Why Are Black Suede Shoes Still So Underrated?

I have always loved black suede. It is easily one of my favorite materials for shoes, yet somehow it remains one of the least appreciated colors when it comes to suede. That has always puzzled me.

People have no hesitation buying black calf shoes. In fact, for many men, black is still the default color when buying a dress shoe. Yet when you take the exact same color and put it into suede, people suddenly become hesitant. Why? That’s the question!

I originally wrote this article back in 2018, and while black suede is certainly easier to find today than it was then, I still feel that it remains massively underrated.

The Positives

One of the things I like most about black suede is the depth of the color. Good black suede has a richness to it that black calf often does not. There is no shine, of course, but the texture gives it something else entirely. It is soft, deep, and incredibly elegant.

And despite the common idea that suede is inherently casual, I have never really agreed with that when it comes to black suede.

A black suede Oxford, for example, can still look incredibly smart underneath a suit. No, I would not necessarily choose it for the most formal occasion, where a beautifully polished black calf Oxford would still be the more traditional option. But for everyday business wear, dinners, events, or simply dressing well, I see absolutely no reason why black suede cannot work.

If anything, I think black suede occupies a very interesting middle ground. It has the elegance of black, but without the severity that black calf can sometimes have. That is probably why I find it so easy to wear and often gravitate to it more than I should.

Black suede works with almost every trouser color you can think of. Grey, navy, beige, cream, denim, olive — it is incredibly difficult to make it look wrong. I am not someone who wears a tremendous amount of black calf outside of more formal situations, but black suede is something I could wear constantly.

Another positive is that suede is often easier to maintain than people think. It does not require polishing in the same way calfskin does, and a quick brush will often do most of the work.

People tend to treat suede as though it is incredibly fragile, but a good pair of suede shoes can actually take quite a lot of wear when properly cared for.

The Negatives

The biggest downside with black suede is that the color can fade.

That is simply the reality of it. Like any suede, black can lose some of its depth over time, particularly with a lot of sunlight, dust, and general wear. But I do not see that as a major reason to avoid it. More a reason to have multiple pairs and rotate them! 😉

A proper suede brush and black suede renovator can restore a surprising amount of color and keep the shoes looking rich. You simply need to stay on top of them a little more than you might with a lighter suede.

The other negative is really not about the material itself, but about perception.

Many people still see suede as casual by default. They think of brown suede loafers, desert boots, or casual chukkas and assume black suede belongs in the same category.

I think that is where black suede gets misunderstood.

The Middle Ground

The funny thing is that black suede solves a problem that many people do not realize they have. Some men find black calf too formal, but brown suede too casual. Black suede sits directly between the two.

It gives you the versatility of a dark shoe while still having texture, softness, and character. That is why I think it works so well across so many different styles — loafers, Oxfords, Chelsea boots, derbies, and more casual shoes alike.

So, Where Are They?

Things have changed somewhat since I first wrote this article. It is now almost 2027 and black suede is thankfully not as rare.

More brands are offering black suede today than they were eight years ago, and I certainly see more people wearing it. But compared with brown, snuff, tobacco, or navy suede, black still feels like the forgotten option.

Which I continue to find strange, because I would argue that it is probably one of the easiest colors of suede to actually wear.

If you have never owned a pair, I would seriously consider giving black suede a chance.

And if you are wondering how to style it, I have written a separate article specifically on How to Wear Black Suede, where I go into that side of things in much more detail.

Black suede has always been underrated. Maybe people are finally starting to catch on.

—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob

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