What is the difference between suede and nubuck

Not all suede is super sensitive, though. Waxed suede takes all the best parts of the material — the texture and flexibility — and ups the durability factor with a waterproof coating of wax. I particularly like the Taft Dragon Boot , a rustic-looking, waxed-suede, waterproof boot which hardly picked up any scratches after weeks of wear. The softness is also because it gets sanded or buffed on the grain side the outside of the leather to give it a slight nap of protein fibers.

One the other hand, plenty of manufacturers offer smooth, clean products by dyeing or staining the material to remove any visible imperfections so your boots look flawless out of the box.

Timberland, for example, make their classic boot with nubuck and are relatively cheap, given their quality. To start: get a brush. A simple brush is your best friend when it comes to keeping your shoes looking sharp: it gets under the nap of the material, brushing the dirt out and restoring the texture of your boots.

A brass wire brush can be better for suede with shorter fibers. Got stubborn stains that are resisting your brush?

Water is not your friend, here. Speaking of water, a high-quality waterproof spray, like this one from Kiwi is a game-changer when it comes to making your suede and nubuck shoes last. Many believe that suede shoes are harder to maintain and more precious than their shiny leather counterparts. This could not be further from the truth. Suede and nubuck actually require less maintenance. These shoes do not need to be shined and should never be shined, so say goodbye to the weekly shinning chore.

I hope that this post will help you in your research of the perfect leather shoe. Your email address will not be published. The Full Grain Leather Full grain leather refers to the type of leather that has not been sanded during the tanning process. The Suede In Contrary to the nubuck, the inner layer of the calfskin or other animal skins are used to make the Suede. Previous Reading. Next Reading. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Nubuck is crafted from the sanded outside layer of the leather hide. The outside layer of the leather hide tends to be much thicker, sturdier, and durable. This means that nubucks tends to be slightly less soft to the touch but much more durable. The added durability and toughness makes nubuck perfect for footwear applications. The inside layer of hide that is used to make suede leathers tends to be supple soft and thin.

Suede is therefore considered to be a very luxurious product that is great for next-to-skin applications such as gloves and higher end footwear. Despite their differences, suede and nubuck can be cared for with very similar methods. Suede tends to have longer nap fuzziness and is a bit softer which does mean that it is a more delicate material and should be cared for accordingly.

Both materials can stain easier than smooth leathers.