How to Clean Birkenstock Arizona Sandals at Home: Step by Step Guide

Clean Birkenstock Arizonas in three stages, and never soak them. First, dry-brush the dust off and wipe the straps and footbed with a soft brush and very little diluted cleaner, drying each part straight away. Once they're dry, use a suede eraser and brush to lift stains from the nubuck straps and restore the suede footbed. Finally, scrub the EVA outsole and wipe the cork midsole with a barely damp brush. Clean the footbed every two to four weeks if you wear the pair daily, because it absorbs sweat.

Watch the video and follow along:

 

Key moments:

• 0:47 Dry brushing with the straps open
• 1:19 Mixing the cleaner
• 1:55 Cleaning the straps with minimal water
• 3:00 First pass on the footbed
• 3:33 ProSuede Eraser on the straps
• 6:04 Brass bristles for grime inside the straps
• 6:33 Footbed with the suede brush
• 7:48 Eraser over the whole footbed
• 8:04 Cleaning the outsole and midsole
• 9:01 Before and after

The pair in this video: a well-worn Arizona with grime on the nubuck straps, and a suede footbed with deep-set foot impressions and sweat and dirt stains.

What you need

• From the Ultimate Shoe Cleaning Kit: the Soft, Medium and Hard Brushes, SHOEGR Clean shoe cleaner and the Microfibre Towel
• From the ProSuede Kit: the ProSuede Eraser and the ProSuede Brush
• A small bowl of water. The SHOEGR Collapsible Bowl and Cleaning Mat keep the work area dry.
• Time: about 20-25 minutes of work, plus drying time between stages

How to Clean: Steps

Stage 1: Clean the straps and footbed with minimal water

• Open the straps. Unbuckle both straps fully. Dirt collects under them and around the buckles.
• Dry-brush everything with the soft brush: straps (both sides), footbed, cork edges and sole. Never skip this step. Loose dirt turns into mud the moment it gets wet.

Note: You can skip the wet clean if the pair isn't deeply dirty. If dry brushing has removed most of the dust and only light marks remain, go straight to Stage 2.

• Prepare the cleaning solution. Add 3 pumps of SHOEGR Clean to a 200-250 ml bowl of water and mix.
• Clean the straps. Dip the soft brush lightly and work the foam over the straps, outside and inside. Keep the microfibre towel close and tap each section dry as you go. Don't let water sit on the strap.
• Do a first pass on the footbed. Use only the soft brush and a little cleaning solution, because the suede footbed is delicate. Lift the loose dirt and wipe it straight away so the cork underneath doesn't soak up water. 
• Let it dry. Leave the pair at room temperature until the footbed and straps feel dry to the touch. The eraser works best on dry nubuck and suede.

Stage 2: Restore the nubuck and suede, dry

• Erase strap stains. Rub the ProSuede Eraser over marks on the nubuck straps. On the toughest stains, use the eraser's edge. Its fine grit breaks dirt loose without water.
• Lift grime inside the straps with the brass-bristle side of the ProSuede Brush. Brush lightly: nubuck has a shorter nap than suede, and the brass bristles only need to loosen the grime.
• Restore the footbed. Brush the footbed with the ProSuede Brush, working from the toe end to the heel. Use the brush's narrow edge and curved end for the corners and the toe ridge. 
• Erase the whole footbed. Rub the eraser lightly over the entire footbed to even out the texture. Finish with the Soft Brush.

Stage 3: Clean the sole

• Scrub the EVA outsole. Turn the sandal over and brush the outsole with the hard brush, dipped lightly in the cleaning solution. Work along the tread grooves, where grit and mud collect. EVA handles a little water, but use as little as possible so it doesn't run up into the cork. Wipe it dry with the Microfibre Towel. 
• Clean the cork midsole. Use the Soft or Medium Brush, barely damp, with light strokes along the cork edges and around the heel, where grime builds up. Don't scrub hard: cork is soft and crumbles under pressure. Wipe each section dry straight away.
• Finish the edges. Wipe the line where the cork meets the outsole, and the back of the heel, with the damp towel. Then go over the whole sole with a dry part of the towel.
• Air-dry at room temperature with the straps open, sole side down on a dry towel. Keep the pair out of direct sun and away from heaters and hair dryers, which crack cork and leather.

Be realistic about results.

Sweat and dirt stains lighten a lot, but deep, old ones may not disappear completely. The foot impression itself is the footbed moulding to your foot, so cleaning won't remove it, and it shouldn't. Clean every two to four weeks to stop new stains from setting in.

Materials and methods

Material	Where on an Arizona	Method	Tools	Avoid
Nubuck	Straps (as in the video)	Light foam wipe if dirty, then dry-restore once fully dry	ProSuede Eraser, ProSuede Brush, Soft Brush, and if wet cleaning needed SHOEGR Clean, Microfibre Towel	Soaking, heavy brushing, use of excess water
Suede	Straps on suede versions	Light foam wipe if dirty, then dry-restore once fully dry, same as nubuck	ProSuede Eraser, ProSuede Brush, Soft Brush, and if wet cleaning needed SHOEGR Clean, Microfibre Towel	Soaking, use of excess water
Oiled leather	Straps on leather versions	Light foam wipe, dried straight away	Soft Brush, SHOEGR Clean, Microfibre Towel	Soaking, harsh soap/detergent
Birko-Flor (synthetic)	Straps on Birko-Flor versions	Foam wipe or quick wipe-down	Soft Brush and SHOEGR Clean, or Quick Shoe Cleaning Wipes	Revive (not for synthetics)
Suede (footbed lining)	Footbed, all versions	Light foam pass if dirty, then dry-restore toe to heel	ProSuede Eraser, ProSuede Brush, Soft Brush, and if wet cleaning needed SHOEGR Clean, Microfibre Towel	Wetting it through, use of excess water while cleaning
Cork	Midsole, all versions	Barely damp brush, light strokes, wiped dry straight away	Soft or Medium Brush, SHOEGR Clean, Microfibre Towel	Soaking, heat, scrubbing too hard
EVA foam	Outsole, all versions	Scrub along the tread with minimal water, wipe dry	Hard Brush, SHOEGR Clean, Microfibre Towel	Letting water run up into the cork

 

Single product or full kit?

Birkenstocks need three kinds of care: a gentle wet clean, a dry restore for nubuck and suede, and a sole scrub. The ProSuede Kit (₹699) handles the straps and footbed. The Ultimate Kit's (₹1,199) three brushes and cleaner cover the wet clean and the sole. If you also own sneakers, the Ultimate + ProSuede bundle (₹1,849) covers the straps, footbed, cork and sole, and your sneaker rotation too. 

Mistakes to avoid

• Soaking them or putting them in a washing machine. Water swells the cork and can loosen the footbed.
• Drying them in the sun or near a heater. Heat dries out and cracks cork and leather.
• Using a hard brush on the footbed, nubuck straps or cork. Keep it for the EVA outsole.
• Using wipes on nubuck or suede. Keep wipes for Birko-Flor and smooth leather straps.

More in 5 Cleaning Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Birkenstock Arizona.

FAQs

Can I wash Birkenstocks with water?

Only a little. Use a soft brush with a small amount of shoe cleaner and dry each section straight away. Never soak Birkenstocks or put them in a washing machine, because the cork footbed absorbs water and can lose its shape, or even break apart.

How do I clean nubuck Birkenstock straps?

Clean them with a soft brush dipped lightly in shoe cleaning solution, and pat them dry with a microfibre towel straight away. Let them dry fully, then rub stains with a suede eraser and lift the nap with light strokes of a suede brush. Avoid excess water and heavy brushing.

How do I remove the dark footprint from a Birkenstock footbed?

Brush off the dust and dirt first. If the footbed is still dirty, wet-clean it with minimal water and let it dry, then work over it with a suede brush and a suede eraser. Light marks lift fully. Deep, old sweat stains usually fade over multiple clean ups. Dry-clean the footbed often, so it rarely needs a wet clean, and deep-clean it every two to four weeks to stop stains from setting in.

How do I clean Birkenstock soles?

Scrub the EVA outsole with a hard brush and a little cleaner, working along the tread, then wipe it dry. Clean the cork midsole gently with a soft or medium brush that is barely damp, and dry it straight away. Never scrub the cork hard or let water soak into it.

How often should I clean Birkenstocks?

Every two to four weeks if you wear them often, because the suede footbed absorbs sweat. Dry-brush them after any dusty or wet day.

Can I use shoe wipes on Birkenstocks?

Yes, on Birko-Flor and smooth leather straps. Don't use wipes on the suede footbed or on nubuck and suede straps.

What should I do when the cork looks dry?

Exposed cork loses its sheen over time and can even break apart. A cork sealer made for footbeds restores its protective layer. SHOEGR doesn't sell one, so use a sealer made for Birkenstock-style footbeds. You can find one on Birkenstock's website.

Which SHOEGR kit is best for Birkenstocks?

The ProSuede Kit (₹699) for nubuck or suede straps and the footbed. Add the Ultimate Kit, or buy the Ultimate + ProSuede bundle (₹1,849), for the wet clean, the sole and any sneakers you own.