I have one pair of brown suede E. Greens in a lace up model. I have had them for a while and theyve been exposed to everything from torrential downpours to spills at bars/restaurants. I have never had any problems with letting them dry out and I have never waterproofed them. They did fade over time but they look just as good as ever after taking them to a shoe place for a reconditioning and spraying of the leather with a brown suede stain.

I have several other pairs of suede shoes and non of them is worse for the wear. The colors I wear are very dark, in general. I have a couple of pairs of summer shioes that involve cream suede but I want those to get dirty or at least yellowed.

I prefer suede footwear to any other and have same in everything from work boots to slip-ons, monks, derbies in plain toe and split toe, and oxfords in semi-brogue, punch cap, and plain cap.  The shoes cover the color spectrum from the cream buck sections of my spectators through shades of brown from moderately light to very dark.  I care for all of my shoes as appropriate and have never understood the special concern for suede’s supposed delicacy.  To the contrary, I find that maintenance of suede shoes is perhaps easier than smooth leather since suede requires no polishing and does not scuff or, rather, scuffs don’t show as the process of sueding leather is essentially scuffing.

Distress from water and other spills when allowed to dry naturally will almost always brush off suede.  Stains usually come out with a gum eraser and or a light blotting application of lighter fluid.  Some discoloration or uneveness is inevitable with wear, but I equate that with the patina that is so prized in smooth leather that folks pay extra to have it applied to new shoes by the maker. Obviously, wearing suede shoes to change the oil in one’s vehicle or paint the walls may result in permanent damage to the nap, but I hardly ever do that with anything other than the work boots.

I recently gave to charity a pair of chocolate suede slip ons that were approaching fifteen years old only because my feet have spread a bit over the years and the fairly narrow toe box of the shoes made them too uncomfortable to wear for more than a few minutes.  The nap at the toes and heel counters of those shoes was a bit matted and darkened, but I’ve even seen that effect applied to new shoes to give them that old money look.  I had the look without any old money and not that much new.