How to Clean Suede Trainers and Shoes (Without Ruining Them)

In our experience, the safest way to clean suede trainers is dry, not wet. You should let any mud dry completely, brush off the loose dirt with a suede brush, lift scuffs and marks with a suede eraser, and only then deal with deeper stains. Water, washing machines and household sprays are what ruin most suede, not the dirt itself. Done properly, a full clean takes about ten minutes and a cheap suede kit, and your trainers come back looking close to new. Here is the method we use, plus the mistakes to avoid.

What you’ll need

• A suede brush (soft horsehair is ideal, it lifts dirt without flattening the nap)
• A suede or stain eraser for scuffs and stubborn marks
• A clean, dry cloth or towel
• A suede protector spray for afterwards
• Patience, suede rewards it

The Jason Markk Suede Cleaning Kit covers the first two in one box: a horsehair handle brush and a stain eraser, made specifically for suede and nubuck. It is a dry kit on purpose, because the last thing delicate suede wants is a soaking.

Jason Markk

Suede Cleaning Kit

A horsehair suede brush and a stain eraser, made specifically for suede and nubuck. No liquid, because dry is what suede wants.

£15.00 Shop Now →

Step 1: Let it dry, and never clean wet suede

If your shoes are wet or muddy, stop. Cleaning suede while it is damp pushes dirt deeper into the nap and leaves marks that are far harder to shift.

Stuff the shoes with kitchen roll or newspaper to hold their shape, and leave them to dry naturally at room temperature. Keep them away from radiators and direct heat, which dries suede out and can crack it.

Step 2: Brush off the loose dirt

Once fully dry, take your suede brush and work it gently back and forth to lift surface dirt and dust. Brush in the direction of the nap first, then against it to loosen anything clinging on, then back the way it naturally sits.

This single step revives the look of most suede. For dried mud, knock the worst off first by tapping the soles together outside, then brush.

Step 3: Tackle scuffs and marks with the eraser

For scuffs, dark patches and stubborn marks the brush won’t shift, use the suede eraser. Rub firmly over the mark, the same way you would rub out pencil, then brush away the residue.

This lifts a surprising amount, from everyday scuffing to the shiny patches suede gets where it is handled a lot. Work in small areas and check your progress as you go.

Step 4: Deal with deeper stains and water marks

Set-in stains and water rings need a slightly different touch. Counterintuitively, the fix for a patchy water mark is to lightly and evenly dampen the whole panel with a barely-damp cloth, so it dries uniformly rather than in a ring, then brush the nap back up once dry.

For grease, a sprinkle of talcum powder or cornflour left on overnight can draw out the oil before you brush it away. Always test any method on a hidden area first, and go gently. Suede forgives patience and punishes scrubbing.

Step 5: Restore the nap, then protect it

Once clean and dry, give the whole shoe a final brush to even out the nap and bring the colour back up. This is the step most people skip, and it is what makes suede look cared-for rather than just clean.

Then protect it. A breathable suede protector like Jason Markk Repel Spray adds an invisible barrier that repels water and stains before they happen, which makes every future clean easier. Applied to a fresh pair, it is the single best habit for keeping new suede looking new.

Jason Markk

Repel Spray

A breathable, water-based barrier that repels water and stains before they happen. Safe on suede, nubuck, leather, nylon and canvas.

£18.00 Shop Now →

How to clean suede Birkenstocks

Suede-footbed Birkenstocks clean exactly the same way. Brush the footbed and uppers dry, lift marks with the eraser, and keep water off the suede. The cork sole and footbed should never be soaked, so a dry suede kit is genuinely the right tool here rather than any wet cleaner.

If you own a pair, protect them early with Repel Spray. Open-toe suede styles pick up marks fast in everyday wear. You can see our full Birkenstock collection if you are weighing up a suede pair.

Most ruined suede is ruined by the cleaning, not the dirt. Avoid these:

• Soaking them in water. Water stains suede, mats the nap and can warp the shape. Suede and standing water do not mix.
• The washing machine. It will strip colour, crush the nap and often wreck the glued construction. Never put suede through a wash.
• Heat drying. Radiators, hairdryers and direct sun dry suede out and cause cracking and fading. Air dry only.
• Baby wipes and washing-up liquid. The moisture and detergents leave patches and residue. What works on trainers’ rubber does not work on their suede.
• Scrubbing hard with the wrong brush. A stiff plastic brush flattens and scratches the nap. Soft bristles, light pressure.

How to clean suede shoes without a suede cleaner

You can get a fair way with what is already in the house, for a quick fix, although the results won't likely be as good. A clean pencil rubber works like a suede eraser on light scuffs. A soft, dry toothbrush or even a clean nail brush can stand in for a suede brush to lift the nap. For a grease mark, talc or cornflour overnight will draw out some of the oil.

The honest caveat is that these are stand-in options rather than equals. A soft household brush risks flattening the nap, and anything damp risks staining. Given a proper suede brush and eraser cost about the same as a sandwich, a dedicated kit is the safer bet for shoes you actually care about.

Jason Markk

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Suede kits, protective sprays and everyday cleaning kits, all in one place. The trusted name in keeping footwear looking its best.

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Frequently asked questions