Suede is a popular material for boots and other types of shoes this season, and whether you are selling McAlister boots, over-the-knee boots or Oxfords, you will need to know how to properly care for the suede material these are made of when you use them in store displays.
If you are going to be displaying suede shoes on a child mannequin or group of mannequins, be careful when you are dressing them. Suede shoes can easily scuff, and once they are scuffed it is difficult to restore the material to its original state. Dress your entire mannequin and figure out where it will stand before adding the boots to prevent them from getting dirty or scuffed.
Even if you are simply displaying suede shoes on a shelf or table, it's a good idea to spray them with a product to protect them from water damage and other stains. Before spraying the entire shoe, test the product on a small, unseen patch to ensure it does not change the look of the shoe.
When designing your store displays, keep in mind the way suede can be affected by light. Suede can fade if exposed to the sun for too long, so consider placing suede shoes on a display table inside the store instead of in the window. If you must have your suede items in front window, switch them out for an identical shoe each week to keep them from getting damaged.
Tall suede boots will need extra support if they are to stand tall on a table. Make sure you have boot weights down near the toes, then stuff the upper portion of the boots with a boot tree to fill out the material and give the shopper the best view of how the boot will look over their favorite jeans!
