English tannery Charles F. Stead is regarded the best suede supplier, at least in shoemaking industry.
It offers much more leather than the three collection I talk here, however these three are most used and recognized.
In my opinion, suede leather is for seasoned connoisseurs. When I can tell which smooth cowhide is good and which is bad, I am still at a loss about how to look at the quality of suede leather.
After a while, I came to be able to distinguish Repello and Janus. However, I cannot tell why Janus is better and more expensive than Repello.
Maybe this article can shed some light.
Janus
Janus is not only the best suede claimed by Charles F. Stead, but also a product recognized by the whole footwear industry.
What are the characteristics? The answer is that the fluff is very short, and the color is extremely vibrant and gorgeous.
So is it good in this respect? I don’t think it is, but its scarcity.
Everyone knows that suede leather uses the side that sticks to the meat, but only Janus is the first layer of leather. Janus’s cattle are younger, so the overall thickness is thinner. What are the practical benefits of that? The advantage is that the first layer of cowhide or full-grain cowhide has better toughness.
Suede leather is not like smooth leather, and you can’t see whether the crease is thick or thin, but the leather with more toughness is less likely to produce big wavy folds.
Repello
This is the first suede leather I came into contact with (although I didn’t know the name at that time), and it is also the suede leather that most leather shoes lovers come into contact with.
What are the characteristics? I don’t think it has any characteristics, and official website didn’t describe any appearance characteristics.
If compared with Janus, the fluff is longer, the colour is relatively dim.
But the name actually says its feature but almost no one realized it, that is, this suede provides a good waterproof function!
Repello should be a variant of English word repellent, and when you see this word, you will associate it with Water-repellent. This is also the only point mentioned by official website.
Super Buck
Super Buck came out later than the above two collections.
I have seen this leather on Mattina Ravel, and made a general introduction. The suede leather was oilde and waxed. Although the degree of oil wax is not as Rough-out (another suede collection).
This leather has a rough texture and is very soft at the same time, which really conforms to the current pursuit of more leisure and comfort.
Almost all leather shoes factories are using it. Why? It’s not the price or grade. The price of Super Buck should be a little more expensive than Repello. It’s an aesthetic consideration, that is, to pursue this kind of shoes with a little rough feeling.
After reading these introductions, can you get the answer which suede is the best? Yes, Janus is the most expensive, but is Janus the texture and function you desire? Repello is the cheapest, but what really are the disadvantages of Repello?