Customer Reviews

Nikwax Footwear Care Kit for Nubuck and Suede

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I needed to waterproof the dark brown suede shoes that I just purchased. After searching online for just the right product, I purchased Nikwax Footwear Care Kit for Nubuck and Suede which contains:
~ Nubuck & Suede Proof - a water-based, sponge-on product that waterproofs, maintains support & breathability for suede & nubuck items and
~ Footwear Cleaning Gel - a sponge-on cleaner for all outdoor and sports footwear (smooth leather, suede, nubuck and fabric)

Waterproofing my new shoes was an easy process. I pressed the sponge applicator to my shoe to release the liquid and spread it around with the same applicator. After my shoes dried, I brushed them with an old hairbrush to lift the nap. My shoes are just as soft as they were when I bought them, this product did not stiffen them. If I was waterproofing dirty shoes, I'd clean them first with the Nikwax cleaning gel, then waterproof them.

I normally am a big fan of nikwax products, and the cleaner certainly did a great job of removing the stubborn salt stains that had accumulated on my nubuck shoes, but the waterproofer was a disappointment. It worked great at first, with the shoes repelling snow and stains well for the first few days, but they soon became susceptible again. I reapplied, but I had already used over half the bottle for the first application.

The cleaning gel worked wonders on my shoes! I have a pair of soft suede Eccos that I love and I was VERY apprehensive about using a cleaner. I was afraid it might leave spots or make the fabric less soft. After looking at many products and reading many reviews, I decided to try Nikwax's Footwear Cleaning Gel. I am so happy - it has made my shoes look nearly brand new again! I have taken these shoes hiking on mountains and sloshed with them through the rain (which you are not supposed to do with suede shoes), and now they look as if I bought them a week ago. I am very happy with this product.

I have posted before and after photos in the review I just posted on REI (the review should be up in a few days). [...]

I have not used the water-proofer yet, so I will update my review when I have tried it out.

This is the only stuff I have found to treat nubuck. Works good and leaves shoes looking new.

Tried both products and was happy with the cleaner but the waterproof
sealant made my beautiful light tan nubuck leather work-boots dark brown and kind of discolored looking.
And YES I followed the directions to the letter! So now one boot is darker than the other and my wife says
she's embarrassed to go out with me if I wear them! (not sure if she meant it) Anyway the sealant works OK except
on the edges where the boot creases. The water saturates those little creases. Don't think I'll buy this again
and still searching for a nubuck cleaning/waterproofing product that doesn't change the color so drastically.

I got a leather purse for Christmas that has a section that is suede. After a tough Northeast winter, the suede area was really dirty looking. I tried to clean it but nothing helped. I called the company that made the purse and they said to live with it. As a last resort, I tried this tuff. It worked great. It removed all the dirt and did not ruin the suede. After I cleaned it, I treated it. The suede area is now soft and clean.

this product should be taken down from amazon. it leaves stains all over the leather - ruined two new pairs of boots

I am often out early in the morning walking in wet grass, bird watching. I purchased a brand new pair of Merrell shoes made of Nubuck and decided to waterproof them after coming home the first day, to find that the water soaked through the Nubuck and made both my leather orthotic and socks wet. So I bought this stuff and followed the directions exactly. After I put it the stuff on, I waited for it to dry. Then I sprinkled some water on the shoes and it looked as if was going to work, the water beaded up. However, today I was out in wet grass and the water penetrated the Nubuck as before, causing my orthotic and socks to get wet again. It may work when water is dribbled on it, but in real life conditions it is unsatisfactory.

I attempted to use the cleaner to remove some small spots on a very expensive pair of brown sued boots. The cleaner neither removed the spots but instead stained the suede. I took the boots to a very reputable shoe repair shop in New York City. $35.00 later and the stain remained. They told me the only thing they could do at that point would be to dye the boots black but even then the stain would show and instead of a beautiful pair of reddish brown suede boots with a obvious and unremovable stain from the cleaner, I would have black suede boots with the same stain only darker. Really love these boots and very much regret using this product on them.

I bought this product based on a recommendation from the Keen shoe website. I have a pair of Keen clogs that are my absolute favorite, and they don't seem to sell them anymore. These shoes had obvious stains and spots on them, so much so that I only wore them at home. A few days ago I tried both Nikwax products. They were very easy to use, I couldn't believe they would work. My shoes look new again! I wish I had taken "before" and "after" photos, but trust me, these shoes looked too dirty to wear away from home. I also tried it on a cheaper pair of nubuck sandals which also look great, although they were not very dirty. This pair is a light sand color, and the product did not seem to darken the color at all. Although I used the waterproofing product, I can't comment on its effectiveness because I haven't worn them since I cleaned them.