How to Clean Suede Shoes: Step-by-Step for Real and Faux Suede

To clean suede shoes, let them dry completely, brush the nap in one direction with a soft suede brush, rub marks out with a suede eraser and treat stubborn stains with a cloth lightly dampened with white vinegar. Grease needs cornflour left overnight, and water marks disappear when you dampen the whole panel evenly and let it dry naturally. Finish with a protector spray so the next shower does less damage.

Suede looks delicate, but it forgives a lot if you treat it the right way. The routine below works for real suede and for most faux suede, and it takes about ten minutes for a pair of loafers or slip-ons.

How to clean suede shoes: what you need

You do not need a special kit. Most of these things are already at home:

• A suede brush with soft bristles on one side and rubber or brass on the other.
• A suede eraser or a clean pencil eraser for light marks.
• White vinegar or rubbing alcohol for set-in stains.
• Cornflour or talc for oil and grease.
• A clean microfibre cloth, kitchen paper and shoe trees or rolled newspaper.
• A protector spray made for suede and nubuck.

Step-by-step: the everyday clean

1. Let the pair dry. Never brush wet suede: you will press dirt deeper. Stuff the shoes with paper and leave them at room temperature, away from radiators.
2. Brush off loose dirt. Use short strokes in one direction. This lifts dust and stands the fibres up again.
3. Lift scuffs with the eraser. Rub gently, as if erasing pencil, then brush away the crumbs.
4. Restore the nap. Brush back and forth over flattened areas. For heavily worn spots, hold the shoe over a kettle's steam for a few seconds, keeping it moving, then brush again.
5. Clean the soles and edges. A damp cloth works on rubber soles; keep water away from the upper.

How to remove water stains from suede

Rain spots look worse than they are. The ring appears because one area dried faster than the rest, so the cure is to make the whole panel dry evenly.

1. Dampen a clean cloth or soft brush with plain water.
2. Lightly moisten the entire panel, from seam to seam, not just the mark.
3. Blot off excess with kitchen paper, insert shoe trees and let it dry naturally overnight.
4. Brush the nap once dry.

Salt lines from winter pavements respond to a solution of one part white vinegar to two parts water, dabbed on and blotted off, followed by the same slow drying.

Oil, grease and food marks

Act quickly. Blot, do not rub. Sprinkle cornflour or talc over the stain, press it in lightly and leave it for at least six hours, ideally overnight. The powder draws the oil out of the fibres. Brush it away and repeat if a shadow remains. For an old grease stain, a drop of washing-up liquid on a damp toothbrush, worked in small circles and rinsed with a barely damp cloth, is the last resort.

Real suede vs faux suede: what changes

Many smart casual pairs, such as the men's loafers and moccasins in our edit, come in both versions, so check the care label before you start.

How to protect suede shoes after cleaning

Protection is what keeps the next clean short. Spray a suede protector from about 20 cm in a ventilated room, two light coats rather than one heavy one, and let it dry for 24 hours before wearing. Repeat every few weeks in wet months. Store the pair with shoe trees, out of direct sunlight, in a breathable bag rather than plastic. Rotating two pairs, for example a brown driving loafer and black slip on shoes, gives each pair a day to dry out completely.

Mistakes that ruin suede

• Drying on a radiator or with a hairdryer: the leather goes hard and cracks.
• Scrubbing a fresh wet stain: it spreads and sets.
• Using household sprays or bleach: they strip the dye.
• Brushing in circles on delicate suede: the surface goes patchy.

For other leather-look and brown pairs, our guide to men's brown shoes shows which styles are suede and which are smooth, and the full men's shoes range lists the material on every product page. If you also wear knitwear with your loafers, read how to remove pilling from clothes next.

Our advice from Maria and Denis: give suede a two-minute brush once a week in autumn and winter. It saves an hour of rescue work in February.