Suede leather, also known as "suede" in the English-speaking world, is one of the rough leathers and is made from the hides of various animal species. Mostly it comes from domesticated animals such as cattle, calves, pigs, goats or sheep, somewhat less frequently from free-living game such as deer. Either the naturally rough back of the leather is processed into suede, or the leather is split downward, creating two rough sides. The term "suede," which is often mistakenly used interchangeably, stems from the fact that in the past, game hides were much more commonly used to make suede. By using the flesh side, damage on the grain side - such as antler injuries, thorn cracks or tick bites - could be concealed.

The term "velour" comes from the French and means "velvet", which aptly describes the feel of suede. During processing, the rough side of the leather is abraded, resulting in a long-fibered, soft, slightly grainy surface. Suede is used for shoes, clothing, gloves, bags and small leather goods. Depending on which animal hides are processed into suede, the characteristics differ slightly - All suedes are characterized by a soft, warm feel. In cow suede, the fibers are somewhat coarser, while calf and goat suede have significantly finer fibers - With good care, suede is robust and durable. Calf and goat suede are particularly hard-wearing. They are therefore ideal as upper leather for shoes and jackets, for example. Both suede leathers are also significantly more resistant to tensile stress than pig suede. Suede is extremely breathable thanks to its open-pored nature, so moisture can be easily transported away. Therefore, it is often used as a material for sneakers and gloves. Characteristic for suede is the "writing effect ". If one strokes over the surface, the direction of the fibers is changed, whereby a visible line develops. Nubuk leather, which likewise belongs to the suede types, is characterized by similar characteristics. However, with nubuck leather, the grain side of the leather is sanded rather than the flesh side. This preserves the natural grain and the resulting pile is much finer and even a little more velvety than suede.