When it comes to fashion, a big factor in the clothes we choose are based on how comfortable they can be, and shoes are no different. There are a wide variety of shoes ranging from combat boots to crocs, and being able to be comfortable in the ones you choose is a good factor when choosing a pair.
Birkenstocks happen to be a very popular German shoe brand that specializes in providing comfortable footwear in many styles and colors. Since Birkenstocks use an array of leathers and similar materials for their shoes, it can be hard to imagine how someone could be provided comfort by wearing them.
This is where the act of breaking in your Birkenstock footbeds can come in handy. When you break in your Birkenstocks, this does not refer to causing any damage to your shoes.
Rather, breaking in your shoes is continuously wearing your shoes so much that the material of the footbed begins to mold into the shape of your foot, providing maximum comfort. If this sounds like something that you’d like to achieve, look no further.
When breaking in your Birkenstocks, it all comes down to consistency and commitment.
Before making any attempt to break into your shoes, make sure that you have the correct shoe size that feels comfortable to wear because you’ll be wearing these shoes for extended periods of time.
Be sure to also bend the shoe itself in order to give way to the leather and cork material in the shoe and footbed. This will ensure that the material will be easier to give way to your foot when you’re wearing them. While wearing the shoes, just do your daily activities as the shoes start to conform to the shape of your foot.
Wear the shoes for around 30-45 minutes and take them off afterwards. Extend the period of time while you wear the shoes, and continue doing so for about 2-3 weeks or until your shoes start to feel comfortable to your liking.
The price for comfortability can sometimes result in discomfort, and Birkenstocks can be no different. Since the break in process can be very committal, you could suffer from aches and pains in your feet, legs, and calves if you’re not careful.
There can be a few methods that can help lessen or prevent these issues from happening. Some methods include wear socks during the break in process, wearing shoes for a shorter period of time, or adjusting shoe straps as you see necessary.
While breaking in your Birks can require a lot of effort, taking these small steps in order to ensure maximum comfort can be worth it in the long run.
How Often Should You Clean Your Birkenstocks?
Most people recommend cleaning your shoes a few times a year, but the answer varies from person to person. Since Birks aren’t your typical types of shoes, it’s important to make sure you take the proper care needed for your shoes.
Fortunately, Birkenstock offers a cleaning kit to give your shoes the upmost care. Not only does this mean that you’re using the correct materials to clean your shoes, but it also means that these products will always be readily available to purchase again if you ever need be. Since your shoes contain materials such as certain types of leather as well as cork, you need to make sure that you clean and take care of each material as they’re intended to be.
For instance, in order to renew or clean the cork, you could use cork sealer in order to bring back it’s brand new shine. While this seems more aesthetic than anything, apply cork sealer will also ensure that the cork itself will be protected by elements such as water or extreme heat. After dealing with the cork, the footbed comes next.
Since the footbeds come in different types of materials, make sure to be careful with how you handle them. The Birkenstock cleaning kit also includes a solution to help aid in cleaning the footbed. After applying the solution, use the included cleaning tool to scrub out any stubborn stains and to restore the footbed to what you find satisfactory.
Luckily, using traditional soap and water is more than fine too, but just make sure to treat your shoes with care while cleaning.
Does getting Birkenstocks wet ruin them?
Yes and no. It mostly depends on where the water ends up on the shoes. If it ends up on the leather, majority of the water would slide off of the footbed.
What’s more likely to happen is for the cork found under the footbed to soak up the water which isn’t a very good idea. Keeping your Birkenstocks away from water altogether is a better idea.
If you do end up getting your shoes wet, leave them out to dry somewhere that doesn’t hold a lot of heat or that isn’t in direct sunlight, as the leather on the footbeds would shrink.
Does Birkenstock have vegan options?
Since Birkenstock uses leather footbeds, this would typical mean that they use animal product for some of their shoes. Luckily, there are also vegan options for those who still want to give Birkenstock a try, but would like leather-free options.
There are a variety of vegan Birkenstock options such as the Arizona, Mayari, or the EVA Madrid, all leather-free while still providing comfort for everyday wear.
Are Birkenstocks good for your feet?
Everyone’s experience with Birkenstock’s shoes are bound to be different. There are some people who have flat feet, small feet, or wide feet so while Birkenstocks have a variety of shoes for a variety of people, it’s different from person to person.
Regardless, Birkenstocks have a lot of good qualities that could deem them as your next shoe brand to purchase from. A huge plus for Birks is the fact that they will eventually mold to your feet. This will provide you maximum comfort and will also make your shoes individual to you. It’s been known that the Birk’s soles also help with improving walking gait.
Overall, Birkenstocks are known to be one of the comfortable shoes out there, so giving them a try couldn’t hurt.