Nappa Leather Guide: What is Nappa Leather & Is it Good for Sneakers?

If you own or are considering buying high-end sneakers, you’ve probably encountered the words Nappa leather to describe the uppers. I own a ton of leather sneakers and I’m a dude who has a blog and YouTube channel about casual leather footwear, I’ve even visited leather tanneries from England to Mexico — and I still don’t understand what Nappa leather is.

I’ve tried to educate myself but there’s very little information out there and nobody seems to agree on the specifics, so I decided to visit a professional Nappa leather restorer in a sneaker factory: Welcome to Goral Footwear in northern England.

Kamila Goral is one of several Gorals who work at this family-owned luxury sneaker brand, and she manages the resoling and restoration services for their Nappa footwear. She’s going to walk us through what this leather is, what it’s good (and bad) for, how it wears, how it handles water, and how to make it look brand new again.

What is Nappa Leather?

• Balance of softness and durability comes from tumbling with chromium and aluminium salts
• 1.2 to 1.4 millimeters thick
• Full grain leather includes outer layer of the hide
• More durable than most sneaker leathers, softer (though less durable) than most boot leathers

High-end sneaker brands throw around the word Nappa leather, but the only definition thereof that anyone seems to agree on is that it’s soft.

What makes leather “Nappa” has more to do with the tanning process than the animal it comes from.

Nappa is tougher than your average sneaker leather and softer than your average boot leather.

“The main thing that Nappa leathers have in common is that they’re tumbled with chromium and aluminium salts during the tanning process,” says Kamila. “That’s to soften it up while also making it durable for daily wear.”

Nappa isn’t for use on hardwearing boots — in fact, it’s quite common on sofas and upholstery because it’s nice and soft. The reason it’s also common on high end sneakers is that Nappa is tougher than your average sneaker leather but tougher than your average boot leather.

“It’s about 1.2 to 1.4 milimeters thick,” says Kamila. “Boot leather like the Horween Chromexcel we use on our boots is normally about 2 to 2.2 millimeters thick.”

What Animal Does Napa Come From?

One reason Nappa is a confusing term is that it doesn’t come from a single animal. But it does come from… younger animals.

“Nappa leather comes from calves and lambs,” says Kamila. “Not kids, though. Goat has a different texture. It’s a dyed-through leather and it’s thinner because it does come from the baby animals.”

Nappa is full grain leather, meaning it retains the outer layer of the animal’s skin and it’s not completely uniformly smooth, as that outer layer hasn’t been sanded down.

But because it comes from young animals, the grain’s texture isn’t very pronounced or “scaly” as you might find on full grain leather from grown animals. That it usually looks less rugged and outdoorsy is one reason calfskin is a favorite for dressier footwear.

Because the animal is young, the skin hasn’t grown and stretched and aged — it also means the skin fibers are more compact than with adult animals, so in the example of calfskin, it technically has more tensile strength than cow. However, the durability of a leather isn’t just about what animal it comes from: it has just as much to do with how it’s tanned, split, processed, dyed, and treated.

Is Nappa Leather Waterproof?

• Because its production emphasizes softness, Nappa’s “recipe” does not have many ingredients for maximizing waterproofness
• You need to treat it with waterproofing spray if this is a priority

Nappa leather isn’t very water-resistant because the tannery doesn’t emphasize protective components or coatings (like waxes and oils) during the tanning process.

“Because the tanning process doesn’t include water protectants — the top layer is basically just paint — Nappa leather is very vulnerable to water and stains,” Kamila warns. “Water will go through very easily.”

Don’t worry, though: that’s why most brands that sell Nappa leather sneakers also sell waterproofing sprays if your priority is protecting your shoes from water and stains. (Kamila uses Saphir’s sneaker protector.)

So doesn’t someone spray the sneakers before they’re sold, or the leather before it leaves the tannery? Because some folks worry that waterproofing sprays can affect a leather’s breathability and comfort. Kamila doesn’t have an opinion either way, but they sell their footwear without being waterproofed so that the customer can make their decision about treating it.

How to Care For Nappa Leather

• Condition your sneakers regularly to maximize their longevity
• Professionals invariably recommend Saphir’s products

Without proper care, leather can dry out — especially if your sneakers get wet frequently.

“Like human skin, leather needs to retain moisture to stay healthy and supple,” explains Kamila. “Frequent exposure to water will dry it out if these oils aren’t replenished.”

The recommendation is simple: once a month, wipe your shoes down with a damp cloth and wipe some Saphir Nappa Leather Balm on with a cloth.

The idea of conditioning my sneakers every month sounded like a lot to me, but Kamila insisted: If you want your sneakers to last, we recommend nourishing them.

If you wear them every day, then a few minutes per month is probably a good idea. If you just wear sneakers on the weekend, I think you can get away with just conditioning them a few times a year.

How to Fix Scuffs in Nappa Leather

• Scratch Doctor for scuffs
• Intercom Ecostick 9015ST for healing big gashes

Like we’ve said: just because it’s famous and high end doesn’t mean that Nappa leather is extremely hardwearing. It’s tougher than cheap sneakers, but it still scuffs pretty easily.

Kamila’s a professional restorer of Nappa leather sneakers, and she swears by a product designed for leather furniture.

“We use Scratch Doctor to get all the scuffs and scratches out,” Camila says, not referring to Nu Finish Scratch Doctor, a product you can easily find in the United States. This is a different brand and if you’re in America, I could only find it on eBay. “It’s great because it builds up in the scratch and it actually closes it off rather than just dyeing it white and making it look like it’s part of the shoes. It actually blends it out.”

Deeper scratches in Nappa leather require a bit more attention in the repair process. If the leather’s integrity is compromised, Kamila will fill the gash with an elastic, water-based glue. (Her product of choice is Intercom Ecostick 9015ST.)

“After that dries and the gap is closed, we return to the Scratch Doctor to cover it fully,” says Kamila. “It’s kind of like patching it with caulk right on your wall.”

Is Nappa Leather Good? – Downsides Nappa Leather

Nappa is a great material for sneakers because it’s harder wearing than just about anything you’ll find in shoes that cost under a hundred bucks.

The downside is that while it’s tougher than most sneakers, it’s still nowhere near as tough as boot leather: it scuffs easily and is vulnerable to water and stains.

The good news is that you can mitigate the proneness to stains and water with a water protective spray. The bad news is that there’s not a lot you can do about the proneness to scuffs; but you can fix them once they occur.

Wrapping Up

I’m not being funny when I say that’s the best guide to Nappa leather on the internet. I should know; I’ve been writing about Nappa leather sneakers for years and every time I review one, I look for all the information I can find on the leather, and I simply could never find out anything of substance about Nappa leather!

I’m glad you found this information, too — I hope it helps you get more years out of your beloved leather sneakers than you would have otherwise.