Kaps Super Colour Leather and Faux Leather Dye – Black (118) – 25ml

Description

Kaps Super Colour Leather and Faux Leather Dye – Black (118) – 25ml – opaque black dye with cleaner, brush and sponge

Some shoes are far too good to throw away and just a bit too tired to wear. Scuffed toe caps, a heel that has gone grey, a black bag faded to a dusty charcoal – that is when to reach for Kaps Super Colour. This is a black faux leather dye that covers natural leather and fabric beautifully too, so one small 25ml bottle can rescue shoes, boots, trainers and handbags you had already written off.

What makes this dye so useful is that it stays flexible once dry. Shoes bend with every step, and a rigid paint would crack across the vamp within a week. Kaps Super Colour moves with the leather instead, which is why cobblers rely on it and why it suits anyone who wants to recolour a pair properly rather than touch it up every fortnight.

You get everything you need: 25ml of highly pigmented dye, a separate 25ml bottle of preparer or cleaner, a small brush for edges, seams and welt lines, and a sponge for the larger panels. That preparer is the part most people skip, and it is the biggest reason home recolouring goes wrong.

I keep a bottle of the black on my own bench because it is the colour that saves the most pairs. If you are unsure whether your shoes are natural or synthetic, do not worry: this dye is happy on both.

Why choose Kaps Super Colour black leather dye?

• Genuinely opaque coverage. The pigment load is high enough to take a faded or patchy shoe back to a solid, even black rather than leaving a streaky wash of colour over the old finish.
• Works on leather and synthetics. Smooth leather, coated leather, faux leather and most fabric uppers take this dye, which suits modern trainers and mixed-material boots.
• Stays flexible when dry. The film bends with the upper as you walk, so it resists the cracking you get from rigid craft and household paints.
• Cleaner and applicators included. The preparer strips old wax, silicone and polish so the dye can key in, and the brush plus sponge reach seams and stitching as well as flat panels.
• Repairs damage as well as colour. Deep scuffs, worn heel counters and scratched toe caps can be built up with two or three thin coats until the mark disappears.
• A big range in a small bottle. Kaps offer well over seventy shades in this line, so the same technique applies if you later need a brown, a navy or a bright colour.

How to use Kaps Super Colour leather dye

1. Take out the laces and fill the shoes with shoe trees or crumpled paper so the upper is held in its natural shape. Brush off loose dirt and dust first.
2. Wipe the whole area you plan to dye with the included preparer on a cloth or cotton pad. Keep going until the pad stops picking up colour and the surface looks matt – this removes old polish and factory finish.
3. Shake the dye bottle hard, then stir it, so the pigment that has settled at the bottom is fully mixed back in. Test the shade on the inside of the tongue or a hidden panel.
4. Use the brush for welts, seams, stitching and scratches, then load the sponge and work the dye over the larger panels in small circles. Thin coats always beat one thick coat.
5. Let each coat dry for around thirty minutes and add a second or third coat until the coverage is even. Leave the shoes for a full 24 hours before wearing them, and only then add a protector spray.

Specifications

• Volume: 25ml dye plus 25ml preparer or cleaner
• Included: Dye, preparer, application brush and sponge
• Colour: Black – shade 118
• Suitable for: Smooth leather, coated leather, faux and synthetic leather, fabric uppers, bags and accessories
• Not suitable for: Suede, nubuck and other napped leathers
• Finish: Opaque, flexible, satin
• Curing time: Touch dry in about 30 minutes, fully wearable after 24 hours
• Brand: Kaps – European family business with decades of shoe care and leather craft experience

Frequently asked questions

Will this black dye crack when I walk?

Not if you apply it in thin coats and let each one dry. The formula is deliberately elastic so it flexes with the upper. Cracking is almost always caused by one thick, wet coat, or by dyeing over a shoe that still has wax and silicone on it.

Do I really need to use the cleaner first?

Yes, and it is the step I would never skip. Most shoes carry a factory finish, old cream and sometimes waterproofing spray, all of which stop the dye keying into the surface. Two minutes with the preparer is the difference between a finish that lasts and one that lifts off on the first wet day.

Can I dye trainers with a synthetic upper?

You can. This is one of the few dyes that behaves well on faux leather and coated synthetics, which is why it is popular for refreshing trainers with tired black panels. Mesh and knit sections take colour too, though they end up slightly stiffer.

How many pairs will one 25ml bottle cover?

For a normal pair of shoes or ankle boots, 25ml is plenty for two full coats. Tall boots or a large handbag will use most of a bottle, so order two for a bigger job.

Where can I buy Kaps Super Colour Leather and Faux Leather Dye in black in the UK?

You can order Kaps Super Colour Leather and Faux Leather Dye in black directly from Shoespecialist.co.uk. We offer free delivery on orders over £50, same day dispatch when you order before 5pm, and a 60-day return policy, so you have plenty of time to try the product on your own shoes before you commit to it.