Anyone who’s worn Birdies shoes knows how special they are. From the seven-layer comfort technology in the insole to the signature quilted lining of the shoe, Birdies are the perfect comfort-meets-style flats and slides. The only thing that would make them better is if they lasted FOREVER! While forever is a long time, we do have some tips and tricks to prolong the life of velvet shoes and keep your Birdies feeling brand new for as long as possible.
How To Clean Velvet Shoes
We recommend occasionally sprinkling the insides with baking soda. The baking soda will absorb and freshen your shoes up a bit, and you can dump out any excess baking soda that does not absorb. As for the outside, we recommend using a soft bristled brush to wipe away any dirt or spots, but do keep your velvet shoes away from water.
Tips & Tricks For Keeping Velvet Shoes In Tip-top Shape
Birdies absolutely has some tricks up our sleeves! Megan, our resident material and Birdies shoe care expert, has experimented to test the best possible methods for cleaning and caring for velvet shoes. Here’s what she’s found:
1. Protect the Fabric
a. Megan highly recommends protecting velvet shoes with a Scotchgard Protector. This will add an extra layer of protection for all materials including velvet, leather, suede, and satin.
NOTE: Do not use this method on our gorgeous calf-hair shoes as this will ruin the texture of the shoe.
b. Another way Megan suggests protecting velvet is using a Rust-Oleum water repelling treatment on the shoe. This is an alternative to the Scotchgard recommendation above. This also provides a layer of protection for all materials we offer—excluding calf-hair.
2. Caring for Stains on Velvet
a. It may sound odd (hey, so is dipping French fries in milkshakes!), but our close-to-perfect solution for getting rid of stains on velvet shoes is a combination of baby shampoo + a clean nail brush.
NOTE: Do not use this method on any of our lighter colored velvets.
Steps to clean: Using a clean nail brush dipped in the soapy water, gently massage into the spots and stains. After the stains and spots are addressed, repeat over the entire shoe. This should be done to both shoes at the same time, even if one is stain-free (otherwise they will look different after drying because the shampoo makes the velvet very shiny). Rinse the brush as needed and make sure to brush in the same direction for uniformity. Let dry in the sun or in a warm place. DO NOT OVER SATURATE.
b. If you are not feeling as adventurous as a nail brush and baby shampoo, Megan also recommends using this Jason Markk essential kit.
Steps to clean: Follow the directions in the kit closely….and check out these notes from our in-house expert!
“This kit works well on velvet. It pulls dirt out, and the brush helps massage the weft in one direction. You will need to do both shoes so they look alike when finished. For satin and calf-hair shoes, use a soft cloth instead of the kit’s brush, which is too harsh.” –Megan
Keep Velvet Away From Water
Unfortunately, velvet shoes are not waterproof. Although our resident expert, Megan, has given us many ways to protect our beautiful shoes using small amounts of water, we still highly recommend keeping them away from rain and moisture as best you can.
We hope you found this post helpful, and if we haven’t addressed your biggest velvet-care questions, please reach out and we’ll get right on it to find the best possible solutions. Email us anytime at help@birdies.com. Be sure to share your velvet shoe care tips and tricks with @birdies on Instagram.
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