Rainy Day? Wear Suede

There is a reason why you should wear good suede. And that reason is that it handles rain better anything else. Now when I say this, I am talking about suedes darker than Snuff suede because any sand-like color suede, or lighter, cannot withstand the rain mainly for the dirt that comes along with those wet days. And that simple fact about light suede is what has most likely given suede a bad rep. But that is just a myth.

Time and time again I have mentioned the fact that suede is better than leather when it comes to taking a beating in this adverse weather but time and time again people stand bewildered when they hear this. As if suede is as delicate as Silk. But it’s not. It’s strong and the material of choice for taking those days of downpour.

So let’s break it down. The suede used in this post is by Charles F. Stead, a very famous tannery in England, that makes some of the best and more durable suede known to man. It’s a bit thicker than your average European made suede which is what I like about it. That thickness gives that little bit more durability factor to it. And you can see that here.

Yesterday, in NYC, it was scheduled to be pouring all day long, so I knew that this would be the perfect day to show what suede can do when the weather gets tough. So you can see the 1st 5 mins of taking rain, the next 5 mins (featured atop) and this morning’s results after air-drying all night long and a simple brush down (no steam).

While not claiming to be a leather expert per se, I do believe that the nap of the hairs allows for it to not only absorb the rain better but also dry more evenly at the same time. This is what I have come to notice from all of my years of using suede in the rain. And truth be told, I have never once sprayed my shoes with any kind of “rain protectant” which I find to be nothing more than a gimmick type product. Good suede doesn’t need it and I don’t like to put things I know are made more of chemicals than of anything semi-natural, onto my high-quality shoes.

And as you can see from the pictures, the dark brown suede boots took this horrific treatment just fine. And hand over heart, I did nothing else than take off my boots, put the shoe trees in and allow to air dry overnight, on their sides. And then a quick bristle brush in the morning.

So next time it’s scheduled to rain, break out those brown suedes shoes/boots as those are what are going to serve you best!