How to Clean Colored Suede

Don’t let the color of your suede discourage you from getting your sneakers clean! Clean even the most vibrant suede shoes with a quick and easy process.

Remove the laces and set aside to clean later. Take a shoe tree and insert in the sneaker. This will gives a better surface to apply more pressure during the cleaning.

Next, using an all-natural, dye free cleaner, add a small amount to a bowl filled with water. (Many shoe cleaners on the market are known to stain shoes due to dye or chemicals, we recommend using this sneaker cleaner.)

In order to mix the solution, take a delicate brush (it is important to use a brush with soft bristles on the colored suede) and lightly stir the solution using the bristles. 

Once mixed, apply the solution to the suede sneaker using the soft brush in circular motions over the entire uppers. When applying, shake off excess water to reduce bleed. 

 Then using the medium brush repeat cleaning some tougher spots on the suede, using gentle strokes.

Moving onto the soles, it is important to clean them with a very stiff brush. The soles are likely to have the most dirt and grime, and the stiffer bristles can remove dirt the best.

Additionally, using a microfiber towel dipped in the solution mixture, you can buff out some marks on the midsoles. 

Lastly, using a microfiber towel, pat the entire shoe down, and let air dry. 

The final step is to take the shoe laces that you set aside and dunk them in the remaining solution mixture and lather by rubbing them in between your hands. 

Bonus step: If after the shoes dry they look faded or rough, return them to their original state with mink oil and a dry medium brush.

Check out the full video here: