I researched how to dye suede and while I have tons and tons of liquid RIT dye I found that it wasn’t the best idea unless I was willing to experiment. Instead I hopped on Ebay and found what they had for sale and did some internet research to select the dye that I inevitably wound up purchasing and using. What I got was Fiebing’s Suede and Roughout Dye and with free shipping it cost me under $7. I used half of the bottle for this one project so I could conceivably use it two dye two pairs of shoes or a matching purse!
The obligatory BEFORE pic. Ew.For this project you will need:
MY LATEST VIDEOS- brush (I used a toothbrush)
- Fiebing’s Suede and Roughout Dye (mine is British Tan & it is PERFECT!)
- gloves
- paper or fabric to stuff shoes (I used old wash rags)
Take your stuffing and fill in your shoes. I stuffed mine a bit too much and the opening is stretched out, so take care.
Take your brush, I used a toothbrush, and knock away any loose dirt, etc.
I went ahead and dyed the sole of my shoe also, mostly because I wasn’t sure if I would like the original red against my orangey British tan suede. If you don’t want to dye your sole, it would be wise to tape off as this stuff is pretty runny and unruly.
I used the toothbrush to rub the dye into deep seams as the first step of dyeing. You’ll also notice that I didn’t wear gloves. BIG mistake. HUGE. Learn from my mistake and wear gloves. This stuff is serious!
For the rest of the suede I used the puff ball on a stick that came in the dye packaging. It worked really well for the big expanses. It isn’t crazy absorbent so be careful as it will drip dye all over the place.
One down, one to go. Isn’t the difference staggering? It didn’t do as well covering the stained areas, but perhaps I should have used a darker stain if I was overly interested in that. And to be honest they look awesome in daylight so whatevs.
Overall, I am really, really happy with the results. For less than $15 I have a pair of awesome shoes that are going to start hitting my regular rotation. And that British tan is a bright neutral that I absolutely adore. Happy Shoesday shoe lovers!
Written by Allison Murray - Visit Website
Hi. I was wondering if anyone has tried dyeing the seat of a saddle. I bought a used saddle and the suede seat is stained. I would like to make it look better. The seat and saddle are black.
Hi, Alana – I’ve been told by a few readers that they were able to successfully dye their saddles. I’ll tell you exactly what I told them… go into a shoe or leather shop to buy your leather dye and talk to someone about whether or not it is a good idea and if it will work with the dye you are planning on buying. They’ll be a great help to you!
I’d wear some pants you don’t mind messing up the first few times to make sure you aren’t getting staining. I sourced some garment leather from a jacket to recover my bike saddle. While the saddle is still looking good again, I have rendered all the shorts I use for commuting no good for anything else – due to the black smudge where the heat of bottom meets the saddle .
Hello, I was wondering what you used to strip or lighten the original color of the suede before you dyed them..? Thanks
I’m afraid I didn’t lighten my suede. If you can find a shoe shop, you could ask for their advice on such a thing (and buy your dye while you are there!)
Hi, I was wondering how the dye holds up to rain and other elements. I’m thinking of dying my dansko suede boots but don’t want to ruin them.
I have had no problem with rain or sweat!
GM…what’s the brand of DYE to purchase ?? I want to start dying my suede boots …thanks
Fiebings Suede and Roughout Dye. You can click the link to purchase in the materials list above the directions of the tutorial.
Hi, would the original color of my nike suede sneaker (brown color) affect my new color if i choose to dye it blue or other bright colors like pink? thanks
It definitely will impact the final color. If you’re willing for the color to be a bit different from the dye, I’d give it a go. Chances are it will still be fab!
Did you spray the shoes with a waterproofing treatment after you were finished? Do you think that step is necessary?
I didn’t but I also didn’t wear them out when it was wet much, if ever. It would probably be wise to be safe rather than sorry.
Hi, I was wondering if you had any tips from going dark to light! I have some boots that I’d love to get your tan color but unfortunately they are a dark brown.
I’m so sorry. Unfortunately I have no experience going from dark to light. Best of luck though!
Hello – take it from a “dyed-in-the-wool” hippie – you can not dye dark to light – guaranteed you can NOT !
I took my wife’s brand new gray leather boots to a pro – they dyed them navy blue – they told me you can only go light to dark, not backwards – actually makes sense if you think about it –
Actually I came across this article because I took a suede jacket in to get cleaned at the dry cleaners. The jacket is part knit and part suede but it smelled horrible because it was super vintage. When I took it to the cleaner, the man said he would have to order a laser to clean the suede. I agreed however, the jacket was super clean and the suedes knap was perfect but it really lightened up a lot! Maybe even close to four shades lighter!! I was devastated. It was not ok. So YES you can go from dark to light using a laser cleaner. Not sure what the brand was the cleaners used but it was lighter. Now I can try and restore it back to the original thanks to this article!! X
i loved this post. i shared it on my twitter. was loooking for something like this to die my shoes WHITE! maybe i will post a photograph ! ;)
That would be amazing. Please do!
Excellent Post and great read! I am dyeing my Yeezy Boosts red, and was wondering what after product I should use to seal the dye? I’d hate for the dye to spread due to moisture and onto the white sole. Thanks!
Suede sealers are pretty common. Here’s one from Amazon that has a pretty good rating. If you go to a shoe repair shop to buy your dye, you might also ask for a sealer!
Does this dye work only on real suede or can It work on synthetic suede as well?
Hi,
I’m wondering the same thing. After reading this post and seeing the (fabulous, btw) results, I’m thinking that this dye works for suede because it doesn’t ruin the texture of the suede. It probably would stain just about anything. However, it’s also probably formulated for natural fibers. I’m thinking now that I might try the Rit dye that’s made for synthetics on my $10 sandals. That stuff will dye plastic! I have some mixed up already that I saved from another project. I can test on the inside :)
Hi,
Thanks for sharing the information, the shoes look great! Just curious if the dyeing process changed the texture of the suede at all? I have seen suede become stiff and brittle.
Thank you
I was surprised that it didn’t change it at all that I noticed. It wasn’t new suede though.
I was wondering how long you had to wait for the dye to dry?
The boots look amazing, I kept going back to look again!
Inspiring, thank you for posting and sharing:)
To be honest it’s been quite a while now since I dyed these guys but I would definitely wait at least a day. I remember you can push into the suede gently to see if any color comes back on a paper towel. Sorry I’m not more help!
Love that British tan color, though on my screen it looks tangerine which is exactly what I’m looking for. Can you confirm if it is a tangerine ? Just received a new pair of ebay shoes, looked tangerine, but in fact are an insipid apricot…..grrrrrr.
It’s definitely not tangerine. It sounds like your monitor might be doing colors wrong. I’d say it’s more of an orange-y tan that is more orange than tan but it definitely is a type of brown.
Hello please advice what kind of dye can i use to dye my faded navy blue sofa. The color faded from the sun exposure. Please advice. All the best and thank you
With this brand of dye are you able to mix colors or is the original container not pourable? I bought some coral shoes online that turned out to be dusty rose. I’m wondering if I mix the tan and pink or red if I could create the color I’m reaching for.
Thank you
Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with mixing the colors but my gut says it would probably work. I’d totally give it a go!
Great post, Allison! really informative, and your results… Well, just WOW!!
I received a pair of olive green suede boots as a gift, but I already have a pair of olive leather boots (go figure – that’s why subconsciously, I think, they knew I’d like their pick!)
I have been dyeing (get it) for a pair of blue suede boots since last fall. Even bought a (really expensive) pair last winter. Haven’t worn them yet, and can actually return them within a year.
So…
Your post finally made up my mind to try to dye the olive suede boots blue. Bought the navy blue Fiebing’s and even did a little test on a hidden part of the tongue, using a Q-tip. Seems like it will go okay. But I have two questions:
1) how much dye are you spreading on the suede? Sparingly with just enough to cover, or sort of saturating the suede? I was thinking of doing a light coat and then another to get it all rich and even-colored. Does that sound right?
2) I know your great shoe buy didn’t come with laces, and the laces you bought work perfectly. But these boots are lace-up, and the laces are the same olive color as the boots. Any thought or tips on how I can dye the laces ( without creating a blue lake on my work surface)? Would you think wetting a rag and running it along the lace would work? Except on the little plastic end, of course. Well, it may even work on that, as my nail polish got dyed navy blue from a stray swipe of the Q-tip!! Gloves, check!!! :)
Oh, and to all those asking about how to protect the dye job, I am going to use a waterproof shoe spray. I once dyed a pair of beige wool Anne Kleins – using a cherry WOOD stain! – and two coats of that waterproofing resulted in my being able to run those shoes under the faucet with no ill effect.
1 – I found that I couldn’t manage a thin coat. It was all or nothing for me :) It just went on as heavy as it went on!
2 – I would definitely give your rag idea a go. If not they sell TONS of laces online and you might find the perfect size/color combination!
Wow those turned out amazing! Such an improvement from the original look :) I was wondering, how has the dye job held up over the years? Has it rubbed or worn off anywhere?
I wore these shoes for AGES without any problems. In the end I wound up giving them away but I even wore them sock-less and never stained my feet!
Thanks for all the great directions and comments. Very helpful.
Thanks for this – I have a favourite pair of black clarks boots that are totally worn out. I also have two pairs of the same boots in a teal colour – so I thought, I’d give it a go. Well I can say that the process was just a easy as you described and although I didn’t achieve the black colour I wanted I do now have a nice pair of dark navy boots that look good as new! They’ll do for me!
Please can I use fabric dye on swede, I can’t get a swede dye in my area. Thanks
You can try but I don’t know that it will turn out well. The problem is you need to add water to fabric dye and suede and water are a bad combination! You might try asking around at shoe or leather repair shops.
Hi there! Excellent post, thank you. I’m going from light to dark on a pair of boots, and I’m concerned about ending up with a mottled look. In your photos, though, it looks so even — did you take great care to make it look so even, or was that just how it came out? (Do I need to use a special technique?)
Thanks!
Julia
You definitely have to take great care to make it even.
shoes look awesome – great post, thanks :)