September is when suede trainers start earning their keep again, once the pavements dry out and you can wear them without worrying about a sudden downpour turning them into a sad, dark, patchy mess. They're also the thing that makes a pair of jeans you've worn fifty times look like you made an effort, without actually making any effort, which is the sort of trade I'm always on the lookout for.
The difference between a good pair and a bad one shows up fast, usually within a few wears. Cheap suede has a flat, slightly plasticky nap that mats down and goes shiny at the toe within a month, whereas decent suede has a bit of depth to the pile and keeps most of that texture even after it's been rained on and brushed back into shape. Check the stitching around the toe box and the side panels, loose threads there are a sign the rest of the construction is equally careless. The sole unit matters more than people expect too, a chunky rubber sole with proper tread will survive cobbles and wet leaves, while a thin flat one wears through at the heel within a season and starts letting damp in. Hardware, eyelets, any branding tabs, should feel attached rather than glued on as an afterthought, give them a gentle tug in the shop and you'll know. If you're buying your first pair, go for a plain low top in a mid tone, a stone or a taupe rather than white or black, because it hides the inevitable scuffs and doesn't show every change in the weather the way pale suede does.
They're brilliant for the bulk of autumn and spring, weekend errands, a casual lunch, teaching, anything where trainers read as considered rather than lazy, and they soften up jeans, a skirt, even a plain dress in a way canvas trainers never quite manage. They're less good for anything properly wet underfoot, suede and standing water have never got on and never will. Before you buy, check inside the shoe for a decent sock lining and enough room at the toe to add an insole later, because suede uppers don't stretch the way leather does, so what fits snug in the shop stays snug, sometimes uncomfortably so, six months in.
Tomorrow morning I'd put mine with straight leg jeans rolled once at the ankle and an oversized shirt, nothing clever, just the kind of outfit that looks like you decided it in under a minute.
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