Custom PPE Nubuck Leather Safety Shoes Manufacturers

What are the advantages and disadvantages of nubuck leather safety shoes compared to full-grain or split leather

What is Nubuck leather?
Nubuck is a lightly polished full-grain cowhide. The cuticle on the surface of the leather is slightly polished with fine sandpaper, presenting a soft suede texture similar to suede. Unlike ordinary split leather, Nubuck retains the natural texture structure of genuine leather and has higher strength and breathability.
Greateagle Safety always adheres to user-oriented selection of leather for safety shoes, especially focusing on the balance between functionality and comfort of materials. In the two major production bases of Ningbo and Gaomi, the company took the lead in introducing Nubuck materials into the industrial safety shoe series products, providing more humane protection solutions for workers in high temperature, heavy load and humid environments.
Main advantages of Nubuck leather safety shoes
1. Better comfort and breathability
The suede structure of Nubuck leather brings stronger breathability and softness than traditional leather. It effectively reduces foot fatigue during long-term wearing operations. It is especially suitable for use in high-temperature or poorly ventilated workshops, mining areas and other environments. Greateagle Safety optimizes the composite method of Nubuck and lining materials in the upper structure to enable this type of safety shoes to have stronger microclimate regulation capabilities and improve the wearing experience.
2. Better aesthetics and high-end texture
Nubuck has a unique high-end matte texture and delicate touch, and is widely used in high-end work shoe series. For many export markets, especially for industry customers in the Middle East and Europe with high requirements for appearance, Nubuck leather safety shoes have become a symbol to distinguish standard products from high-end products. Among the customers served by Greateagle's Saudi Arabia and Qatar subsidiaries, Nubuck leather safety shoes have become one of the first choices for engineering contractors and high-end labor protection centralized procurement customers due to their texture and brand added value.
3. High-strength pressure-bearing capacity
Despite its soft surface, Nubuck is still full-grain leather, which retains the toughest structural part of genuine leather. Its tear resistance and puncture resistance are much higher than layered leather. This is an extremely important advantage for safety shoes, which need to be combined with hard protective components such as steel toes and steel soles.
Application limitations and disadvantages of Nubuck leather
1. High stain resistance and maintenance requirements
Compared with full-grain leather with a natural smooth surface, Nubuck's suede is more likely to absorb dust, oil stains and water stains, and has higher cleaning and maintenance requirements. In easily polluted environments such as chemical, oil fields, and machine repair, the use of Nubuck uppers may cause the product appearance to age rapidly. In this regard, Greateagle Safety, relying on its material research and development department, has introduced waterproof coatings and nano-antifouling treatment technologies in a number of Nubuck shoe models, significantly extending the cleaning cycle and service life of the uppers.
2. Slightly poor adaptability to climate
Due to its soft texture and strong water absorption, Nubuck is prone to leather deformation or surface fading in extreme humidity environments, especially when it is not waterproofed. It is not as adaptable to rainy seasons or cold wave climates as coated leather or full-grain leather. For this reason, Greateagle Safety usually combines Nubuck with rubber trims, PU waterproof tongues and other structures in product design to enhance overall sealing and weather resistance.
3. Relatively high cost
Due to the fact that Nubuck leather is derived from full-grain genuine leather and requires additional polishing, its raw material and processing costs are higher than ordinary layered leather. This makes Nubuck leather safety shoes mostly positioned in the mid-to-high-end market. As an export-oriented enterprise integrating R&D, production, sales and service, Greateagle Safety controls costs and optimizes processes through its own production lines, and provides more cost-effective Nubuck leather safety shoes while ensuring quality, successfully opening up emerging markets including the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

How to properly clean and maintain nubuck leather safety shoes

Why does Nubuck leather require special cleaning and maintenance?
Nubuck leather is a type of leather that is made by lightly polishing the surface of full-grain cowhide to form a fine suede. Compared with traditional smooth leather, it performs well in texture and breathability, but it is also more likely to absorb dust, moisture and oil, and is more sensitive to detergents and mechanical friction.
Greateagle Safety found in actual project feedback that many users have misunderstandings about the cleaning of Nubuck leather safety shoes, which leads to discoloration, hardening or surface shedding of the upper. Therefore, in order to extend the service life of the shoes and maintain their functionality and professional image, the correct daily care process is particularly important.
Standard cleaning process for Nubuck leather safety shoes
1. Regular dust removal - Gentle cleaning with professional brushes
After the work is completed every day, a Nubuck special brush (usually a soft-bristled nylon brush or rubber brush) should be used to gently brush along the leather texture to remove surface dust and impurities. Avoid using hard-bristled brushes or metal brushes to avoid scratching the suede.
Greateagle Safety provides matching care kits for some high-end Nubuck shoes, which include shoe brushes made of customized materials, so that users can quickly complete cleaning in different environments.
2. Spot stain cleaning - use an eraser or cleaning block
When encountering cement, paint, small area of ​​oil or mud stains, you can use a Nubuck leather eraser or cleaning block to wipe the local area, and then use a soft brush to clean the floating powder. It is strictly forbidden to wipe directly with a wet cloth or ordinary detergent to avoid penetration, discoloration or leaving marks.
3. Deep cleaning - use a special foam cleaner
The upper can be deeply cared for every 1-2 weeks. Use Nubuck leather special cleaning foam, spray it on a clean soft cloth or sponge, pat the upper gently, and then brush it evenly with a brush to avoid spraying the foam directly on the leather surface to cause local immersion.
During the research and development process, Greateagle Safety has tested a variety of neutral cleaning formulas suitable for Nubuck leather, and guides end users to purchase certified shoe care products.
4. Dry naturally, avoid exposure to sunlight or heating
After cleaning, the shoes should be placed in a cool and ventilated place to dry naturally. Do not use a hair dryer, heater or direct sunlight to prevent the leather from cracking or deforming.
Maintenance suggestions for Nubuck leather safety shoes
1. Use waterproof spray regularly to enhance anti-fouling ability
Nubuck leather itself is not naturally waterproof and is easy to absorb moisture and oil. It is recommended to spray waterproof and oil-proof spray once every 1-2 weeks to form an invisible protective film on the upper to prevent stains from penetrating.
Greateagle Safety provides customers with matching waterproof coating options, and professionally sprays the uppers before leaving the factory to improve the stain resistance of the uppers from the source. It is suitable for complex environments such as oil fields, ports, and construction sites.
2. Avoid long-term humid or strong friction environments
In high humidity or muddy scenes, it is recommended to add shoe covers to the Nubuck safety shoe jacket to reduce contact with corrosive media or sharp hard objects and prevent suede damage or deterioration.
3. Store properly, keep dry and ventilated
When not wearing, safety shoes should be placed in a dry area and filled with shoe trees or newspapers to prevent deformation. Avoid stacking and squeezing multiple pairs of shoes to keep the shoe shape straight.