Suede and nubuck leathers are both softer and ‘fuzzier’ than traditional smooth leathers and are most commonly used for leather goods.

They are in a lot common,but you will get curious when explain the difference between them. To that end,we set out to explore the origins of each material, and how they are crafted.

Basics

An animal’s hide is made up of several layers, each with different characteristics. These layers are split (or separated) using machinery when they arrive at a tannery, and go on to become different types of leather.

The top layer has dense, tightly-packed fibres that make it water-resistant and highly durable. This makes sense when you consider that the outer layer of an animal’s skin is exposed to the elements.

Howevert,the fibres within the lower layer are less tightly packed together or ‘looser’. Leather produced from this part of the hide is consequently less robust and resistant to water, although it has other advantageous characteristics.

Then,the fuzzy nap that is found on suede and nubuck leathers is appears due to the fact that both suede and nubuck are crafted by sanding leather hides to remove the top layer of material.

Suede

The word suede comes from the French phrase, ‘gants de Suède’, which aptly translates to ‘gloves from Sweden’. 

Suede is what is left behind after the Top Grain has been split away from the hide and made by taking leather cut from the softer and more pliable lower layers (the hide’s corium, to use the technical language), and then sanding the inner surface. The suede’s fibres are loosened further. They become raised as a result of the sanding, giving the leather a velvet-like, napped finish.

Nubuck

Nubuck is made from the outer-facing layer of an animal’s hide, the full-grain section. This layer is sanded down to make a kind of napped leather, which is thicker and more durable than suede; this boils down to the material’s superior fibre structure, which is elaborated on in the previous section.

After the sanding process, the nubuck can be dyed and treated for a uniformly smooth and consistent finish.

All in all,suede is crafted by sanding or rubbing the inside layer of the leather hide.

Nubuck is crafted from the sanded outside layer of the leather hide.The outside layer of the leather hide tends to be much thicker, sturdier, and durable. This means that nubucks tends to be slightly less soft to the touch but much more durable. The added durability and toughness makes nubuck perfect for footwear applications.

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