SUEDE RESTORATION • (((Sanding Suede)))

[Lane Weaver]

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I know these are more streetwear style shoes, being Y-3's, but the process can be applied to any type of light colored suede.


Back Story:
very comfortable and light weight, these shoes are a fun take on a classic basketball shoe. an interesting detail is that the outsole is trimmed with white leather. with a cream and black striped canvas, cream suede, and white leather accents, the materials and colors used in this shoe present their own joys and... challenges. namely keeping them clean.

I've had these shoes for 2 and a half years. since purchasing these shoes I've learned a few things. like what a terrible combination new raw denim and light colored suede is, and how important applying suede protector probably is (I wouldn't know because I never applied any). I've worn them quite extensively. they were one of my first high end purchases. I once rapped for 10 and a half hours straight, breaking a world record, while wearing these. they've been through a lot and they have a dear place in my heart, so I figured it was time to try to clean them up and get them to a wearable state again.

at this point in time they were looking pretty beat up:

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Cleaning Them:
after doing some research I decided to do some field tests

I had previously tried brushing with a stiff nylon suede brush. not stiff enough I guess :/

I tested scrubbing with a toothbrush and dry baking soda. no good.

toothbrush and slightly wet baking soda. oh the futility.

tried using a liquid stain remover - probably a bad idea, and I think stained the spot where I tested it. it works great on my white shirts though!

from what I've read and my own personal experience it seems like cleaning suede mostly consists of dry scrubbing dirt or stains off of it. basically abrading the surface until you reveal the clean layers underneath. I saw some stuff about special 'suede stones', which seem to basically be pumice stones used to scrub suede clean. sounds great, but I'm impatient so I turned to sandpaper.

I know this could damage the shoe but like my mom has said before, YOLO.

I went in the garage, found some sandpaper and started sanding.

it looked pretty good so I finished sanding the first shoe:

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on the second shoe I did half of it first to show the contrast:



after several hours of sanding, first with a coarse grit and then a fine grit to make it even and remove the scratches, they look pretty darn good and I'm happy with them

the sanding process did destroy some of the stitches but so far they haven't started falling apart.

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[Upward]

I have suede shoes that were stained with salt and snow.

I tried buying the eraser they sell at Nordstrom for cleaning suede. It is a big block that rubs off on the shoe. It did nothing good. It only spread the salt stain more.

My suede shoes are black. I would love to take out the salt stain but don't want to damage the shoe.

 

[Lane Weaver]

my girlfriend just informed me she had a pair of black suede boots that got salt and water stains from being worn around in the winter. she learned a trick from her mom that got the stains right out.

mix 1 part water, 1 part white vinegar and saturate a towel or washcloth (a darker color is preferable, you want one that has never been bleached or come into contact with bleach). use the washcloth to rub the stains off of the shoes, the shoes will get fairly wet, which is fine. let them dry fully and repeat if there is still any salt residue. once they have dried out fully they shouldn't smell of vinegar at all.

 

[Upward]

my girlfriend just informed me she had a pair of black suede boots that got salt and water stains from being worn around in the winter. she learned a trick from her mom that got the stains right out.

mix 1 part water, 1 part white vinegar and saturate a towel or washcloth (a darker color is preferable, you want one that has never been bleached or come into contact with bleach). use the washcloth to rub the stains off of the shoes, the shoes will get fairly wet, which is fine. let them dry fully and repeat if there is still any salt residue. once they have dried out fully they shouldn't smell of vinegar at all.

Thanks! I'll give it a try. The salt and snow stain is very small.

 

[MyOtherLife]

I would have dunked them into a tub of water and a tablespoon of detergent, let soak, work out the salt with toothbrush, drain, refill tub w/ clean water, work shoes with hands, drain, let dry in sun for 3 days, then brush the suede. Takes longer though but much more thorough.
A great first post though Lane Weaver. Welcome to Styleforum and thank you for the many photos.

 

[Claghorn]

Excellent first post.

 

[chogall]

What's the grit # for the sandpaper you used? 60? 80? 240? 600? Or as fine as diamond powdered on leather strope lol