For cheaply made footwear, often found on the high street, the advice would be to avoid rain, sleet and snow when you are wearing suede shoes and boots as they will undoubtedly suffer.
This reply was at the very root of a discussion we had in the office when we wanted to design a new range of quality sneakers that would be suitable for autumn/winter. We came up with the notion of the ‘sturdy sneaker’!
The Strike II (above) is an upgrade of a former customer favourite to get you through the inclement weather of the winter months. To start, this sneaker has a chunkier sole to add some height that will keep you above the mud and puddles.
In addition, for the suede version of Strike II, we have used premium suedes that will last and will protect your feet really well. We’ve added some comfortable padding on the inside too.
Quality suede is not as delicate as you think; it just needs a bit of attention, just like calf does. To make your suede shoes and boots more resilient against the rain, you need to remove any excess dirt and then use a suede cleaner to bring it back to life and to protect it from staining. You can read more about looking after suede in our previous journal article: Brush up on your suede knowledge. Essentially, look after your quality suede and it will look after you.
The Strike II in calf (below) will naturally be hardier, and we have given you the option of black, cognac and white to complement your choice of outfit, but make sure you look after these too. Just because they are sneakers, it does not mean they do not deserve a polish from time to time!
The same is true of our new A/W trainers. The Elan comes in mocha and navy suede, so will need our suggested care routine while the calf version has been made in navy and black. Again, these are quality casual shoes with a sturdier sole plus design detail and a higher spec that elevates them above basic brands. They are built to last…and look amazing!
So, do not be put off from wearing suede in the rain or worse. Just buy quality shoes and boots and take care of them. You can browse our suede shoes here and our recommended suede cleaner can be found here.