Birkenstock resurrection

[NMMB]

So,

Yesterday I wore my old Birkenstock sandals for the first time in about a year (I replaced them last year with a new but almost identical pair) and I remember now why I decided to replace them - they cut my feet. The leather in the straps is old/hard/dry and actually draws blood fairly quickly. Since B&B’ers are such a strange breed with highly varied interests/expertise I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions as to how I might resurrect the leather in these sandals to make them wearable again (i.e., how do I make old/dry/hard/scratchy leather soft again?). Any thoughts/suggestions?

[Austin]

You may want to try a saddle soap and then a boot cream to condition the leather. These products are available at most shoe and boot stores. Good luck.

[mrob]

Saddle soap is a good softener, but will likely require multiple applications.

[teamacacia]

You may want to try a saddle soap and then a boot cream to condition the leather. These products are available at most shoe and boot stores. Good luck.

Agreed. That might be the best. You could also try so of the leather conditioner made to break in baseball gloves. My brother recently bought some (don't remember the brand), sloped some in the glove with a baseball, and in a day or so felt like it'd been used for a couple seasons already...pretty amazing.

[Suzuki]

The easiest thing might be to take them to a good shoe repair shop and ask them for suggestions/products.

You just need to clean and condition the leather.

Saddle soap is a good conditioner, but isn't really a "cleaning" product. Also, there are lots of better products out therre and a cobbler will be only too happy to help you out.

I can recommend Lexol products, which are commonly available at many shoe repair shops.

Here's a link to the Lexol site (which may or may not work depending on whether I've inserted it properly)

http://www.lexol.com/equest.html:

Good luck

[Sam]

I have two pair of sueded Birks. One pair needs new soles, but they had hurt my feet from the soles. Next pair is gonna be the soft footbed.

Sam

[ouch]

If I were to fashion some sandals out of scraps of old strops, I'd bet I could sell some on this site.

[Suzuki]

Bet you could - the pitch would be strop as you walk!

However, there might be some serious liability issues!

[fret]

Perhaps you should loosen the straps. They fit loose.
Birkenstocks--look good for 5yr, last 20.
Mark

[slcsteve]

So,

Yesterday I wore my old Birkenstock sandals for the first time in about a year (I replaced them last year with a new but almost identical pair) and I remember now why I decided to replace them - they cut my feet. The leather in the straps is old/hard/dry and actually draws blood fairly quickly. Since B&B’ers are such a strange breed with highly varied interests/expertise I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions as to how I might resurrect the leather in these sandals to make them wearable again (i.e., how do I make old/dry/hard/scratchy leather soft again?). Any thoughts/suggestions?

Pitch those puppies. Birkies are cheap - feet aren't.

[JMT]

I would try Neatsfoot oil. I used it to rejuvenate an old strop that had been in my Grandfather's basement for years. It darkened the leather but it softened up nicely.