Drying and storing so next summer is easy
Dry them at room temperature, away from radiators, direct sun and hairdryers — heat is what warps cork and shrinks leather. Stand them upright in an airy spot and give them a full day, longer if you got them properly wet. Stuffing the straps loosely with paper helps them hold their shape.
Store them somewhere dry and out of the sun, not in a sealed plastic box where any residual damp turns into mould. A shoe bag or an open shelf is fine. Before you put them away, take thirty seconds to look at the soles: if the tread is worn smooth in patches, a cobbler can resole them, which is almost always cheaper than replacing a good pair.
Can I put Birkenstocks in the washing machine?
Please don't. The machine soaks the cork, agitates the glued joins and then spins everything at a force these sandals were never built for — the result is usually a warped footbed and separating layers, even if they look fine while wet. Hand cleaning with a damp brush takes about fifteen minutes and is the only method that doesn't gamble with the structure.
Why has my footbed gone dark and shiny?
That's the natural result of skin oils and sweat compressing the suede lining over a season of barefoot wear, and to some extent it's permanent — it's a wear pattern, not dirt. Regular dry brushing lifts the nap and lightens it noticeably, and the discolouration will always fade a little once the sandals dry out and rest. If it bothers you, wearing them occasionally with thin socks in the shoulder seasons genuinely slows it down.
