FOOTWEAR

Smooth Leather

Smooth leathers are created from the “grain” side of the leather, i.e. the side the fur was removed from. Despite the name, this type of leather can be smooth, grained, structured, glossy or matt.
Before handling this high-quality material, most of the dirt should be removed using a soft cloth or a brush. In the event of stubborn dirt, we recommend the use of a foaming cleaning product that can be applied to a cloth and then used on the shoe.
Once dry, treating the shoe with a water-proofing spray will ensure it is protected against dirt and water. Leather can also be treated with shoe polish from a tube or tin to rehydrate the leather following use and cleaning. Let the cream soak in for half an hour, then polish with a soft cloth or brush. This will not only make the leather shiny, but will also remove any residues of cream left on the shoe.

Nubuck and Suede

Nubuck and suede are brushed or “wild” leathers. With nubuck the “grain” side, i.e. the exterior side of the leather hide shows. This has fine, short and silky fibres. With suede the interior side of the leather, i.e. the “meat” side shows. This has a more distinctive look, with flexible, soft and clearly visible fibres.
To best protect both these types of leather, they should be dry-cleaned. In the event of stubborn dirt, they can be washed in water using a foaming cleaning product. To restore the velvet effect of the leather, brush it once dry. The shoe can be treated with a water-proofing spray for suede leather, and if necessary, with a product for reviving the colour. Once dry, the shoe should be brushed once again. Warning: never use products containing oil or wax as these would attack the surface fibres.

Greased Leather and Waxed Leather

Greased leather and greased nubuck are leathers that have been enriched on the exterior with a large quantity of oil or wax. Leather experts distinguish between waxed or greased smooth leather and greased nubuck.
We recommend using a foaming cleaning product to clean these materials. Use a wax-based product to maintain the glossy satin effect of the surface. You can also restore the shoe’s light natural glossy finish by rubbing it with a soft cloth.

Patent Leather

Patent leather is leather or synthetic material covered with a layer of special PVC or polyurethane varnish. This leather can be smooth, grained or embossed in appearance. In some cases there may also be metal pigments visible underneath the varnished surface.
Unfortunately, dust and dirt are immediately visible on patent leather shoes. For this reason, you should clean them with a soft cloth more often than usual. We recommend using a gentle foam product for cleaning. To preserve the elasticity of the material, it is also necessary to use a product with specific additives. We recommend the use of special liquid or spray products. Never use oil-based products as these could leave marks on the varnish. Given that creases caused by using the shoes can easily leave marks on patent leather, we recommend using a shoe tree when not in use.

FABRIC

Fabrics can be natural or synthetic and come in many shapes and varieties. For example, they can have very dense weaves (canvas) or looser weaves (mesh). They can also often be combined with other materials.
Shoes made from fabric are particularly sensitive to water and dirt, for this reason they require specific treatments. The worst dirt should be removed using a brush before the shoes are intensively cleaned using a foam-based cleaning product. For stubborn dirt, repeat the process. Fabrics should always be treated with a water-proofing product to prevent dirt from penetrating into the fibres of the fabric.

Synthetic Leather

Synthetic leather is a reasonably economical alternative to real leather. It is strong, elastic and easily washable. Water-proofing sprays are not recommended for this type of material. In addition, shoe polish is also unable to penetrate into synthetic materials, leaving a sticky layer on the surface. As an alternative, we recommend using a light foam cleaning product for cleaning synthetic leather.

Mixed Materials

Mixed materials are very popular these days. Shoes, clothing and accessories can be creatively embellished by adding fur, applications and prints.
The worst dirt should be removed using a brush. After this, apply a small amount of cleaning foam to a cloth and rub the material to be cleaned.