Leather, suede or gloss?

When you are designing your new dream boots one of the decisions to make is to decide what material to use. In this guide we are giving you our guidance to the different materials and their uniqueness.
Different materials also give different character and different types of riding boots and short boots. A riding boot made of thick polished leather is, for example, significantly stiffer and firmer than a suede boot which is thinner and softer. Since the suede is soft, it is also more elastic and molds quickly to the body, the opposite is patent leather which is a rather dull material and does not stretch very much but more or less remains the same.

Below you’ll find our complete material overview — followed by every colour we offer for custom-made tall boots as part of our standard palette. If you're dreaming of a very specific shade or a unique leather finish, we also offer full bespoke colour customization on request.

REGULAR LEATHER

Leather has the perfect properties for making riding boots and shoes, it is hard-wearing and durable, has just the right amount of elasticity without becoming limp and is comfortable both on our body and nice for the horse's body.
We only use calfskin that has been tanned in southern Europe, which means that the animals have lived in good conditions in a warm climate and have eaten nutritious feed, which also directly reflects the quality of the leather. A healthy animal has fine and elastic skin. The conditions for those who work at European tanneries are also good and the impact on the environment is as small as possible. We constantly want to improve and are looking at alternative materials on the market, but at the moment we have not yet found any material that achieves the same good quality and properties as well as durability for riding boots that leather does.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · BLUE · LIGHT BROWN · BORDEAUX · PINK

POLISHED LEATHER

The polished leather is a very popular choice for dressage boots and especially competition boots as it has a glossy and very smooth and attractive surface. During the tanning of the leather, several layers of wax and heat have been applied and then polished to produce a smooth and glossy surface where no pores or marks are visible. Worth knowing is that the polished leather is a couple of millimeters thicker than normal matte calfskin, so the riding boots will be significantly harder and stiffer if you choose this material. A tip if you want a semi-hard riding boot is to choose one of our all-round models but design them in polished leather and you will still get a harder boot with more support.
A big advantage of polished leather is that it is very easy to maintain, you basically only need to wipe it with a damp cloth.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · BLUE · GREY · BORDEAUX

SUEDE

Suede is also leather, but instead of using the outside of the skin, this is the inside. Suede is very popular thanks to its soft and elastic properties. If you have slightly delicate feet, suede is a given option for you. Many riders avoid suede because they are afraid that it is too sensitive, but with a little frequent use of impregnation spray and a suede brush, there are no problems. You can also combine suede with leather and make the most exposed parts, especially the toe, heel and the inside panel of the boots in leather, so the riding boots will last even longer.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · BLUE · BRANDY · GREEN · GREY

CROCO, COBRA & OSTRICH

All of our croco patterns are of course not crocodile or any other exotic animal, it is calfskin that has been embossed, i.e. pressed with different imitation patterns. We have different variants of matt croco, but also glossy croco gloss which is very popular. It's super shiny and looks super luxurious. The croco patterns are also very soft because the embossing has compressed the leather and made it a little thinner. The croco gloss is also perfect when it rains, just wipe it off and they will be like new again. You can design entire riding boots or details in croco.

MATTE CROCO – Colours

BLACK · BROWN · BLUE · GREEN

GLOSSY CROCO – Colours

BLACK · BROWN · BLUE · BORDEAUX · GREEN · DARK GREY

EMBOSSED OSTRICH – Colours

BLACK · BROWN

PYTHON (EMBOSSED PYTON) – Colours

BLACK / GREY

PATENT LEATHER

Patent leather, or glossy leather as we call it, is very elegant and the absolute glossiest material we have. However, it is a slightly more sensitive material. Since the glossy leather is a leather that has a thin surface treatment of plastic, it is not so flexible and can crack after a while of use if you are not a little extra careful. Another challenge if you choose gloss on the outside panel of the riding boots is that scratches can easily occur if you happen to ride too close to the edge, and they are quite hard to remove. Therefore, we recommend choosing glossy leathers for contrast details and smaller parts of the riding boots.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · BLUE · GREY · BORDEAUX

SPARKLING LEATHER

Sparkling leather has a subtle shimmer and elegant shine. It’s perfect for trims, tops and riders who want something unique without being overpowering.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · BLUE

FLOWER EMBOSSED

This is a beautifully embossed floral leather that gives your boots a vintage, artistic and decorative character — wonderful for tops and statement designs.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · DARK BROWN · BLUE · GREY

PATINA / PREMIUM HAND-PAINTED

Hand-painted leather is made by layering colours one stroke at a time. This creates depth, gradient and an artisanal finish. Every piece is unique — perfect if you want your boots to stand out.

Colours available:
BLACK · BROWN · HONEY · BLUE · GREEN · BORDEAUX · LIGHT GREY · DARK GREY

SHEEPSKIN LINING

Sheepskin is nature’s own high-tech material — warm, breathable, antibacterial and temperature-regulating.
It creates natural insulation and unmatched comfort. Sheepskin lining has no colour variations.

SYMPATEX® MEMBRANE 

SympaTex is a waterproof and breathable membrane used inside outdoor model ITU. It allows moisture to escape while preventing water from entering — ideal for wet climates and winter riding.

BESPOKE COLOURS

If you wish for a colour that isn’t shown here, we’re happy to create a bespoke shade especially for you. Bespoke colours are made to order and come with an additional customization fee.

🐎
We hope you became a little wiser, but if more questions have arisen, please feel free to Chat with us through the bottom right corner of our site, or email info@amazonasueca.com and we will help you further!