This article on leather cleaning tips explains how to properly care for your shoes with relatively little effort required on your part. Boat shoes as well as furniture and leather jackets and other leather products often comes with nubuck or suede leather, with which at least some effort is required in order to retain the soft quality and shine of the soft leather.
General everyday care only takes a moment of your time, and with our leather cleaning tips your shoes will last longer and maintain a high level of comfort. New shoes are especially vulnerable to dirt and stains, and if not properly taken care of the leather will inevitably fade and lose some of its qualities over time. These leather cleaning tips helps your shoes keep their shine.
Basic daily leather care can be something as little as applying a few strokes with a brush, depending on skin type, followed by wiping off your shoes with a damp cloth. Read on to learn more.
Leather cleaning tips for nubuck boat shoes
Despite some similarities, nubuck and suede are noticeably different types of leather with different, unique qualities. Both are sanded for that desirable soft, velvet-like feeling, but whereas the nubuck is sanded on the external surface, the outer skin if you will, suede leather is treated using a similar technique but on the inner layer of the skin. Having the much tougher, outer skin layer exposed to the sanding process, nubuck responds better to the treatment, but also reveals imperfections in the skin easier, and it is often going through processes to hide it, such as clear or color dying.
With its velvet-like soft nap surface, nubuck leather is as susceptible to stains as suede leather and is more susceptible to scratches. On top of this, nubuck cost significantly more than suede, but is on the other hand more durable and has a longer life span compared to the more affordable suede leather. Nubuck leather is considered ideal for use on furniture and in other areas where daily use will otherwise cause the skin to lose its elasticity and shine over time.
If you wonder how to deal with nubuck skin, this also part of our leather cleaning tips guide: Nubuck lacks a built-in protection against staining and scratches, nor is it water repellent. Therefore, in order to retain the nubuck skin’s native qualities and prepare it for an active life style, some regular care is required, otherwise it will lose its qualities and comfort over time. As already mentioned in our leather cleaning tips guide, nubuck is just as susceptible to scratches and stains as the less costly suede leather, thus some thorough pre-treatment and follow-up protection will make it last longer.
Leather cleaning tips for nubuck boat shoes:
- Use a Suede Bar/ Block to remove dirt, such as the Woodlore 3″ Suede Bar & 3″ Brush
- Test on a small area first, then waterproof with Nikwax Footwear Care Kit for Nubuck and Suede or equivalent
- Keep away from direct heat and let it dry for at least an hour
- Before completely dry, use a soft brush to pull up the nap
- Damp the suede bar and use it to wipe off any marks
- Use cotton clothes to soak up liquid spills, before using cleaner
- The longer a stain stays, the more difficultly it comes off
- If the Suede Bar, a soft or even brass brush doesn’t help, consider vinegar; apply a small amount on a damp, soft cloth and gently rub the stain.
Leather cleaning tips for suede boat shoes
Suede leather shoes require the same care as nubuck shoes, with the same pre-treatment before taking it outside; place it away from a direct heat source when drying, and use a soft brush to bring the nap back up again. A clean tooth brush will do just fine for this purpose. Use the aforementioned damp suede bare to remove scratches and/or marks on your suede shoes.
With proper care nubuck and suede leather shoes last several years with an active outdoors life style. Nubuck requires more regular care and maintenance than suede, which is more affordable but also less durable. On the other hand, you really can’t go wrong with either, as long as you apply the proper care and follow advice on leather cleaning tips offered here.
For more leather cleaning tips for nubuck and suede shoes:
- Shoe Care – How to clean suede shoes (YouTube – also, try typing in “leather cleaning tips” in the search)
- How to clean suede shoes (Howtocleanthings.com)
- How to clean suede shoes (WikiHow)
- 22 tips to keep your shoes shiny and comfortable (TipKing)
Using our leather cleaning tips
Our leather cleaning tips should help preserving the high quality and comfort of your nubuck/suede leather shoes. With little effort, your favorite shoes will be as good as new, and hopefully our leather cleaning tips will play a role in that.