Caring for your Sabahs is simple + they only get better with age!
We suggest minimal intervention as we believe the natural patina your Sabahs
will gather over time is part of what makes them so special. Otherwise, the most important aspect of Sabah care is to:
Clean & condition the leather
Replace the rubber
Leather Care
To best care for the leather of your Sabahs or Babas, we suggest you clean them as they get dirty, avoid wearing them in water or in other extreme conditions (for example, on a hike), and condition them regularly, or as they appear dry, with a high-quality natural leather conditioner. Doing so will help maintain the texture and beauty of the leather over time, minimizing cracks and weakness in the fibers.
If your Sabahs do get wet, let them dry naturally and avoid wearing them while wet as this can stretch out and deform your Sabahs. Otherwise, they should be okay. If your Sabahs get water stains, this can often be remedied by using a conditioner to even out the color.
We generally produce three types of leathers that each call for slightly different care:
Regular, smooth leathers
These are the easiest to care for. Clean them when they appear dirty or stained, and then apply a neutral conditioner from time to time as the leather appears dry or you want to revive it. We offer a leather conditioner on our website that works well for all Sabahs. Note: leather conditioners often darken leather and we suggest following the instructions provided with the leather conditioner.
Nubuck
Nubuck leather is made from the outside part of the hide and is brushed/sanded to create a nap texture. Cleaning and Care recommendations will vary depending on your specific situation. We recommend referencing this article for more in-depth insights: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Nubuck
Suede
Suede leathers are delightfully soft and beautifully textured. However, keeping Suede shoes clean does require thoughtful attention & care. Depending on your situation, the care recommendations may vary. See this article for more detail: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Suede-Shoes
Hair-On Leathers
Hair-on leathers (hides without the cow hair removed) should be cleaned gently with a damp cloth or soft brush, brushing in the direction of the hair, to remove stains or debris. We do not recommend using any conditioners or topical products on our hair-on leathers. Like any item made with natural hair, it is delicate and can be susceptible to subtle damage or thinning over time caused by friction during use. This is not a defect in the leather or production of the Sabahs. Please handle with care.
Veg Tanned Leather
Vegetable tanned leather or ‘veg tan’ as it’s often called is one of the oldest tanning methods known to man. It’s been around for centuries but less than 10% of the world’s leather is tanned this way today. Sabah veg tan leather is thicker and tougher and will develop a buttery one-of-a-kind patina because of the natural tannins we use in the tanning process. Every pair is truly unique.
To care for your veg tanned leather, lightly brush off any debris or dirt on the surface with a soft, damp cloth. Use Sabah leather cleaner and conditioner, in that order, applying the product to a soft cloth and rubbing it onto the shoe with a circular motion. Pressure isn’t necessary — simply apply with a quick motion and the heat of the friction will infuse the
product into the top grain of the leather. Be certain to cover the entire upper, including within the creases. Allow to dry and then buff off the excess with a clean, dry soft cloth.
Rubber Soles
The final step in crafting a pair of Sabahs is to add on the protective rubber outsoles. We use a soft and thin TPR style rubber for this, which allows the Sabah to remain lightweight & flexible. We believe that these two characteristics are what make Sabahs uniquely comfortable.
With time & wear, these outer soles may start to wear thin in the heel or toe area. It depends on a variety factors (your walking form, nature & frequency of wear, exposure to elements...)
Thankfully, by design, these outsoles can easily be replaced. Soles should be serviced to maximize the lifetime of your Sabahs.
If there is a local cobbler in your area, we encourage you to consult them for service. Resoling a Sabah is a standard job that any cobbler should have no issue accommodating.
However, if a local cobbler feels inaccessible, we can facilitate a repair with our affiliate cobbler based in NYC. For more information on this, please send us a note at portal@sabah.am.
As a final note - we do not add a rubber outsole to our backless Babas. They are crafted with a thick & durable water buffalo sole. We believe this makes our Babas extra comfortable & versatile.
Sabah Resole & Refresh Service - US
Sabah’s authorized Cobblers at Cobbler Concierge will help you care
for and maintain your Sabahs.
These highly trained cobblers based in New York City are quick and easy to
use, whether you're local or want to mail your Sabahs from afar.
To initiate your repair:
CLICK HERE
Our team will facilitate your repair from start to finish. We will
coordinate the shipping of your Sabahs to our repair facility and, once
received, will keep you updated on the status of your repair.
What will your repair cost?
Replacing rubber soles: $45 (default service, most common)
Color restore/touch up: $35
Stitching repair: $35
** Shipping is not included in the above prices
For any other questions or concerns about the care of your Sabahs, please
visit our FAQ page and/or email
us at portal@sabah.am.
Sabah Resole Service - UK
We also offer a Sabah resole service for those based locally in London.
To initiate your repair, please send an email to london@sabah.am.
Our team will facilitate your repair from start to finish. We will coordinate the shipping of your Sabahs to our repair facility and, once received, will keep you updated on the status of your repair. Repairs usually take about one week.
What will your repair cost?
- Replacing rubber soles: £40
For any other questions or concerns about the care of your Sabahs, please
visit our FAQ page and/or send us
an email!