No doubt, leather shoe polish is enough to restore the shine of a leather shoe, but can the same be said for black suede shoes?
Relax! You will get your answer in this article.
Based on my long hours of research, I’m here to tell you whether or not you can use leather shoe polish on black suede shoes.
So, answering the main question, can you use leather shoe polish on black suede shoes?
Want more details on polishing suede shoes? Read the article till the end, carefully.
Can You Use Leather Shoe Polish On Black Suede Shoes?
Leather shoe polish is an ultimate savior to bring back the life of dull leather shoes, but this is not the same case for suede shoes.
Suede is a delicate fabric that is neither smooth nor shiny. Instead, the material is napped and has a matte finishing. Due to the differences in the fabric, polishing suede shoes is also different.
By any chance, if you want to polish your beautiful black suede shoes with leather shoe polish, then terminate this idea right away.
Shoe polish is a great product for polishing leather shoes; however, if used on suede, the polish will permanently damage the suede.
Suede is a porous material that is exceedingly dry. When you apply a shoe polish to suede shoes, it absorbs all of the polish, staining and changing the color of the black suede permanently.
And attempting to remove and clean the polish will almost certainly result in back pain. As a result, you should avoid using shoe polish on suede shoes if you don’t want to destroy them.
However, you can instantly enhance the appearance of your suede shoes by just polishing them with a brush; no shoe polish is required.
Check out our separate post: Can You Restore Color On Suede Shoes.
Why Shouldn’t You Use Leather Shoe Polish On Suede Shoes?
Leather shoe polish and suede shoes are never a good combination, and if the suede shoes are black, there is no turning back. The polish will leave stain marks on the shoes rather than adding shine.
So, what causes the leather polish to discolor suede shoes?
The percentage of wax in shoe polish is higher, and because suede cloth is porous, it soaks up all of the polish, leaving the shoes sticky and discolored.
Furthermore, shoe polish is used on stiff leather to get a high sheen, but suede is a soft fabric.
When you put shoe polish to suede, it absorbs all of the elements in the polish, such as wax, lanolin, and glycol, making the shoes exceedingly hard.
You may also like to read: Can You Use Suede and Nubuck Protector on UGGs.
Additionally, because the suede shoes have a napped texture, the polish does not adhere to the shoes.
It’s difficult to remove shoe polish from suede shoes once it’s been applied.
Almost all the time, shoe polish tends to change the color of suede; therefore, it’s best to avoid using any kind of shoe polish on suede shoes.
Related content you should read Can I Use Shoe Polish On Suede Shoes.
How To Remove Shoe Polish From Suede Shoes?
I’m sure most of you unintentionally used shoe polish to give your suede shoes a beautiful shine but wind up with a massive mess. Well, I was in a similar situation too.
That’s when I spend hours scouring the web for ways to remove shoe polish from suede shoes. There are far too many hacks on the internet, but most are complete failures.
However, two of the procedures successfully removed the shoe polish from my black suede shoes. As a result, I thought I’d share it with you all.
Follow our guide on how to Remove Shoe Polish From Suede Shoes.
Here are the methods to remove shoe polish from suede shoes:
Method 1: Remove Stain With Suede Eraser
Allow enough time for the polish to dry properly before beginning the cleaning process.
Step 1: Remove the shoelaces and place a shoe tree inside the shoe or pack them with newspaper balls to maintain their form.
Step 2: Using a paper towel, make a ball shape and gently blot on the polish with the paper towel. Excess shoe polish can be removed by blotting. Once you’re sure there’s no more shoe polish on the towel, move on to the following step.
Step 3: Use a hairdryer on the shoes to speed up the cleaning process and completely dry the polish.
Step 4: Remove the polish using a suede eraser, making sure to cover the entire shoe.
Step 5: Buff the shoes with a suede brush. Brush the entire shoe with all your might because this is the important part where the majority of the polish can be removed.
Your shoes are ready for wear after there is no polish residue.
Read more on how to Clean Faux Suede Shoes.
Method 2: Apply Saddle Soap
Step 1: Stuff the insides of the shoes with newspaper or a shoe tree to keep the shape of the shoes, it also allows you to clean them without making a mess.
Step 2: Dampen a clean cloth and wipe the shoes carefully; this will remove any loose dirt and moisten the shoes enough for saddle soap to perform properly.
Step 3: Moisten a clean cloth with warm water. Wrap the fabric around your fingers and apply saddle soap to the surface. Don’t use too much soap because a little goes a long way.
Gently work the soap into the shoes in a circular motion.
Step 4: Wipe away any remaining soap with a clean cloth once the soap has absorbed the shoe polish and into the shoes.
Step 5: Set the shoes aside for a couple of hours in a well-ventilated area.
And you are done removing shoe polish from suede shoes.
How To Polish Suede Shoes?
If you own a pair of suede shoes, you should know that their polishing procedure and product selection differ greatly from regular leather shoes.
There are a variety of products on the market designed specifically for polishing suede shoes. To keep suede shoes looking beautiful, you must know how to polish them properly and use a suitable product.
Here are the ways to polish suede shoes:
- Brush the shoes with a suede brush. Brush the soiled sections of the shoes lightly back and forth in one direction.
- Brushing in a single direction with light pressure eliminates dirt embedded in the shoes.
- If you have water stains on your suede shoes, use a suede eraser to remove them.
- Rub the eraser on the place with some force. Suede erasers are specifically designed to remove set-in stains, so the better you work the eraser on the shoe, the cleaner it will be.
- Apply a few drops of white vinegar on a clean cloth and gently wipe it over the affected area. Allow the shoes to dry before brushing them with a suede brush.
Final Thoughts
Finally, never put suede shoe polish on leather shoes, like shoe polish damages the suede’s napped and matte texture. Instead, use a suede eraser or suede brush to bring out the richness of the suede shoes.
That’s all I’ve got for today. I hope you found all of your answers in this article. If you have any questions on this topic, please leave them in the comments section, below.
