How to clean and care for shoes made from nubuck at home?

Although they add style to any outfit, nubuck shoes need special maintenance to keep their distinctive texture and look. Since nubuck is made from the outer layer of the hide rather than the inner layer like regular leather, it has a softer, more velvety finish but is also more prone to stains and dirt.

Nubuck shoes can be difficult to clean and maintain at home, but with the right supplies and methods, you can keep them looking brand new. This tutorial will take you through all the necessary steps to keep your nubuck shoes clean and in excellent condition for many years to come.

Step Instructions
1 Brush off dirt using a soft brush
2 Apply a nubuck cleaner with a sponge
3 Wipe with a damp cloth, avoiding soaking
4 Let the shoes air dry away from heat
5 Use a nubuck protector spray for finishing

Knowing how to properly take care of nubuck shoes at home makes the process easy and efficient. Your nubuck shoes will last longer if you take care of them with regular maintenance, appropriate conditioning, and gentle cleaning methods.

What is nubuck?

A very short pile of a uniform structure covers the soft "velvet" leather known as nubuck. Several steps of unique processing are applied to the raw materials in order to produce leather of this caliber. Generally, they grind with fine abrasive materials and use a tanning process with mineral salts. When comparing suede and nubuck, the latter has a surface covered in a longer, more irregular pile.

Production and types of material

Nubuck comes in two primary varieties: natural and artificial. The first is made from calves’ skins; the leather fabric is better and more delicate the younger the animal. The skin is chrome-tanned to make it supple and elastic. The canvas then receives its final appearance after being painted and sanded. Nubuck-oil is a natural material that is made from oiled leather that has been specially impregnated with fat. Its products are water-repellent and have a shiny appearance.

Artificial nubuck is based on a polymer material that is multilayered. The fibers that are sprayed at the end of the process determine the final canvas’s appearance in terms of length and diameter. Customers find synthetic material to be quite appealing because it is less expensive than natural materials. Not only is faux fabric used to make shoes, but it’s also used to make bags and clothing.

Pros and cons

Special dressing leather is a popular material. Nubuck is superior to other forms of leather in numerous ways.

  • Elasticity. It is comfortable to walk in shoes with an upper made of fleecy material – it quickly takes the shape of the foot.
  • Aesthetics. Products made of "mohair" leather look incredibly stylish. This material is pleasant to the touch, it gives clothes, shoes presentable appearance.
  • Air exchange. Fabric with pile allows air to pass through better than other types of leather, so in sneakers made of this material, feet sweat less.

There are drawbacks to this gorgeous and fashionable material as well. Among them are:

  • Hygroscopicity. You can get your feet wet in such shoes if you wear them in rainy weather. This statement is true for natural material. Artificial nubuck is less susceptible to moisture, has water-repellent properties. The same can be said about oiled nubuck.
  • Pile material quickly loses its appearance – shiny areas, bald spots appear on shoes and clothes, products made of it easily get dirty. This disadvantage can be compensated for by proper care of the product and careful use.

Rules for caring for nubuck shoes

After being purchased, nubuck shoes should be ready for use right away to maximize their wear resistance. Furthermore, fleecy leather shoes occasionally require special products to be applied to them. There are established techniques for maintaining both natural and synthetic footwear, as well as techniques for quickly reviving footwear that has been harmed by inclement weather.

Necessary care products

Nubuck shoes require specific products and tools for maintenance. Buying it is worthwhile:

  • A brush with metal or brass teeth. A similar tool allows you to remove dirt stains, remove debris from the surface, and treat shiny areas. Sometimes such brushes are equipped with polypropylene bristles. It’s great if the device combines several types of bristles and also has a narrow row of teeth along the edges to clean seams.
  • A brush with rubber teeth – as a rule, they are tubes or wavy protrusions.

  • Eraser. To care for shoes made of fleecy leather, use an eraser made of rubber and foam rubber. Usually the device is double-sided – it has a smooth and rough side. Eliminates dirt streaks, salt marks and even minor scratches.
  • Shampoo. To wash sneakers, use cream shampoo for suede, velor and nubuck. This product will help remove dirt and salt traces. Apply it using a sponge, which is included in the kit, then treat the shoes with a brush. A separate type of shampoo – cleaning foam.

  • Impregnation. A special composition of the product protects shoes from getting wet, helps to increase the service life of boots, and is used to restore color. The impregnation is released in aerosol cans, it is applied quite simply – with a sprayer. During the treatment of the products, an unpleasant odor appears, so it is important to first remove the laces, remove clothing from the affected area. If the product gets on your trousers, you will have to wash them in the washing machine to get rid of the smell.

What to do with a new couple?

See also: Cleaning supplies and techniques for removing dirt from white leather goods at home

It is advisable to treat a new pair of sandals or shoes with impregnation after purchase to increase their wear resistance and prevent common issues like getting wet, stains, and salt marks. Apply the spray to the top of the shoes from a distance of 20 to 25 cm to achieve this. The process should then be repeated twice more, a half-hour apart. Every villus as well as the leather’s base will be impregnated with a thin layer of water-repellent material. It is preferable to use processed shoes a few hours rather than right away.

Everyday procedures

In order to avoid the dirt drying on the shoes, experts advise cleaning them in the evening. The following activities are included in daily home care:

  1. Cleaning from adhering dirt, dust. To do this, use a dry shoe brush.
  2. Elimination of scratches with the help of an eraser, processing the cooked areas with a brush with metal bristles.
  3. Cleaning seams.
  4. After that, the shoes should be dried and apply to a clean dry surface for nubuk and suede – it will help to remove stains and restore the appearance of the pair, give it water -repellent properties.

Shampooing them is not advised; a shoe pair will suffice once or twice a month, or more frequently if there are severe impurities. Additionally, impregnation should only be used two to three times per week (more frequently in the winter).

Nuances of cleaning light-colored shoes

Light-colored shoes need to be handled carefully. Important note: aerosols and shampoos should be labeled with the information that they are safe to use on white, beige, or yellow leather and do not contain dyes. If such shoes have dyes in them, impregnation should not be applied. Furthermore, it is not a good idea to clean white boots with a sponge and detergent because the leather may get stains and streaks from the water.

Using cleaning foam is a great way to revitalize and thoroughly clean slightly soiled white, beige, or red shoes. These products are available as aerosols that are sprayed on. All of the dirt in the pile will be collected by the foam, which needs to be removed with a sponge and the product dried. While a little moisture after treatment can slightly darken the surface, such a product won’t wet the steam. The nubuck will lighten again in one to two hours.

Caring for oiled nubuck

Although greased nubuck resists wear, a pair made of this material still needs to be maintained. Shoe wax or greasy cream should be applied to the items’ surface after they have been cleaned of dust and debris. Applying it requires using your fingers while covering them with a napkin. By doing this, the wax will become softer and more evenly distributed across the surface.

In order to improve the absorption of the cream, you must next brush the leather using a brass bristle brush. Furthermore, the brush will straighten the intertwined villi, resulting in a spotless appearance in the affected areas.

How to remove stains of grease, dirt, paint and salt stains?

Grease and dust can be removed from suede and nubuck shoes using conventional techniques. For shining areas on black shoes, fine salt works great; for light-colored shoes, talc or starch work well. The surface needs to be covered with the bulk material and then brush-cleaned.

Shoe steaming can be used to remove oily stains. Our grandmothers came up with this quick method to clean up the fleecy leather. It is important to keep in mind that hot steam can harm the pair if it gets on the areas where the parts are glued together. It is important to ensure that the steam does not enter the joints between the upper and sole.

Paint smears are more challenging to get off nubuck shoes. In this instance, cleaning with a solvent or a brush with metal bristles is preferable. It is crucial to realize that the latter option carries the risk of areas of the surface becoming unpainted. It is recommended to use shampoo or cleansing foam to get rid of salt stains. Compared to this, other approaches are ineffective.

What to do if scratches appear on the surface or it is shiny?

An eraser is a quick fix for small damage (scratches or cracks). When used properly, this universal product won’t damage the shoes. Treating only the damaged areas and erasing stains while going against the pile’s direction is recommended. The eraser should be free of any old paint residue as this could damage the light nubuck.

Nubuck shoe care doesn’t have to be difficult at home. They can have their rich appearance and soft texture maintained for a very long time with the correct tools and techniques.

Your nubuck shoes will last longer if you take care of them and clean them on a regular basis. Recall to regularly brush them to get rid of dirt, and refrain from using harsh chemicals that might damage the material.

You can wear your nubuck shoes year after year if you take these easy precautions to keep them in excellent condition.

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Anastasia Belova

I have been working in the textile industry for over 12 years. My main hobby is studying the properties of fabrics and their impact on our everyday life. I love to talk about new products and share practical tips on caring for different materials. My collection contains hundreds of fabric samples from all over the world, and I am ready to share my findings with you!

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Tkani-Furnitura.com
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