Leather Types
What Is Suede Made Of? Collagen Fibers, Tannage and Dye
Real suede is tanned collagen fiber from the inner layer of a hide, buffed to a nap. What is in it, which layer it uses, and what 100% suede means on a label.
Real suede is made of animal skin: the fibrous inner layer of a hide, tanned and then buffed into a soft nap. What you touch is mostly tanned collagen, the protein that gives skin its strength. Lamb is the usual animal, with goat, calf and deer also common.
This spec page is part of our guide to leather types, textures and finishes. For which materials are sold under the word suede, see what is suede?.
What is in a piece of suede?
A raw hide starts as 60-70% water and 19-33% protein by green weight. Tanning stabilizes that protein, and crusting dries the leather to about 14-25% moisture.
| Component | What it is | What it does | Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber network | The corium, the true leather-forming layer of the skin, built from collagen with elastic fibers | Gives strength; its fibers form the nap | – |
| Tanning agent | Most often chromium salts; some tanneries use vegetable tannins | Stabilizes the collagen so the skin does not rot | – |
| Fats and oils | Fixed to the fibers during crusting (fatliquoring) | Keeps the leather supple | – |
| Dye | Added during crusting or after buffing | Color | – |
| Surface coat | None of the continuous kind used on smooth leather | Leaves the fibers open | – |
Which layer of the hide?
Suede comes from the underside of the skin. Often that is a split, the lower layer left when the grain is separated. Some suede calfskin is instead the flesh side of a full skin, according to one retailer.
Splits from thick cow and deer hides give a shaggy nap, and adult skins often do too, so younger, smaller animals are often used. The animals and layers are covered in more depth in where suede comes from and what suede leather is.
How the fibers become a nap
Buffing abrades the surface of the leather, a step done near the end of crusting. One UK tannery describes its suede as tanned, then buffed and sanded to an even, velvety surface, then dyed and finished. That tannery uses mimosa bark rather than chromium, while chrome tanning accounts for 85-90% of leather made today.
The full sequence, step by step, is in how suede is made.
What is 100% suede made of?
Only leather. Microfiber "suede" such as Ultrasuede is polyester with polyurethane, and Alcantara is about 68% polyester and 32% polyurethane.
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. EU shoe labels name the upper's material as leather, coated leather, textile or other materials. The side-by-side is in faux suede vs real suede.
Is suede a good material?
It depends on the job. Suede is softer than full-grain leather but less durable, because the tough outer layer is gone. Its open fibers soak up liquids and dirt quickly. In return it breathes better, which is why it is used in hot-weather footwear. For a direct comparison, see suede vs smooth leather.
Suede thickness: two store examples
The Leather Collection beige suede jacket is 0.9-1.0 mm goatskin suede with a soft nap. The store's lambskin suede gloves are 0.8-0.9 mm, listed with a crust finish.
FAQ
What are the downsides of suede fabric?
Real suede is less durable than full-grain leather, gets dirty easily and absorbs liquids. Microfiber suede is a different material with its own care rules.
What happens if suede gets wet?
Sources disagree. Wikipedia says excess moisture can damage suede, while a footwear publication says most suede resists water better than people think and that oils do more harm.
HitKB Editorial Team
HitKB articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.