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Leather Suede

Can suede leather boots be worn in the snow?

can they get wet? they don't look like suede, just like leather. what effect does water have on suede leather?

Unprotected suede should not be worn in the snow or slush. If it were just plain snow, it wouldn't be a big issue, but the salt and de-icers used on sidewalks and streets is the bigger problem. The salty water will severely damage the suede and it will dry out and change colours, making it weak and susceptible to cracking and tearing. Fashion suede and leather boots will need some protection with a spray protector, these contain silicone and help resist water. They work reasonably well and a worth buying and using. (my dad uses some sort of WD-40 like spray called "jigaloo" from the hardware store on his suede shoes...water beads up and falls off...he also has used WD-40 on my kid's shoes and it worked--he might be onto something.)

There are available in some stores suede and leather boots that have been factory treated to be water, snow and salt resistant and there are a few that advertise as being waterproof. These boots are all clearly marked with tags that they are waterproof or water resistant. They aren't cheap but they are well worth the extra money. Columbia Sportswear makes waterproof suede boots, so does Cougar Shoes. There are a couple other Canadian manufacturers who make water and weather proof leather boots under several different brand names. As I said, these are all tagged as being weather proof.