To clean suede Birkenstocks, brush them dry first, rub out small marks with a suede eraser, and only then use a cleaner, lightly and blotted rather than scrubbed. Let them dry slowly at room temperature and brush the nap up again at the end. Ration the water: Birkenstock says most styles should not be immersed, and suede marks wherever it dries unevenly.
This covers suede Boston clogs, suede straps and nubuck pairs, which Birkenstock treats with the same brush. SneakerSalt is not affiliated with Birkenstock.
Why suede Birkenstocks get dirty the way they do
Suede is leather with a raised nap. The nap takes up water and oil, and it flattens and goes shiny when it is rubbed. On a Boston, the rounded toe takes the scuffs and splashes. On sandals, the straps sit against bare skin, so sunscreen and sweat end up in them. The footbed is suede as well, because Birkenstock lines the cork with it, which means a suede pair is suede almost everywhere you look.
That shapes the method. Dry tools come first because they cannot leave a mark. Anything wet goes on thinly and evenly, because a damp patch with a hard edge dries into a ring.
How to clean suede Birkenstock clogs and sandals at home
- Start with dry suede. Nike's suede advice is to avoid cleaning suede shoes while they are wet, and to let mud dry before brushing it.
- Brush with the grain. Birkenstock's instruction is to brush uppers with a nubuck or suede brush to pull up dirt and dust and restore the nap. Light strokes in the direction the fibres lie.
- Erase what the brush leaves. A suede eraser rubbed gently over dry marks. Red Wing's advice for stubborn marks is to wet the eraser bar and go over the spot again, then let it dry and brush.
- Test before anything wet. The inside heel of a clog or the underside of a strap. Clean a small patch, let it dry completely, and check the colour.
- Clean the whole panel lightly. One light pump of foam, or a cloth barely damp with suede cleaner, spread over the whole toe or the whole strap, not just the mark. Wait ten seconds, then dab with a dry cloth. Casadei's rule for suede is to dab, never rub.
- Dry slowly. Loosely stuff clogs with white paper towels and leave them at room temperature, away from direct heat.
- Brush once dry to stand the nap back up and even out the colour.
Using the Birkenstock cleaning kit on suede
Birkenstock's care page puts a nubuck and suede brush on the uppers and its Cleaner & Refresher spray on the footbed. Brush the suede first, every time. For a cleaner on the upper itself, follow the bottle's directions, cover the whole panel rather than the spot, and brush again once dry. Birkenstock also warns that "any cleaning or treatment can change the look and finish of the materials", which is the reason for the test patch.
How to clean suede Birkenstocks without suede cleaner
The brush and the eraser do most of the work and cost nothing to run. For what is left, the advice splits. Birkenstock says to "try soap and water to remove stubborn stains." Nike says it doesn't recommend hand-washing suede shoes in soap and water, because suede absorbs water and washing can set stains in. If you use soap, keep it to a drop in a cup of water, on a cloth wrung out until barely damp, and cover the whole panel.
Nike's alternative is a corner of a cloth lightly dampened with white vinegar, rubbing alcohol or suede cleaner, with the warning not to drench the shoe. Vinegar can shift some dyes, so try it on the hidden patch.
A pump foam is our answer to the same problem. SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is rated "good, blot only" on suede and nubuck: it sits on the nap instead of soaking in, you blot it away, and the box includes a brush and a cloth. It lifts everyday grime, and one light pass over a whole panel usually evens out rain spots. On old oil the result is partial.
Getting stains out of suede Birkenstocks
Water marks
A water mark is the edge of a patch that dried on its own. Go over the entire panel with a barely damp cloth so it dries evenly, then brush once dry. For tougher marks, Clarks suggests blotting with equal parts water and white vinegar. A light layer of our foam over the whole panel, blotted, works on the same principle; spot-cleaning only the mark is what makes it worse.
Oil, sunscreen and food
No water and no soap to begin with. Nike's method for oil on suede is to cover it with cornstarch, let it sit for a few hours, and wipe the remains away with a cloth rather than a brush. Repeat if it is still dark. Cornstarch draws out much of a fresh spill; oil that has sat in the nap all summer usually leaves a shadow.
Coffee and drinks
Dab the spill straight away with a dry cloth, pressing and lifting rather than wiping. Once it is dry, treat any ring as a water mark across the whole panel.
Shiny or flattened patches
Flattened nap usually stands back up with a brush or a light pass of the eraser. If the fibres have been worn off, the patch is bald, and no cleaner or brush grows them back.
Black and dark suede
Dark suede shows the opposite problem to light suede: residue. Cornstarch and baking soda both leave pale dust in the nap, so brush thoroughly after any powder. Test vinegar on a hidden spot first, since it can change some dyes. And leave the melamine sponge in the drawer: its maker lists dark surfaces among those it is not recommended for.
Can you wash suede Birkenstocks?
No. Birkenstock warns against immersing most styles and says over-saturation can compromise the sealant around the cork. Nike recommends against putting suede in the washing machine at all. If a pair gets soaked anyway, let it air dry slowly, away from radiators, fires, hot cars and long sun, then brush. Our suede and nubuck guide covers the blot technique on other shoes.
The suede footbed
The footbed lining is suede too, but it gets dirty from feet rather than weather, so it is cleaned differently: Birkenstock's method is to spray the entire footbed, wipe away the moisture and dirt, and brush the nap once dry. We cover it in detail separately.
Keeping suede Birkenstocks clean
Brush them after wearing, before dust settles in. Nike notes that a suede protectant can help prevent water stains; makers disagree on sprays, so test one on a hidden spot first.
Questions people actually ask
Is it okay to get suede Birkenstocks wet?
Birkenstock's advice for a wet pair is to let it air dry slowly, away from direct heat. Brush them once dry. What leaves marks is one wet patch drying next to dry suede, and heat.
What is the best shoe cleaner for Birkenstocks?
For suede, one that goes on thinly and comes off with a blot: a foam or a suede cleaner on a barely damp cloth. Birkenstock's own spray is made for the footbed. Either way, the brush does more than any cleaner.
Why do Birkenstocks turn black?
Mostly the footbed, where skin oil and sweat build up in the suede under your heel and toes. On suede uppers, darkening tends to be ground-in dirt and flattened nap, which brushing helps.
Brush, one light pump, blot, done: SneakerSalt Shoe Cleaning Foam is $24 with a brush and cloth in the box, ships free, and if it doesn't clean your suede pair, keep the bottle.
