Is Suede Warm and Snow Proof? (Does It Keep You Warm?)
It is a winter wonderland, everything looks great. The snow-covered buildings and trees bring a special feel to the day and can make you feel warm all over. That is unless you are wearing suede. You may not be too happy out in the snow and cold if all you are wearing are some suede shoes and a suede coat.
Does suede keep you warm? We are not going to delay the bad news for you. When it is snowing out and the temperatures are on the chilly side, one of the last fabrics you want to be wearing outside is suede. It is not a cold-weather fabric, even when lined.
To learn more about the cold weather, snow and suede just continue to read out article. It goes in-depth to make sure you have the right information. You can avoid chills and illnesses by not wearing suede outside in the snow.
Suede Warmth 101
Is Suede Warm For Winter?
Some suede retailers are doing their best to convince you that suede is a good cold-weather fabric. Suede is a very breathable fabric and very porous so thinking of using suede in the cold winter months may cause some people to rethink their evaluation of you.
The fabric may be good to temperatures reaching +30 or +40 degrees but that is about it. Neither leather nor suede provides much of a barrier to the cold. When you live in geographical regions that get really chilly wear something else than suede.
Other fabrics work better in the cold and snow than suede will. Fleece, wool, and other similar fabrics come to mind.
Is Faux Suede Warm?
Faux suede may be warmer than real suede. The former material is not as porous as the latte thus you may have more success at keeping the cold out away from your body.
With any suede material, you would need a good warm lining to help you keep from getting cold. Faux suede is not as durable as the real McCoy so it may not last as long and create areas where the cold can come in.
How warm faux suede would be is determined more by your location in winter than anything else. If you are braving the frozen north areas where temperatures dip into the -10s to 30s then you may want to rethink which coat you are going to wear.
Are Suede Jackets Warm?
Only is you leave in a region that does not get below zero. With temperatures hovering around +30 or 40 then you have a good chance of staying warm when you wear your suede jacket.
In those situations, you should still have the jacket lined with very warm fabric. Don’t trust the suede to keep you warm when the temperatures start to go below 30 degrees F. The colder it gets the less likely you will be warm even in a suede jacket.
Then you have the problem of snow. This winter element is just water in disguise and water is not a friend to suede. So the wetter suede gets the more likely the colder you will get. You may ruin the suede material if it gets snow on it.
Are Suede Boots Warm And Good For Winter?
On their own, it is highly unlikely that your feet will be warm wearing suede boots. The same conditions and characteristics mentioned earlier will apply here as well. The boots need to be lined as suede is very porous even when made into a shoe.
On top of that, having faux fur lining the top and inside of the boot will keep the cold away from your feet. Keep in mind that suede is a lightweight fabric in comparison to leather and lightweight does not make a good impact for warmth.
Again, snow is not suede friendly. Unless you have waterproofed your suede boots, expect your feet to get wet and chilly when you walk outside.
Is Suede Warmer Than Leather?
It is doubtful. Leather is a heavier weight fabric but still porous like suede is. Your body and feet should have better protection when you wear leather instead of suede but even that fabric is not good as a barrier to the cold.
That fact should give you pause when you head outside. An unlined leather or suede coat or shoe doe snot provide you with a lot of protection from the cold. Any contrary thought to those conclusions may be founded on how the leather and sued were made.
There are always exceptions to the rule and there may be higher quality types of both fabrics that will go against the grain and keep you very warm.
Is Suede Snow Proof?
The simple answer is just ‘no it isn’t’. Snow is frozen water and when it melts on your unprotected boot or coat you are going to have to do something about the guaranteed water stains or discoloring that will come.
Cleaning suede from those stains is not fun but at least they are not hard to do. You will have to spend time brushing the material. Once you get the stain out and the nap right, make sure to spray on a waterproof coating.
There is a snow-proof protective coating brand you should try. It is claimed to work fast and protect your suede items from being ruined by the snow.
Are Suede Boots Good For Snow?
The only way they would be good for the snow is if the boots were lined with proper winter materials. Suede and leather are not good barriers to the cooler weather. That porous nature is great for the summer when you heat up but it is not great for the cold air.
Also, if you forget to winterize those boots, you are only leaving the suede vulnerable to the damage snow can do to them. It is best to wear something else till the snow and slush give way to hot dry sunny days.
The one way to wear suede in the snow is when the days are sunny and the snow is not melting. Just make sure your suede boots are lined so your feet and you do not catch a cold.
Can Suede be Worn in The Snow?
The best way for suede boots can be worn in the snow is if they have a good tread on their soles. Traction is one way to keep you from slipping and falling on the slippery surfaces.
As for other suede garments, wearing a suede dress or skirt, etc., underneath your winter coat is okay. But it may not be too great if your winter coat was made from suede.
The snow can do a lot of damage to your suede materials and then you either spend a lot of time cleaning them or spending a lot of money having a professional clean the stains away. You really should think twice about wearing suede outside when the weather is not that nice.
How To Winterize Suede Boots
There are only two real steps in winterizing your suede boots. The first is to make sure they are totally clean. Dirt and grime will prevent any protection you apply from adhering to the suede materials.
After you clean your boots let them thoroughly dry. Moist boots do not accept protective sprays very well. Finally, spray a waterproof or a water repellent spray onto your boots and again let the boots dry.
One expert says to use repellent as the waterproofing will change the breathing capability of suede. Also, you should apply this spray every few weeks to make sure you have top protection. Some sprays do wear off over time and exposure to the elements.
Warm or Cold Weather For Suede
Suede is better suited for warm weather. Its porous nature helps keep you from overheating. While you should still spray protective coatings over all your suede items in the summer, there are fewer enemies of the fabric during that season.
Water and snow are just not going to treat your suede items very well. Plus the fabric is not a very good barrier to the cold. You would have to line the fabric with a good winter material in order not to feel the cold.
When you have the choice leave suede to the summer season. Your clothing and shoes will last a lot longer.
Some Final Words
Suede is pretty, it is a soft and nice to touch fabric and so on. But it is not made for cold weather unless you have a very good winter lining inside. Yes, you will look good wearing suede but why sacrifice warmth and your health simply to look good?
Postpone wearing suede until the weather is better and there is no snow on the ground.
