How To Remove Deep Scratches From Leather Shoes

Are you the kind of person who values their shoes more than anything? Because I surely am one.

I love keeping all my footwear in top-notch condition and absolutely hate it if something bad happens to them. Shoes are easy to get soiled and suffer wear and tear if worn frequently, especially those made of delicate material. 

Leather shoes are one of my favorites, but unfortunately, you need to be really careful with them, both while wearing and storing. My naughty little kitten scratched my favorite pair and ruined it, but I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.

I researched several effective ways to fix leather scratches and learned one new thing that many people don’t know about. Scuffs and scratches are quite different from each other, and there are separate ways to remove them from leather shoes.

Hey guys, it’s me, Stacy Smith, and I am back with another handy guide to help you out with everyday stuff. Today, I will share some tips and techniques on how to remove deep scratches from leather shoes.

Things are about to get technical here, so are you ready? Let’s get started!

What Are Scuffs?

Unlike scratches, scuffs happen when something gets transferred on your shoe and causes a smudge. They are mainly superficial and do not hamper the structural integrity of your footwear. 

Now, scuffs are generally of two types depending on the depth of the damage - material transfer and abrasive.

A. Material Transfer Scuffs

These are the marks that occur on the shoe surface when some other object brushes against it. Someone stepping on your feet and leaving behind a black scuff is a classic example of material transfer scuff. 

Ways To Remove Material Transfer Scuff

1. Brush

More often than not, you’ll be able to simply wipe away the scuff using a duster or a shoe brush. The latter will be more effective since the bristles are specifically designed to clean footwear.

2. Magic Eraser

For those of you who don’t know, a magic eraser is a moderately abrasive piece of melamine foam used for cleaning stains. It can remove stubborn stains with ease but should be used very carefully because of its corrosive nature.

For starters, wet the foam and try rubbing an inconspicuous spot of your leather shoe. Once you are sure that it’s not damaging the leather go ahead and wipe the scuff off gently, without applying too much pressure.

3. Eraser

If you are skeptical about using the melamine foam and your scuff mark is relatively light, I suggest going for a normal eraser used for rubbing pencils. Those erasers are made of latex and do not have any adverse effect on the leather. However, you’ll have to apply sufficient pressure and rub thoroughly to obliterate the mark.

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B. Abrasive Scuffs

It is known as an abrasive scuff when something comes in contact with your leather and, instead of leaving any superficial mark, causes a slight structural damage. You cannot completely cure this type of mark since the leather has been bruised, but you can try to cover it and make it less obvious.

Ways To Remove Abrasive Scuff

1. Conditioning

Lighter scuffs can be fixed by using an ordinary conditioner that is moisturizing in nature. The leather will take up the moisturizer and swell up a little, just like your skin absorbs it. Then, wait for it to dry completely and top it off with some varnish if you wish. 

2. Polishing

Conditioning focuses more on the texture of the leather shoe and cures the mark by filling up the crack. On the other hand, polishing primarily covers the surface and targets the appearance. 

Polishes are available in different colors, so you can choose one that will blend the best with your shoe. Normally, the scuffed part of the leather appears light and somewhat sandpapered, so polish does a nice job of masking it and adding a shine.

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C. Scratches

Now that you know about scuffs and their types, I can move on to discuss deep scratches. They are gashes that go way deeper than the scuffs and can even cut the leather in extreme cases. 

You cannot simply cover deep scratches by putting something on the surface. Meaning, it’s essential to do some filling to fix them. So, I have put together a step-by-step guide for you to remove deep scratches from your leather shoes effectively. 

1. Get Rid Of The Loose Leather Pieces

Deep scratches often cause leather bits to stick out from the surface, which need to be removed. You can get rid of them by gently rubbing them with fine (120-220) grit sandpaper or simply snip them off using scissors.

2. Clean The Shoe

Thoroughly clean your footwear using a cleaning brush or a damp cloth, paying more attention to the area that you’ll be fixing. Let it dry before you start the filling process.

3. Fill The Scratch

Fill the damaged part using a leather cream polish that best suits your shoe. Do test it out by dabbing a small amount in a tiny spot first before rubbing it thoroughly on the surface in circular motions.

4. Wipe The Excess

When done with the filling part, evenly clean off the excess polish with a rag and let it dry. Apply another coat in a similar fashion and buff it with a horsehair brush for the final finish.

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Final Words