Most have probably accidentally got shoe cream on the suede when you apply it on the sole and heel edges of suede shoes. A good tip for this not to cause any problems is to make sure you spray the waterproofing spray on the suede before applying the cream.

 

I have previously advised on the blog how best to remove shoe cream that happened to end up on the suede, that you should let it dry and then rub it off with a suede eraser, instead of trying to remove it immediately as it risks being smeared into the suede fibers instead. Today’s tip is a kind of continuation of this, one might say, it is that you should always spray the impregnation spray first when doing your suede care routine.

Suede boots must always be waterproofed with a good impregnation spray, a step that should be done first in the suede care routine. Image: Hanger Project

The reason is, quite logically, that the spray settles as a protective film on the suede, and a new such layer obviously makes a lot of resistance to a possible miss when applying shoe cream on the sole and heel edges (which you should always do, and easiest to do it with cream directly on the finger for best control). You usually say that you should avoid waterproofing spray on ordinary leather as it closes the pores and prevents the nourishing substances in the cream to not go in as well afterwards, which is true. But it’s a bit different with the edges, since you do not have the surface with the pores outwards but the leather inside which is cut through, where it’s not as sensitive to be covered with impregnation spray before, the cream will still go in well.

If you put shoe cream on the edges with your finger, you have more control, but you can still miss and get cream on the suede.