To clean a Birkenstock footbed, brush it dry, then clean the whole footbed evenly from heel to toe rather than just the dark patches, wipe or blot off the excess, and let it dry slowly before brushing the nap back up. Birkenstock's own method is to spray the entire footbed with its Cleaner & Refresher and wipe away the moisture and dirt with a cloth. Keep the water on the surface: soaking down into the cork is what the maker warns against.
The steps are the same for sandals and clogs, and for the standard and soft footbed, since you only ever clean the top layer. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Birkenstock.
What you are actually cleaning
Birkenstock describes its footbed as a cork and latex core held between layers of jute, with a suede lining on top. Some models are topped with nubuck or smooth leather instead. Around the side, where the cork shows, the edge is sealed. You only clean the lining, and the job is to clean it without letting water work down into the layers underneath. Birkenstock says most styles should not be immersed in water and that over-saturation can compromise the sealant.
The lining is the part your foot touches all day, so it collects what feet leave behind: sweat, skin oil and whatever you walked through. The suede nap holds on to all of it, and the toe grips and heel cup take most of the pressure, which is why those areas go dark first.
Why the footbed goes dark, and how far cleaning gets you
A dirty Birkenstock footbed is mostly oil and ground-in grime, not surface dust. Brushing lifts the loose part. A cleaner lifts more. The darkest footprint, though, is skin oil that has been pressed into the suede over months, and set-in oil on suede only partly comes out with any cleaner, ours included. Expect a cleaned footbed to look lighter and more even, not new.
Birkenstock also warns that "any cleaning or treatment can change the look and finish of the materials." A footbed cleaned in patches can dry blotchy, which is the reason for covering the whole surface every time.
How to clean a Birkenstock footbed, step by step
- Make sure it is dry. If the footbed is damp from wear or rain, wait until it has dried at room temperature.
- Brush first. Birkenstock's instruction is to "brush suede and nubuck footbeds with a Nubuck/Suede brush to restore the nap." Brush the toe grips and heel cup in one direction; a lot of the grey comes off here.
- Cover the whole footbed. Spray or foam a thin, even layer from the heel to the toes and out to both edges. Keep it off the exposed cork rim.
- Give it a moment, then lift the dirt. Wipe or blot with a clean cloth, turning to a fresh section as it picks up dirt. Press rather than scrub on suede.
- Go again rather than harder. If the heel and toes are still dark once dry, do a second even pass. For stubborn stains, Birkenstock suggests soap and water: a drop of mild soap in a cup of water, on a cloth wrung out until barely damp.
- Dry it face up. Room temperature, away from direct heat and long sun. With a clog, stuff the toe loosely with white paper towels to draw the moisture out.
- Brush the nap up once dry. This is what makes the footbed feel soft again.
- Check the cork edge. If it looks dry or dull, brush on a thin coat of cork sealer.
With a pump foam the middle steps are quick. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is rated "good, blot only" on suede and nubuck, so on a footbed that means one light pump spread across the whole surface, ten seconds, then blot with the cloth from the box. It hasn't been tested on cork, latex or jute, so keep it on the lining and off the rim.
Leather, nubuck and other footbeds
- Nubuck footbed: clean it exactly like suede, and finish with the brush.
- Smooth leather footbed: a damp cloth with a little mild soap, wiped off, then left to dry. Nike's leather advice is to dilute dish soap well and avoid scrubbing too hard. Our foam rates excellent on white leather; on coloured leather, test a small area near the edge first.
- Clog footbeds: the method is the same, only harder to reach. Work in from the heel and use your fingertips behind the cloth to get into the toe.
- All-EVA sandals: there is no suede lining to protect. Mild soap, a soft brush and air drying out of the sun is the usual advice. Our foam hasn't been tested on EVA.
Sandpaper, magic erasers and other footbed hacks
Sandpaper gets suggested a lot for dark footbeds. It works the way sanding a table works: it removes the stained top layer of suede. That layer is the lining, and it does not grow back, so each sanding leaves less of it. Birkenstock's care tips use a brush to restore the nap, not to remove it.
A melamine sponge is the same idea in a gentler form. Melamine foam acts as a very fine abrasive, and the American Cleaning Institute warns it can dull or scratch surfaces. It has no business on suede.
Washing the footbed under a tap, or putting the pair through a washing machine, gets water into exactly the place Birkenstock wants kept dry. And neat dish soap can discolour leather; Nike's guidance is to use only a small amount in water.
Smell, sweat and keeping the footbed clean
A footbed smells when it is damp more than when it is dirty. Let it dry out fully between wears; the NHS advice is not to wear the same shoes two days in a row. Baking soda sprinkled on a dry footbed, left for a day and then brushed out of the nap, absorbs odour. Storing them damp risks mould. Cleaning removes the grime that holds smell, but our foam is not a deodoriser and doesn't fix odour on its own. The insoles and odour guide covers the rest.
To keep the footbed cleaner for longer, brush it regularly, wipe sand and sunscreen off after the beach, and clean it lightly and often rather than heavily once a year.
Questions people actually ask
Are you supposed to clean the footbed of Birkenstocks?
Yes. Birkenstock gives a method for it: spray the whole footbed, wipe off the excess, and brush suede or nubuck to restore the nap.
How can I make my Birkenstock footbed soft again?
Brush it once it is clean and fully dry. The softness you feel is the nap standing up; dirt and pressure flatten it. Brushing cannot change the firmness of the cork underneath.
Is it okay to wash Birkenstocks with water?
A damp cloth, yes. Running water or soaking, no: Birkenstock says most styles should not be immersed, and too much water can compromise the sealant.
Does the Birkenstock cleaner really work?
It is the maker's own method, and the principle is sound: treat the whole footbed and wipe off the excess. We haven't tested it, so we won't rate it. Expect any cleaner to lighten an old footprint rather than erase it.
One light pump across the whole footbed, ten seconds, blot: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam, $24, brush and cloth in the box, free shipping, and keep the bottle if it doesn't lift the grime.
