Is it worth buying nubuck boots: what kind of material is nubuck?

Not so long ago, shoes and furniture made of velvety material reminiscent of suede appeared in stores. Nubuck - that’s the name of this substance - is presented in natural and artificial forms. Buyers are advised to learn more about this material in advance: how to care for it, how to use it, the differences between originals and fakes, and physical properties.

What kind of material is nubuck - description

As stated in the free encyclopedia Wikipedia:

“Nubuck is a fine-haired leather that is subjected to chrome tanning during the tanning process. The skin is sanded from the face with fine abrasives such as sand or fine-grained sandpaper. Nubuck is similar in appearance to suede, but is made from other types of leather, mainly from cattle.”

By the way, nubuk and nabuk are misspelled names of the material.

Description in the table:

Material characteristics

Many “advisers” on the Internet confuse nubuck with suede, velor, genuine leather and even fabric. Let's conduct a short educational program on what nubuck is and how it differs from other materials, what types exist. Often people are looking for an answer to the question of whether it is leather or not.

There have long been several methods of tanning leather. This is done using fat, salt, extracts of certain types of trees (for example, oak), sand and other materials. The main difference between nubuck and suede is the material and tanning method. Suede is made from the skin of small cattle, and nubuck is used from large cattle (deer, elk, yaks). Tanning of suede is carried out using fat and fat-formaldehyde compounds. Nubuck is tanned with mineral salts, most often chrome.

Leather treated in this way is more pliable and wear-resistant. Shoes and furniture upholstery made of nubuck offer excellent resistance to stretching and impact loads.

But it must be remembered that both natural suede and natural nubuck are capricious materials. They are demanding of external conditions and require constant care.

The main advantage of natural nubuck is the aesthetic and tactile pleasure from contact with it. Lying down on a sofa upholstered in natural nubuck is like touching something soft and tender! And shoes made from it look great in any situation and with any style.

Where is it used?

This material has two directions:

• Furniture . Upholstered furniture fabric is used to cover designer furniture, creating surfaces of chairs, armchairs, sofas and beds that are pleasant to the touch and to the eye.
• Shoe. The material protects our feet from overheating, hypothermia, and moisture.

  
  Nubuck is a very beautiful material for shoes, women's boots and designer shoes.

In footwear, natural oiled nubuck is more common, as it has water-repellent properties. A natural analogue is better suited for furniture production - it is more pleasant to the touch.

How to choose blankets 220x240?

Watch the video on how to put European covers on upholstered furniture.

Photo of memory cotton fabric: .

Properties

Fine pile on nubuck gives the impression of velvety. The material appears to have an uneven color. Many people find the so-called “plush effect” very attractive, despite the fact that nubuck shoes look stronger and more practical than suede ones. This is true. Due to the use of cattle leather, nubuck is thicker and stronger. But due to the specifics of processing, it is more susceptible to moisture.

Properties of natural nubuck:

Sanding gives the leather a lighter, more elegant shade, and treatment with chrome salts makes it soft, highly porous, and breathable. At the same time, it becomes vulnerable to moisture. Nubuck swells from water, and after drying it can become too hard and rough.

Pros and cons of the material

The advantages of nubuck shoes include the following:

• strength;
• comfortable wearing;
• long service life;
• optimal tactile qualities.

But there were some downsides, namely:

• the need to purchase a special brush for care;
• difficult cleaning;
• mandatory use of various antistatic agents for material processing.

Kinds

There are 3 types of nubuck:

• Natural. It is a specially treated animal skin. Sometimes leather with mild defects is used to make nubuck. After sanding they become invisible.
• Artificial. It is a type of flock and is made from polymer materials. Finely chopped pile is glued onto a dense textile base (woven or not). Uniform distribution of villi is achieved through a constant electrostatic field. Unlike traditional flock, it has a Teflon coating. Nubuck fabric is rare and is used mainly as upholstery for furniture.
• Nubuck-oil. This is a premium natural material, oiled to protect against moisture. It feels damp to the touch, is darker in color and a little heavier than regular nubuck. Thanks to the fatty film, nubuck oil practically does not get wet and does not become dirty. It is considered the highest quality and most expensive.

Prices

Nubuck belongs to the premium class of upholstery and shoe materials. Its price is slightly lower than for suede, but higher than for our usual leather without surface treatment.

Natural material can be purchased in specialized stores at a price of 0.7 dollars per 1 square inch. Naturally, the price rises when animals such as yak and elk are taken for its production, and also subjected to fine processing of the front surface.

Synthetic or artificial nubuck for carpets, upholstery and other needs can cost $3-5 per square meter. Depending on the number of layers of polymers, their thickness and structure. Usually it goes in the “Fabrics” and “Artificial Leather” sections.

Nubuck is aesthetics and beauty. It is used to upholster Italian furniture , thanks to it the surfaces of armchairs and sofas become pleasant to the touch. Of course, there is a huge difference between natural and synthetic material.

Natural is more suitable for the bedroom. It cannot be cleaned and washed very often; it absorbs moisture and is afraid of strong mechanical influences. But its appearance evokes only pleasant thoughts; you immediately want to touch it, lie down on its surface. The tactile sensations when touching it are almost the same as when touching suede.

Artificial is more practical and common. It can be found in car showrooms, on the floors of children's rooms, in living rooms and kitchens. Its water-repellent properties allow this material to be washed and cleaned a considerable number of times.

Advantages and disadvantages

Nubuck is one of the most popular materials for the production of women's and men's shoes. Both genuine leather and substitute leather are in high demand. Their advantages and disadvantages are different.

Table:

Description of matter

Externally, the material looks like carefully crafted, beautiful leather or velor, so many people confuse the materials. However, in fact, it is a multilayer polymer fabric that has a structure reminiscent of natural surfaces.

What is better - natural suede, velor or polymer nubuck? It's difficult to answer. But if we talk about the textiles described, then it is much more wear-resistant than any similar material, it does not allow moisture to pass through at all, which is ideal for demi-season shoes. Thanks to the listed properties, it wears well in spring and autumn, but in cold weather it can create discomfort, which we will discuss below.

Caring for nubuck

To ensure that nubuck shoes do not lose their presentable appearance, they must be looked after regularly.

It is recommended to immediately acquire special tools:

• a brush to lift lint and clean dry dirt and dust;
• eraser for erasing stains;
• aerosol with moisture- and dirt-repellent properties;
• cleaning foam;
• spray paint to restore color.

Regular care is as follows:

1. Treat boots with a water-repellent aerosol immediately after purchase, and then about once every 1-2 weeks (with regular wear).
2. Daily brushing (dry brushing only).
3. Dry daily at room temperature and ventilate.
4. Washing (replacing) insoles as they become dirty.
5. Removing stubborn stains with an eraser.
6. Cleaning heavy stains with cleaning foam or soapy water and a soft cloth.
7. Dyeing nubuck every 2-3 seasons.

It is recommended to dry thoroughly wet shoes with an electric shoe dryer or use moisture-absorbing bags or newspapers. It is important that the boots dry within 24 hours. The use of alcohol and solvents for cleaning is strictly prohibited. Nubuck shoes should only be stored in a canvas bag or box with ventilation holes.

Artificial nubuck and nubuck oil

Nubuck made from synthetic materials and natural nubuck impregnated with oil are not so demanding to care for. They become less dirty and practically do not absorb water. But even here you cannot do without specialized tools.

For shoes to last for a long time, you need to:

1. Use moisture- and dirt-repellent agents.
2. Remove dirt and lift the pile with a special brush.
3. Air your shoes regularly and wash (change) the insoles.

The difference is that such shoes can withstand wet cleaning more easily. You can wash it with ordinary soapy water. It also holds paint better and practically does not fade. You probably won't need a can of dye. But an anti-sweating foot spray may come in handy.

General care recommendations

Natural material will have to be taken care of more carefully. It should not be rubbed too hard because whitish marks, scratches, lint or shiny areas will appear on the surface. Wet shoes should be dried by stuffing them with crumpled paper to avoid deformation. A dry surface should be cleaned with a soft rubber brush without applying significant force.

The artificial one can simply be wiped with a damp cloth, and then slightly straightened with a soft brush - that’s all the care is.

When it comes to care products, it is best to use special sprays. They cover the surface with a thin layer, mask minor damage and do not “glue” the pile, preserving the properties of the material and its beauty.

Price

In most cases, nubuck shoes cost about the same as leather ones (if you compare shoes of the same model). Suede is priced a little more expensive due to more complex production.

But there are also exceptions. For example, the price for hand-sewn shoes made of high-quality nubuck will be tens of times higher than for suede boots from a chain store. Or another example. Nubuck, made from leather with defects (which, remember, are easily erased during its production) can cost several times less than leather.

The story with the substitute is clear. It's always cheaper:

The average cost of low autumn boots made of natural nubuck is 8-10 thousand rubles. The same replacement model will cost 3-4 thousand rubles.

Application area

As has been mentioned more than once above, the main use of artificial nubuck is the production of shoes. Today there are many models made from this textile material. Moreover, modern manufacturers offer different types of shoes: boots, sneakers, ankle boots, boots, even elegant shoes. The products are distinguished by their stylish design, variety of colors, and beauty.

However, the material described is not only used for shoes. It is used to make original bags and bright accessories. Craftswomen use artificial nubuck in their own crafts. It is used to create home textiles, cute toys, authentic panels, etc.

The material is often used for upholstery of furniture: sofas, armchairs, chairs, etc. In the interior it looks elegant, ideal for today's popular styles: minimalism, eco, modern.

Reviews

There are extremely conflicting reviews about nubuck for shoes. As often as he is praised, he is just as often criticized. Mostly nubuck shoes appeal to men. Here's what they write about him:

• Olga: “A lot depends on the quality of nubuck. My salamander boots lasted 3 years. And then I threw them away because I was tired of them. I have never thoroughly cleaned it. I just brushed away the dried dirt and wiped away the dusty marks with a cloth.”
• Igor: “I wear only nubuck shoes. I take regular ones, not oil. The main thing here is to buy water-repellent impregnation. It costs like an airplane, but the effect is obvious. Boots do not get wet, salt solutions do not stick, shoes are always clean. Beauty! I thoroughly soak a new pair (pour out 100-150 ml). Then I just refresh it.”
• Lizochka: “I bought nubuck winter boots. This is something! Just stand in them nicely for an hour, that’s all. My feet feel stuffy and sweaty. It’s like walking in rubber boots.”
• Eva: “I’m a shoe fanatic. Which one I don't have. I took boots made of nubuck (artificial) for running in the slush. And cheap, and they don’t become limp. There is no discomfort in wearing. My feet don’t sweat, they’re as comfortable as wearing slippers.”
• Natalya: “I bought red nubuck boots. Oh, and I suffered. Better than with suede shoes. You could at least wash them with a damp cloth. But nubuck gets a little wet, and after drying, disgusting stains and stains remain. You just need to clean it with a special product. But still, after cleaning, the paint washes off. The color of the boots on the toes is very different from the top. It is impossible to match the paint to match. I will never buy nubuck shoes again.”

How to restore nubuck

When you have worn shoes for a long time or actively used a bag made of this material, shiny areas on the product are visible. Don’t be scared, these are crushed fibers, and it’s not difficult to deal with the problem.

If there are few problem areas and they are small, it is enough to treat them with an eraser, and the attractive appearance of the item will be restored. But if the damage is extensive, it is better to use another method: hold the product over a pan of boiling water, and then comb the pile with a brush.

In addition to the creasing of the pile, the problem may also be with the color of the product; it becomes not as bright as before. If the changes are minor, you can do this:

• Clean the product with a brush.
• Pour fine salt onto the surface and gently rub it over the material. This food supplement perfectly restores structure and color.
• Shake off any fluff particles, using a brush if necessary.

By doing this, you will remove any remaining dust embedded in the surface and refresh the color of the item.

Questions and answers

How to distinguish natural nubuck from artificial?

Natural material costs many times more. In addition, it is heavier, softer and more pleasant to the touch. If the nubuck is not impregnated with oil (nubuck-oil), then when a drop of water hits the surface, a dark spot will form. On artificial material, water will not leave any traces, will not be absorbed, but will rather roll off or dry out. But the surest way to distinguish a craft is to pay attention to the markings. Products made from genuine leather always have a mark in the form of a stretched animal skin. Synthetic nubuck is marked with a diamond.

Which shoes are better, natural nubuck or artificial?

Shoes made of genuine leather are always more valuable. It is warmer, more comfortable, and more durable with proper care. Synthetic nubuck shoes will not be as comfortable, but they will be easier to care for. In addition, she is not afraid of rain, does not change color from water, and does not shed.

Nubuck is a high-quality material for shoes. Natural boots are comfortable to wear, warm, elastic and durable. They will not tear for 3-5 years or longer. But they can quickly lose their attractiveness. Nubuck does not tolerate rough handling. It should not be rubbed, scratched, left wet or dirty. If you're not prepared to maintain it regularly, it's best to save your shoes for dry weather or choose a pair made from traditional smooth leather.

Does artificial or natural nubuck get wet?

Natural nubuck can get wet
Nubuck is a durable material, especially if it is natural. But, alas, it is not without its shortcomings. Shoes made from this leather tend to allow water to pass through. And although this takes a lot of time, wearing nubuck boots for a long time in conditions of high humidity outside leads to the product getting wet.

Worth knowing: If you do not completely dry a wet natural nubuck product, creases will begin to appear on its surface. Therefore, always use newsprint or a special device to dry your boots from the inside.

As for artificial nubuck, it is more durable and hardy. Because its surface is harder than natural material, it repels water much more effectively. Therefore, there is less fear of such a product getting wet.

If your shoes do get wet, then read the article on our website about how to quickly dry boots made of leather, suede or nubuck .

However, in both cases, other nuances are possible:

• It is important to monitor the integrity of the soles of your boots, as they can peel off over time.
• Water “enters” faster into the resulting cracks.
• Therefore, your feet may also be wet after wearing shoes.

To avoid this, experts recommend taking special preventative measures. It is carried out in specialized shoe repair shops. In addition, preventive measures add durability to shoes and reduce their wear, so it is advisable not to spare money on their implementation. It costs much less than buying new leather boots. Good luck!