How To Dye Suede Like A Pro

Honestly, I find it hard to find a better material than leather when it comes to making shoes or accessories.

It's durable, soft and aesthetically beautiful. It's hard to make shoes, boots or a bag in suede and have it look bad, plus it gives them that expensive, luxurious feel.

It shares with other leathers that, when properly cared for, it can have a very long life.

Although, let's be honest, this sometimes also has the handicap that we can get tired of those suede shoes or accessories. 

For this situation one option is to choose to collaborate for a more sustainable fashion industry and give it a second chance by selling it as a pre-loved item. Another option, also very good to collaborate with this crusade, is to reinvent/reuse by giving it a new look that will make us fall in love again and be happy for many more years together.

Okay, this is all well and good but.... How complicated is it to dye suede shoes at home and achieve good results? 

Nothing to worry about, like many other things in life, it's all about knowing the technique and using good quality products specially formulated for it.

 

And boy, do we have it all. Read on to find out how to dye suede and what you need to get started.

There are plenty of reasons to embark on the little adventure of dyeing shoes or a handbag yourself.

If you are one of the brave ones, you should know that the process we are going to explain below is applicable to any type of shoe or boot and also to any suede bag or accessory.

You may be looking for information on how to dye suede shoes that have been stained and you can't clean them again.

In this case, first try to remove the stain by deep cleaning the shoes with a product such as Suede Cleaner Omninettoyant Saphir Medaille D'Or.

It is possible that the stain will disappear completely, but if it is stubborn and still persists, you can proceed to dye suede shoes as explained below.

-We recommend that you preferably choose a darker color than the original for optimal results -

 

Dye Suede: The process

 

Even if you dye them for an aesthetic reason and not for a stain, it is important to clean the surface dirt.

This can be achieved with a crepe brush if it is dust, if you need to clean a little more thoroughly your ally will be  Gommadin Suede Eraser.

For intensive cleaning use Omninettoyant as mentioned above and do not proceed with dyeing until the shoe or accessory is completely dry.

Once you are done with the cleaning, let's start with the dyeing process.

The first step is to cover all the areas that we don't want to change color, such as zippers, soles, etc.

Then, with the help of the brush included with Saphir Teinture Francaise Dye, stir the suede dye well to prepare it before starting.

The time has come. The trick to get good results is to apply the suede dye little by little with circular movements.

 

Depending on the change you want to make, you may need to apply one more coat. If so, make sure the first coat dries well before proceeding with the next one.

Once we've finished dyeing the suede shoes, let them dry for about 12 hours.

At this point you'll see that the suede of your shoes may look a little stiff. Don't worry because this is totally normal.

To revive the texture of the suede, we have to do a good brushing with a specialized brush such as Saphir Medialle D'Or Crepe Brush for Suede and Nubuck.

Again, be gentle, don't rub roughly and try to make soft circular movements.

Little by little you'll see that the texture will return to what it was, it'll have that velvety look again.

It's not such a complicated process, is it?

Let's take a look at some tips to get results worthy of any professional:

1- Don't remove the tape you've used to cover the areas to be avoided until the suede dye has completely dried.

2- Saphir  suede dye is resistant to friction, but we recommend finishing the treatment by applying a protector. This'll keep the color intact and prevent the suede from getting wet and damaged. The best option is our best seller Waterproofing Spray Saphir Medaille D'Or Super Invulner.

3- If you've decided to dye a suede bag, do a test before using it, it is not usual and should not happen but it can transfer especially at the beginning.

4- To maintain the color afterwards, you can use Renovateur Suede and Nubuck Spray. It applies the color without being a dye and makes it look more vibrant for longer.