A Little Shoe Education

I was with a client talking about the kind of material to use for her shoes and I was mentioning
different types/names of materials and she had this blank look on her face, like ‘what are you talking about?’, I just had to laugh; we both had a good laugh though. And she is not the only one. Since I started making shoes and bags, I noticed that most people do not have an idea of what material the shoe they wear or bag they carry is made from; the general name for everything is leather.

So I have decided to do a little education on names of materials and fabrics shoes are made from. Also note that, knowing this would also make you know how to take care of your shoes and bags.

LEATHER: Made of animal skin with smooth finishing. This material is known to everyone.Care of leather: Polish shoe regularly to preserve moisture and maintain shine.
        
SUEDE: Made from the underside of the skin, primarily lamb, although goat, calf and deer are commonly used. That is why most designers describe products made from them calf skin or goat skin. So it should be noted that they all suede.

Here, there is also Nubuck. Nubuck is a brushed grain-suede leather with a soft-velvety surface and is one of the most expensive leather to purchase.
Care of suede:

• Use a soft bristle brush to lightly lift away dirt.  
• Use appropriate suede spray. Neutral suede spray is for all colours, black suede spray for black, brown for brown (care should be taken when using suede spray especially black suede spray so as not to stain other fabrics). 
• Waterproof suede and nubuck shoes.
• Masking tape can also be used to lift away.

PATENT LEATHER: Leather with a glossy impermeable finish. People usually call this ‘shinny leather’.
Care of patent leather:

• Rub in petroleum jelly and leave for a while to soak in. Then buff with a soft clean cloth. This will not only keep them shiny but also prevent them from cracking.
• To remove scuff marks from coloured patent leather shoes, use nail polish remover, but be sure that the remover isn’t highly colourful or too harsh like the regular cheap ones we have around. If the nail polish remover is too colourful, it may also put a tint on your patent leather (and be careful of any polish you may be wearing). Put a small bit on a cotton ball or paper towel/toilet roll and rub on the scuffs you want to get rid. Really deep scuffs probably would not come off but this should remove any minor scuffs or discolouration. Then add glossiness back by using a bit of petroleum jelly.

PERFORATED LEATHER: Commonly used for brogues. This is leather with holes to form a pattern. The holes can vary in size, density and pattern.

Shoes and bags are also made from fabrics like satin, silk, taffeta, lace, etc. They are delicate and should be handled with care. Fabric or canvas shoes can often be cleaned by hand or machine washing (but I would suggest hand wash). Fill them with crumpled newsletter after washing to maintain their shape while drying.

Hope this has been helpful.....



Tips from ShoeFetish by Ronke Adeshina