Leather Types
What Is Suede? Leather, Fabric or Both?
Suede is leather with a napped surface from the underside of the hide, but the word also covers microfiber look-alikes. What material is behind the label.
Suede is leather with a fuzzy, napped surface, made from the underside of an animal skin. So the short answer to "is suede leather?" is yes. The catch is that "suede" also names a look: microfiber fabrics and "sueded" cloth copy the same texture without any hide.
This page sorts out what material is behind the word. It is part of our guide to leather types, textures and finishes. For the animals, layers and wet-weather question, see what suede leather is.
What material is suede?
| Sold as | What it is made of | Leather? | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suede, suede leather | The underside of a hide, buffed to a nap; mostly lamb, also goat, calf and deer | Yes | – |
| Split suede | A lower layer split from a thick hide such as cow, sueded | Yes | – |
| Nubuck | Top-grain leather buffed on the outer side, not the underside | Yes, but not suede | – |
| Ultrasuede, microsuede, faux suede | Microfiber of polyester and polyurethane | No | – |
| Alcantara | Microfibre textile, about 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane | No | – |
| Sueded cotton or polyester | Cloth brushed on abrasive rollers to raise a nap | No | – |
Is suede from a cow?
Sometimes. Most suede is lambskin, with goat, calf and deer also common. Splits from thick cow and deer hides are sueded too, but give a shaggier nap. So a suede label alone does not tell you the animal; look for words such as cowhide, lambskin or goatskin. More on that in what suede is made of.
What is the texture of suede called?
The fuzzy surface is called the nap. The word comes from cloth, where a nap has a direction in which it feels smoothest. Brushing suede lifts and evens that nap. For close-ups of that effect, see what suede looks like.
Is suede the same as faux leather?
No. Real suede is leather. Faux suede is a type of artificial leather, the same family as PU and vinyl look-alikes. Alcantara feels so similar that it may be mistaken for suede.
For bags, belts, small leather goods and footwear sold in the US, FTC guidance says a non-leather material that looks like leather should be disclosed, for example "Imitation leather". European definitions say leather with its grain fully removed should carry a qualifier such as "suede leather" or "split leather". The side-by-side is in faux suede vs real suede.
What are the downsides of suede?
Real suede is softer but less durable than full-grain leather, because the tough outer layer is gone. Its open surface soaks up liquids and dirt. In exchange it breathes better, which is why it is used in hot-weather footwear. The full list, and how it compares with smooth hide, is in suede vs smooth leather.
Where to see real suede
The Leather Collection suede range lists lambskin suede gloves, goatskin suede pants and suede jackets, each named by animal. One example: a beige jacket in 0.9-1.0 mm goatskin suede.
FAQ
Is suede a real leather?
Yes, when the label just says suede or suede leather. Microsuede, Ultrasuede and Alcantara are synthetic look-alikes.
What is suede on sneakers?
Usually leather sanded on the inner side to raise a fine nap. In the EU, shoe labels must name the upper's material, so check it for a non-leather upper.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.