When you read our guides, you’ll see the term “smooth leather” come up a lot. That’s because most of the popular Saphir Médaille d'Or products are designed for this type of leather. The most common smooth leather used in shoes is calfskin, which means your classic leather shoes are very likely made from it.

Brands often give their leather fancy marketing names to make it sound more special than the competition, but in many cases it’s still calfskin. Of course, calfskin comes in different quality levels. Ranked from highest to lowest, you’ll find: full grain calfskin, box calfskin, corrected grain, and bookbinder calf.

If you’d like to learn more about caring for smooth leather and calfskin, you can check out our beginner or advanced shoe care guides. But to give you the essentials in short:

1. (Optional) Start with Saphir Renomat if you need to remove old polish or stains.
   
2. Follow with Saphir Médaille d'Or Renovateur for conditioning and light cleaning.
   
3. Then apply Saphir Médaille d'Or Pommadier Cream Polish for colour, a soft shine, and basic protection.
   
4. Finally, use Saphir Médaille d'Or Pâte de Luxe Wax Polish for added protection and a high gloss finish.
   

To get started, all you’ll need besides the products are a couple of good brushes and a cotton cloth.

We often talk about suede and nubuck in the same breath, simply because they require the same kind of care. Any product that works on suede will work just as well on nubuck, and vice versa.

As with other leathers, suede also comes in different grades of quality. You’ll find, for example, full-grain suede and split-grain suede.

Curious how to keep your suede shoes looking their best? Check out our suede care guide.

Quick suede care routine:

1. Saphir Médaille d'Or Omninettoyant – deep cleaning
   
2. Saphir Médaille d'Or Gommadin – removes stains
   
3. Natural Protector Spray – protects the leather without darkening it.

You’ll also want:

• A suede crepe brush
  
• (Optional) Pâte de Luxe shoe wax to touch up and protect the sole edges

Sneakers aren’t made from just one type of leather, but they are a category of shoes we get a lot of questions about. The main goal with sneakers is usually to keep them looking fresh for as long as possible and to get them properly clean once they do get dirty. Products like Tarrago WASC and Saphir Médaille d'Or foam cleaner are perfect for that. For more details, have a look at our sneaker care guide.

Sneaker care in short:

1. Clean with Tarrago WASC or Saphir Médaille d'Or Foam Cleaner
   
2. Protect with Tarrago Sneaker Protector Spray or Saphir Médaille d'Or Natural Protector Spray
   
3. (Optional) Freshen up with Tarrago Odor Killer
   

You’ll also need:

- A cleaning brush
- A microfibre cloth

Cordovan leather is very different from calfskin, which is why Saphir Médaille d'Or created a special Cordovan Cream just for this leather type. Unlike regular calfskin leather, cordovan is made from horsehide, it’s denser, stiffer, and doesn’t react well to strong solvents. That’s why this cream is formulated with a very low turpentine content, making it safe and effective for cordovan.

For more details, take a look at our dedicated cordovan care guide.

Cordovan care routine in short:

1. Saphir Saddle Soap – full cleaning if needed (use sparingly)
2. Saphir Médaille d'Or Renovateur – light cleaning and nourishment (also sparingly, due to solvents)
3. Saphir Médaille d'Or Cordovan Cream – conditioning and restoring colour
4. Saphir Médaille d'Or Pâte de Luxe Wax Polish – added shine and protection
   

You’ll also need:

- A set of polishing brushes
- A cotton cloth

Patent leather is specially coated leather that has a very shiny finish. Traditionally, patent shoes were often worn with formal attire such as a tuxedo or tailcoat, but nowadays you also see them frequently paired with everyday outfits. Unfortunately, when scratches appear on patent leather, they cannot be repaired, since they are in the lacquer layer itself. Contrary to what many people think, you do not treat patent leather with shoe wax.

We recommend maintaining your patent leather shoes with Saphir Vernis Rife. This product cleans the lacquer and restores the shine. Apply the product with a cloth and then buff it again with a cloth.

1. Goat hair brush (Remove dust)
   
2. Saphir Vernis Rife (Cleaning and shine)
   
3. Saphir Médaille d'Or Pâte de Luxe (For colouring leather sole edges)

Nappa leather usually comes from lamb or sheepskin. Nappa is known for its softness and durability, it is highly resistant to damage and therefore very suitable for furniture, gloves, and small leather goods such as bags and wallets. Because of this, Nappa leather also requires a silky-soft cream for care and maintenance. This is why Saphir created a cream that is perfect for Nappa leather, namely: Saphir Médaille d'Or Nappa Cream. This product cleans, nourishes, and protects your Nappa leather item against cracks, water, and dirt. Read our Nappa care guide for more information.

Nappa care in short:

1. Wipe with a Damp cloth
2. Saphir Médaille d'Or Nappa Cream (General care for Nappa leather)
   

Reptile leather is one of the rarest and most valuable types of leather in the world. The most well-known kind is crocodile leather, although snake leather is also popular. Reptile leather has a completely different structure compared to calf leather and therefore needs to be treated differently.

We recommend treating exotic leathers such as snake and crocodile with Saphir Médaille d'Or Reptile Cream. Read our exotic leather care guide for more information.

Exotic leather care in short:

1. Goat hair brush (Remove dust and dirt)
   
2. Saphir Médaille d'Or Reptile Cream (General care and protection)