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I have a friend in Colorado who is not a fan of Birkenstocks (yet). Her shoe preference is Keens. She recently spent an inordinate amount of time cleaning Keens for all of her family members after a hike. A few days later she asked me if my Birkenstocks were hard to care for and if they got smelly, like Keens. I own a pair of Keens, so I understood this inquiry. I told her that my Birkenstocks do not get smelly. Caring for my Birkenstocks is much easier than caring for my other shoes, including my Keens. With a few easy steps you can clean and maintain your Birkenstocks. In doing so, your Birkenstocks can last for years. My first pair of Birkenstocks lasted just over a decade because I took good care of them. One of the simplest ways to protect your Birkenstocks is to avoid extreme heat. Do not leave your Birkenstocks in your car. Do not put them near a fire or heater to dry. If your shoes become wet let them slowly air dry away from direct heat. In addition to avoiding extreme heat, you must properly maintain the uppers and the footbeds of your Birkenstocks to ensure durability. Birkenstock sells its own care kit to help you with this task.  Birkenstock Repair Kit This Birkenstock kit sells for about $19 and includes: a suede brush 2-oz. water and stain repellent 1.5-oz. cork sealer 2-oz. cleaner/refresher I chose not to purchase the Birkenstock kit since I had most of items already at home.  Gina Mama's Toolbox Gina’s Mama’s shoe repair toolbox includes: Suede brush Beeswax (for my winter boots) Suede stain eraser Camp Dry Nubuck Cleaner Leather Conditioner The only item I needed to purchase to maintain my Birkenstock shoes was Kelly’s Cork Renew. Cork renew is one of the most important items in keeping your shoes safe from the elements. It is essential to apply a cork sealant to the exposed cork to prevent it from drying out. Cork seal should be used when the cork on your shoes no longer looks shiny. I made a short video demonstrating how to apply cork renew. Now that you know how to maintain the exposed cork, let's talk about maintenance of the uppers. I am going to break this section down by material. Leather The smooth finish is durable and easy to clean. Clean and condition leather with a Leather Balm. Oiled Leather The oiled leather surface is durable and moisture-resistant. Occasionally use beeswax to help maintain the leather. Nubuck Spray the nubuck with a water and stain protector regularly to protect the nubuck and prevent soil stains. To clean, brush the surface with a plastic bristle or leather cleaning brush. Use a stain eraser to help remove soil spots. Be sure to re- apply with the water and stain protector after cleaning. Suede Spray the nubuck with a water and stain protector. To clean, brush the surface with a plastic bristle or leather cleaning brush. Use a stain eraser to help remove soil spots. Be sure to re- apply with the water and stain protector after cleaning. Wool Felt Lightly spray with Scotchguard to protect the wool. Birko-Flor Birko-Flor is a smooth vinyl with a soft felt backing. Clean this material with a wet washcloth. Birko-Flor Nubuck This material is textured vinyl with a matte finish and soft felt backing. Clean this material with a wet washcloth. Polyurethane Shoes made with polyurethane are easily cleaned with mild soap and water. EVA - Ethyl Vinyl Acetate EVA made shoes can be cleaned with mild soap and water. The following video by "Expert Village" demonstrates how to can clean and protect leather and suede uppers. If the footbed of your Birkenstock gets dirty you can easily clean it would dish soap. Below is a video that I made demonstrating this process: How To Clean your Birkenstock Footbed 1. Use a towel to wipe the footbed clear of any debris. 2. In a small bowl mix about 3 to 4 ounces of water with a teaspoon of dish soap. Stir the mixture well. 3. Use a toothbrush to apply the mixture, in a circular motion, onto the footbed. 4. Do not saturate the footbed with the cleaning solution. 5. Wipe with a clean dry towel. 6. Let the shoes air dry overnight. Do not place the shoes in the sunlight or near direct heat. On the rare occasion that that your Birkenstocks take on a odor, you can substitute Borax for dish soap to clean your footbed. Below is my video showing how to apply a Borax paste to the Birkenstock footbed: Removing The Smell From Your Birkenstock Footbed
1. Use a towel to wipe the footbed clear of any debris. 2. Mix the Borax powder with just enough water to make a paste. Stir the mixture well. 3. Use a toothbrush to apply the mixture, in a circular motion, onto the Footbed. 4. Do not saturate the footbed with the cleaning solution. 5. Wipe the footbed with a clean dry towel. 6. Take the remainder of the paste and brush it on the footbed until there is just enough paste to cover the entire footbed. 7. Allow the paste to dry overnight. 8. Do not place the shoes in the sunlight or near direct heat. 9. Wipe with a clean dry towel. As you have learned, caring for and maintaining your Birkenstock Shoes takes very little time. You will only need to clean your Birkenstocks 1-2x/year. Unless, of course, you find yourself in unusual or unexpected elements. I have worn my Birkenstocks on spontaneous day hikes. My shoes got a bit dusty, but I wiped them off with damp towel and was ready for the rest of my day. If you follow the aforementioned instructions, your shoes may last a decade or more. Please note, that even with proper care, you may find that you need to repair part(s) of your shoe. Unlike my friend’s Keens, Birkenstocks are fully repairable. If anything happens to your Birkenstocks, you can take them to an authorized cobbler and get them fixed. I recommend you go to Birkenstock's webpage page to find an authorized shoe repair store near you. Now that I have explained how simple it is to care for a pair of Birkenstocks, I wonder if I can make my friend a Birkenstock lover. Maybe after reading this blog she will at least try a pair of Birkenstocks on for size. UPDATE: The friend that I allude to in this blog, is now a Birkenstock wearer. Want to read her guest blog on breaking-in her very first pair of Birkenstocks? Click here. NOTE: For tips on how to clean white sole Birkenstocks, read this blog. I love Birkenstocks so much that I want everyone dear to me to have a pair. When my best friend’s birthday rolled around last month, I gave her a pair of Birkenstocks. Actually, I bought her 2 styles from which to chose. A pair of Arizona’s and a pair of Florida’s, both in the soft footbed. My friend, who grew up in Berkeley during the height of the hippie era, has never worn a pair of Birkenstocks in her life. Can you believe that?! I was confident that with the feminine, sparkly uppers, and the soft footbed option that my friend would ease into the Birkenstock lifestyle. Upon giving her the gift, I explained in detail the process of breaking in a pair of Birkenstocks. After just 2 days, my friend decided to return both pairs, claiming “they are just not comfortable for me.” There was no point in trying to persuade her, she was just not ready. At first, I was sad that she did not like her gift. Then I became heart broken when, the next day, she ordered a pair of look-alike Birkenstocks. Gasp! You read that right, knock-off Birkenstocks.  Birkenstock Arizona's vs Knock-Offs Arizona's These shoes look like a Birkenstock with the two straps, but have a sneaker-like sole. My friend exclaimed “they are so much more comfortable than the Birkenstocks right out of the box”. Of course, I reminded my dear friend that if she had given the Birkenstocks time, that they would have molded to her foot. I think many people are turned off when they try on Birks because the shoes feel hard and uncomfortable at first. Some people purchase look-alike Birkenstocks because they are comfortable from the moment they slip on and they tend to be less expensive. The problem with this is that you get a shoe that looks like a Birkenstock but does not have the quality and support that comes with an authentic Birkenstock footbed.  Quality Birkenstock Footbed vs Tennis shoe like sole To elaborate on the Birkenstock brand, allow me to introduce to you, Terry the Master Cobbler who describes the Birkenstock footbed as a “miracle”. This “miracle” footbed will not be found in a pair of knock-off Birkenstocks.
I would like to take a quick detour from talking about shoes to discuss Oreo cookies. When you go to the grocery store to purchase a bag of Oreo cookies you have two options. Option #1: pay the price asked for the original Oreo. Option #2: save a few pennies and purchase the store brand cookie. When you go with Option #1 you buy the original Oreo cookies. You get two delicious wafers joined together by sweet creme filling, you savor every cookie in that bag. When you go with Option #2 you purchase a cookie that looks like an Oreo but the ingredients are not 100% the same. These cookies taste a little “off” from the original Oreo recipe. You don’t fully enjoy eating the cookie and the remainder of the bag is tossed in the garbage. The next time you go to the store, I bet you buy the original recipe Oreos. In essence, you get what you pay for. When you purchase a pair of Birkenstocks you are paying for the real “recipe”. You are getting quality shoes that have a shock absorbing EVA sole and can help relieve joint pain. Birkenstocks are fully repairable and can last for years. Birkenstocks are recommended by podiatrists all over the world because the footbed keeps your foot in the proper position, while also supporting the natural rolling movement of your foot. You might pay a fraction of the cost for a pair of knock-off Birkenstocks, but you are not getting the aforementioned benefits of an authentic Birk. Birkenstocks are worth every penny because over time they feel like custom made shoes. Save yourself time and money and buy the real thing if/when you are ready to welcome Birkenstocks into your life. While my friend’s shoes are cute, they are by no means true Birkenstocks. Her shoes look like Birkenstocks, however, they are not going to provide her long-term peerless comfort. I would like to make a bet with this friend. I bet that in 10 years that I still have my Birkenstock Arizona’s pictured in this blog and your beauties will have long since seen their last day. What should we bet? How about a pair of Birkenstocks?! Although my friend did not like her birthday gift, I have not given up. I am convinced that we have not found the right model of Birkenstock to best fit her foot. I am waiting for the Mayari, in a soft footbed, to make a re-appearance in the US. Once they do, I am buying my friend a pair for a belated birthday gift. I Love Birkenstocks and I want my loved ones to love them too. NOTE: Want to learn more about the different Birkenstock Styles? If so, then read this blog. |
Gina MamaBirkenstock blogger 
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