Suede Leather Uppers
Suede is a popular split-leather material commonly used to make upholstery, apparel and clothing accessories, in addition to footwear. Made from the underside of deer, goat, buffalo, sheep or cow skin, suede is softer and more supple than most other types of leather and its texture is pleasing to both the eye and the touch. Unfortunately, suede is not as robust or durable as other types of leather and its pleasant visual qualities can be easily marred by dust, dirt and scuffs.
So long as suede is properly looked after, however, this should only be a mild inconvenience. It may be less hard-wearing than full-grain leather or nubuck leather, but that does not mean it isn’t resilient. What’s more, suede uppers can be treated so that they are able to withstand greater punishment and also provide better water-resistance. Cleaning suede boots regularly will ensure they continue to look good and perform well while treating them with something like the LOWA Water Stop Pro Spray will help them to better protect their wearer’s feet.
LOWA boots with suede leather uppers are sometimes combined with Cordura® fabric. Cordura® is a durable textile material that complements suede and provides areas of the boot’s upper with additional reinforcement and flexibility.
Full-Grain Leather Uppers
Full-grain leather is made from the top layer of an animal’s skin and is often seen as the highest quality leather available. Most leather materials have had layers of the skin removed, sacrificing durability and resilience for flexibility and more a uniform aesthetic. Full-grain leather is not treated in this way and all its layers remain intact. This makes full-grain leather more difficult to work with and increases its material cost, however, it retains all of its natural strength and each piece has a unique look about it.
Full-grain leather boot uppers are inherently water-resistant and hard-wearing, giving them a longer working lifespan than other types of leather. When properly cared for, LOWA boots with full-grain leather uppers can be actively worn for a number of years and their distinctive look will only become more attractive over time due to the development of a glossy patina. This shiny natural veneer accentuates the material’s grain and imperfections, further highlighting what makes each boot so unique.
Taking care of full-grain leather boots is well worth the time and effort, as so long as you look after them they will look after you. Using treatments such as the LOWA Active Cream can reduce how often boots need to be cleaned and provide an additional layer of protection and waterproofing, without negatively affecting the material’s breathability.
Nubuck Leather Uppers
As a top-grain leather, nubuck falls somewhere in the middle between full-grain leather and suede. Top-grain leather is made by removing the surface layer from full-grain leather. As a result, top-grain leather is more malleable but lacks the distinctive aesthetics that make full-grain leather so popular. Often, top-grain leather is stamped to give it a similar look to full-grain, albeit considerably more uniform, however, this is not the case with nubuck leather.
The surface layer of nubuck leather is buffed to give it a textured finish similar to that of suede. Despite their resemblance, nubuck is more resilient than suede and offers a level of water-resistance closer to that of full-grain leather. Unfortunately, when nubuck leather boots get wet their colour darkens and changes. This leads many to believe they are not as durable as they actually are when the fact of the matter is this is perfectly usual and the original colour will return as soon as the material dries.
Since the surface layer of leather is its toughest, nubuck is not as naturally strong or durable as full-grain leather. Fortunately, LOWA boots made with top-grain leather uppers like nubuck often come with a coating that protects them from damage and stains that would otherwise leave lasting marks. These protective finishes can be maintained through regular cleaning and topped up with additional treatments.
