, sneakers and boots will look good in suede leather.
In fact, a tasteful combination of calf and suede can create wonderful bi-color or bi-material combinations of shoes.
Suede sneakers in particular are just fantastic during multiple seasons and a change from the usual white or black.
Boots are excellent during autumn or spring and just make a difference. My personal favorites are Chukka Boots, Chelsea Boots and Jumper Boots.
There's a good reason one of the Best Sellers at The Noble Shoe is the Carlos Santos Dark Brown Suede Chukka Boots.
4. Shoes For All Seasons
If you feel confident (and you should) wearing your shoes in winter, then suede shoes can be worn year long.
Sneakers and loafers during spring and summer, suede oxfords or boots during autumn and winter.
Conclusions
We established that suede leather is durable, does well with water, easy to wear all-year-long and is very easy to maintain.
When building your minimalist wardrobe, I would argue that in your first 5 pairs of core shoes you should definitely add a suede shoe.
Luckily, the selection at The Noble Shoe is quite large and bottomless in terms of Made to Order.
Of course, there are many other reputable, good brands out there as well, just make sure to read reviews, do your due diligence and make sure that's the ideal shop for you.