Birkenstocks are not inexpensive, and wearers of Birkenstocks are right to keep their investment looking good. However, it does not take long for the suede Birkenstock footbed to get stained in the image of the foot. Some people prevent these issues and add a little more comfort by wearing socks, and while this may be a fine look while wearing Lederhosen and holding a beer stein generally people find the fashion faux pas of sock and sandals to be a unattractive look.
Birkenstock stains on the footbed come from natural causes, a combination of perspiration and the bacteria that feeds on the perspiration. These bacteria make propionic acid which is the source of the familiar vinegar like smell in shoes that have been perspired in.
Keeping The Birkenstock Footbed Clean
While stains in Birkenstocks can be cleaned out. This requires labor with some type of leather cleaner or baking soda or white vinegar. Using a small brush with lots of scrubbing and the aid of one of the cleaning solutions some amount of the stain can be mitigated. This labor can be prevented or at least substantially postponed with SoxsolS machine washable inserts for sandals and shoes.
The perspiration and bacteria don’t simply just leave stains. but some individuals also find a lingering Birkenstock stink. This Birkenstock odor is from the buildup of perspiration and acids over time among other random things and again this stink in sandals can be removed with labor using the technique mentioned above. SoxsolS washable inserts provide a labor minimal option where the fabric of the SoxsolS absorbs the foot perspiration and acids and the wearer can simply peel the SoxsolS out at the end of the day and place in the laundry with socks and other items.
Adding Comfort to Your Birkenstock
The footbed of old Birkenstocks tends to get burnished with the continual wearing of the foot against the suede of the footbed. Over time this Birkenstock footbed suede becomes hard and slippery. SoxsolS inserts help both slow down this process of becoming hard and slippery and can also work with a hard and slippery old Birkenstock footbed to add comfort and traction.
SoxsolS Comfort Wide shape for sandals and sockless comfort shoes are the perfect complement to your Birkenstocks. The shape of the SoxsolS Comfort Wide is very closely related to the shape of a Birkenstock footbed which in turn is a shape leveraged from the natural, unconstrained shape of a human foot.
Sizing SoxsolS for your Birkenstock
Like Birkenstocks, SoxsolS are sized using the unisex European Shoe size system. However, our recommendation is that when possible SoxsolS are sized two sizes down from the Birkenstock size (this is only for Birkenstocks). The reason for the two sizes down is that the Birkenstock footbed has a unique “cup” that is most pronounced at the heel but rings the entire footbed. SoxsolS work best when sitting within this lip and that requires that the SoxolS be two sizes under the size of the Birkenstock sandal. The lip and cup that ring the Birkenstock footbed help locate the SoxsolS and keep them from sliding. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing the smallest SoxsolS are 36 and so for Birkenstocks sized at 37 and 36 one would need to use a size 36 SoxsolS pair.
Washing and Trimming SoxsolS
The intention of SoxsolS washable inserts is to have a use cycle like socks. That is start by pulling from the sock drawer, put in the shoe, wear, and after soiling at the end of the day pull out of the shoe and put into the laundry. SoxsolS can handle both the mechanical abuse and the temperature abuse of machine washing and drying. If possible, it is best to air dry the SoxsolS after machine washing only to remove the possibility of the sticky surface of SoxsolS from collecting the lint created in the dryer…this allows the SoxsolS to be stickier.
Some Birkenstocks have a thong separating the big toe. These are sandals like the Birkenstock Gizeh, the Birkenstock Mayari or the Birkenstock Habana. SoxsolS can be easily cut to fit around the thong. The recommended method is not to cut in from the toe end of the SoxsolS but to cut in from side from the in step at the bottom, or heel end, of the thong. Cut to the base of the thong and make a shape that can fit around the thong. This means of cutting the SoxsolS is more structural and the toe portion is less likely to flap around.
The camel brown color, or “cork” as the color is labeled, of SoxsolS is a particularly good match to the typical natural Birkenstock footbed color. Also available is a Jet Black SoxsolS machine washable insert ( labeled “ink”).
SoxsolS Comfort Wide for Sandals are available at our store!
