Leather, Patent, Suede, Raffia: Choose and Care
Two shoes can share the same last, the same heel and the same color and still be completely different to own. The material is why.
Nearly everything we make is leather, cut and finished by hand in southern Brazil, with hand-woven raffia for the warm-weather styles. Here is what each one is actually like to wear — and what it asks of you in return.
Smooth leather
What it is like: the most forgiving material we work in. It stretches slightly to the shape of your foot over the first few wears, breathes in heat, and creases where your foot bends — which is normal and not a flaw.
Wear it when you want one pair that goes from day to evening, or when you will be on your feet for hours.
Care: wipe with a soft dry cloth after wearing. A colorless leather conditioner two or three times a year keeps it from drying out. Let it rest a day between wears — leather recovers its shape when it is not on a foot.
Patent leather
What it is like: the same leather under a high-gloss finish. It is the dressiest thing in the wardrobe and the easiest to clean, because the surface is sealed. It does not stretch as much as smooth leather, and it shows scuffs more readily than it shows dirt.
One correction we make often: patent is leather. The shine is a finish applied to hide, not a plastic material. If a product page says Patent Leather, that is what it is.
Wear it when the occasion is dressed up, or when you want a black shoe that reads as deliberate rather than default.
Care: a damp cloth removes almost anything. For a scuff mark from another shoe, a soft eraser or a dab of petroleum jelly on a cloth usually lifts it. Store patent pairs so they do not press against each other — gloss can transfer color in a hot closet.
Suede
What it is like: leather with the nap raised, so it is matte, soft and warmer looking than anything else on this list. It is the least tolerant of rain and the most tolerant of scuffs — the opposite trade-off to patent.
Wear it when the weather is dry and you want texture rather than shine. Suede flatters a boot or a mid heel more than almost any other finish.
Care: brush with a suede brush in one direction after each wear to lift the nap back up. A suede protector spray before the first wear is the single best thing you can do for a suede pair. If it does get wet, let it dry away from heat, then brush it — do not rub it while damp.
Metallic leather
What it is like: leather with a foiled surface — gold, silver, bronze. It behaves like smooth leather on the foot but reflects light, which makes it read as a neutral in the evening: a gold sandal goes with more than most people expect.
Wear it when you want one pair to cover a whole season of events.
Care: dry cloth only. Skip conditioners and polishes on metallics — they can dull or lift the foil. Keep the pair in its dust bag so the surface is not rubbing against anything.
Hand-woven raffia
What it is like: a natural fiber, woven by hand, so no two pairs are identical in the way the strands fall. It is light, it breathes, and it is the reason our summer platforms and mules do not feel heavy.
Because it is woven by hand, slight variation between pairs is a property of the material, not a defect.
Wear it when it is warm — daytime, water, travel, anything linen-adjacent.
Care: keep it dry. Brush dust out of the weave with a soft dry brush; a barely damp cloth for a mark, then let it air dry fully. Store it out of direct sun, which fades natural fiber faster than wear does.
A few styles are not leather — and we say so
A handful of pairs use a stretch knit, a vinyl or a molded EVA sole because the design calls for it. When that is the case, the material is written plainly on the product page under Product Details, alongside the exact heel and platform height. We do not describe a synthetic as leather, and we do not describe leather as synthetic.
Which one should you buy first?
- One pair that does everything: smooth leather, mid or high heel.
- Evenings and events: patent, or metallic if you want it to work with more colors.
- Cool weather and texture: suede, especially in a boot.
- Heat, travel, daytime: raffia, in a platform or a sandal.
Every product page lists the material, the heel height and the platform height before you buy. If you want a second opinion on which finish suits how you actually live, write to info@coccomiami.com — we answer within one business day.