Velor is a beautiful, but rather capricious material. It looks attractive due to its velvety surface. Its pile is longer than that of nubuck. Velor is more reminiscent of suede, but it is considered more expensive in comparison and is produced differently.
Various models are made from this material: sandals, moccasins, ankle boots and boots. But velor does not like moisture - rain, dew, wet snow. Consumers believe (quite rightly) that such shoes are elegant, but not practical. Velor is not suitable for daily wear, especially in rainy autumn or early spring. The temptation to walk in elegant shoes requires careful attention to their cleaning and restoration.
Basic rules of care
The benefit of velor shoes is not only their appearance, but also their comfort. It fits well on the foot, is light and durable. It just requires careful treatment of yourself. You can keep it in order by following simple care rules.
When returning home, the owner of a comfortable and beautiful pair should clean it as quickly as possible: do not wait for dust, dirt or snow to penetrate the product. You need to wipe the sole carefully so that water does not leave stains on the upper part.
What should not be done with any leather product also applies to this material.
- It is not recommended to place close to heat sources when shoes need to be dried.
- It should only be stored in its pure form in a shoe box, placing crumpled paper in the toe of the shoe, or using special lasts and spacers.
Interestingly, although velor does not like moisture, it is recommended to hold it for a short time over light steam. This is necessary in order to refresh the look of the shoes and make the pile not too wrinkled.
Treatment of shiny, dented, and tarnished areas is done using an eraser or a piece of thick fabric. There is advice: take fine sandpaper, but in this case you need very light touches to the surface, which do not deform, but straighten the pile.
Care products
One of the best ways to preserve shoes is to use products recommended by manufacturers for impregnating velor. To protect against moisture, they are immediately applied to a new pair (preferably several times for greater effect). After each treatment, the shoes must be dried for at least 3 hours.
These water-repellent agents can be used in the future, after cleaning and caring for moccasins or boots, but the main thing is not to forget about them from the very beginning.
To get rid of stains, you will need a cleaner, which is applied in the form of foam to the dirty surface. Some velor lovers are able to clean it with carpet detergent.
There are simple but reliable products that help with care.For example, wax can be used to carefully process seams. To remove grease stains it is recommended:
- vinegar solution;
- ammonia.
There are aerosols with a special coloring composition that are used to restore color.
A special brush for such shoes (hair or rubber) is used only for dry shoes. When cleaning velor, they do it without much pressure.
In winter, shoes (sometimes worn in cold snowy weather) are cleaned of unpleasant stains of road reagents only with special means. There are special sponges and wipes on sale to care for velor and suede.
It is very useful to use shoe fresheners and deodorants that are applied to the inside of shoes or boots. For moccasins or ballet shoes that are worn without socks, this is an indispensable tool that relieves shoes of an unpleasant odor. Traditional methods (with soda, activated carbon, etc.) are not so effective and are very troublesome. Spraying with an aerosol at night is ideal.
What not to do with velor shoes
Of course, you can’t go in rainy weather, muddy roads, etc.
Cannot be washed or washed. It is important not to use harsh and aggressive detergents and stain removers. The shoes will lose their appearance, become stiff and ugly.
It is not recommended to clean with rough brushes or with great pressure.
If you don’t have special products at hand, and stains don’t allow you to go outside in unclean shoes, you can wipe them with a soft cloth soaked in a solution of washing powder or shampoo and wrung out well. But this is the most extreme case.
Be sure to dry your boots after using any of these products.
Difference in care between artificial and natural velor
To make natural velor, good quality leather (goat, pork) is used, but it has some defects on the front, smooth part.
Not as expensive as natural velor, artificial velor has some advantages. Especially when you need to clean it from stains and dirt. Firstly, it can be washed. Secondly, it does not fade.
But in general, special products produced for natural types of leather - velor, nubuck and suede - are suitable for caring for products made from their substitutes. As a rule, shoe store sellers can offer the buyer a large line of care products for all types of materials.
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