The evolution of sneakers has grown vastly since the late 1980s when Jordan entered the sports scene with his own shoe line. From the 1980s to the early 2000s, sneakers were highly sought after, leaving many collectors in long lines and even camping out for the latest releases. If you were anything like me, you've been in many of those lines. Fast forward to today, Jordan's aren't the only brand that has evolutionized their sneakers. Many designers have clinged to athletes, entertainers, and artists to build their own hype. Now we're seeing all types of styles of footwear that have taken a huge space in the market of hype streetstyle sneakers. The only thing that hadn't evolved until now, was shoe care. Since we've created our shoe cleaning solutions and tools, you'll want to think twice before throwing your kicks in the washing machine.

You've most likely seen those shoe cleaning companies that have a clear cleaning solution (or pink) and require you to squirt a couple squirts in water before engulfing your shoes with this ocean of cleaning solution. This one size fits all method may work on certain materials, but unfortunately not suede. 

Suede is a type of leather made from the underside of the animal skin, giving it a soft surface. Suede is softer, thinner, and not as strong as traditional leather. The nap of the fabric, which are the tiny raised hairs on the surface of suede, can become stiff if oversaturated. Suede requires a specific cleaning process or treatment to avoid tampering the authenticity of the material. 

So you've cleaned your kicks with those concentrated cleaners? Yep, we've been there. Most likely your suede shoes faded or experienced color loss. These companies are infamous for leading you to spray your shoes with mink oil after the color loss. Mink oil can enhance the color temporarily, but because these harsh chemicals have stripped hues from multiple layers, mink oil will only deepen the faded look. If you've watched YouTube videos after these suede shoe cleanings, a lot of people revert to dying color back into the shoe. If you're not one of those DIY people, this can become a huge problem for you. To be honest, even if you are a DIY person, shoe dying involves way more than picking a dye and painting the suede. It's still pretty risky, and leave you in a worse position than rocking faded kicks. So what to do next?

First, throw the concentrated cleaner out. If you're cleaning suede, this is a huge red flag. There's still a chance we can revive the color as long as the concentrated cleaner didn't impact the natural hue (if it isn't discolored). You're going to need the following supplies:

1. Just Suede Suede Shoe Cleaner
2. 4 Way Crepe Brush
3. Shoe Cleaning Brush (Hog Bristles)
4. Microfiber Towel
5. Mink Oil

Follow these steps below.

Avoid Concentrated Cleaners

These type of cleaners are one in the same. Same lady, different dress. The concept is all the same. Squirt squirt, dip and brush. The problem with these cleaners are the consistency of solution in every bowl of water and also the over saturation on suede materials. There is little to no room for precision cleaning, and the solution will likely fade the materials. 

Avoid Getting Suede Wet

Water can leave hard stains in your suede and alter the integrity of the materials. If you see a scuff or mark, use a dry suede cleaning method before adding any water to the materials. If it's raining, don't wear your suede kicks unless you have Just Suede. 

Avoid the Washing Machine

Water in general is not advised on suede. So placing your shoes, bags, coats and other suede items is a huge risk of damage. If you'd take your items to a dry cleaner, continue to practice safe shoe cleaning methods as an alternative to the washing machine. 

Routine Maintenance

Keeping your kicks fresh starts with the at home maintenance. Just like our cars, if we up keep them, they will last a lot of miles. Refresh your suede kicks with Just Suede often to keep them looking brand NU.

While there's more than one way to skin a cat, we strongly recommend that you understand what materials you're cleaning to help you practice proper sneaker care methods. Suede, nubuck and faux animal hides require similar treatments like our 3 Step Suede Cleaning Process. 

Learning the proper techniques will help your kicks stay fresh, and stay in the game longer. Tune into our YouTube Channel to learn professional shoe cleaning tips and methods. 

Cleaning suede used to be a challenge until Just Suede came into the market. Now all we need to know is if the sneaker is suede or the materials are super delicate. When in doubt, Just Suede it. Finally a suede shoe cleaner that's specific to the materials. 

Hot Tip For Black Suede Shoes:

Brush surface debris off with a shoe cleaning brush, and spray Just Suede to instantly revive the color for a quick on-the-go touch up cleaning.