Suede and cork are both easy to live with once you know what each dislikes. Suede hates being scrubbed wet and dried hot. Cork hates standing water and a hot car. The rest is a brush, a towel and some patience.
Brush dry suede often
The genuine suede on the Intini Suede Cork Clog has a nap, the short raised fibers that give it that soft look. Dust and grit settle into it. A suede brush lifts them: first a few strokes in one direction to move loose dirt, then short, light strokes against the nap to raise it again.
For a dry scuff, rub gently with a suede eraser and brush away the crumbs. Press lightly. Hard scrubbing flattens the nap and leaves a shiny patch that looks worse than the scuff.
Pale colors such as sand, apricot and pink show dust and water marks sooner than coffee, dark brown or black. A quick brush after wear keeps them even.
When your pair gets wet
Blot, do not rub. Press a dry towel onto the wet areas and swap it for a dry one as it soaks through. Rubbing drags water and grit through the nap and spreads the mark.
Stuff the toes with plain, unprinted paper so the front keeps its shape, then let the pair dry at room temperature. Keep it away from radiators, space heaters and direct sun. Heat stiffens suede and dries the cork edge unevenly. Change the paper if it gets damp, and give a soaked pair a full night.
Brush the suede only once it is completely dry, inside and out. The nap comes back cleanly then, and not before.
Water spots, mud and oil
A water spot usually fades when the whole panel dries evenly. Blot it, let it dry, and brush. Mud is easier dry than wet: leave it until it cracks, brush the crust away, then use the eraser on what is left.
Oil is the patient one. Blot a fresh spill, sprinkle cornstarch over it, leave it for several hours to draw the oil out, brush the powder off and repeat if you need to. Some marks lighten without disappearing, because oil and dye soak into suede. For a mark you cannot live with, a cleaner who works with suede has tools a kitchen does not.
| What happened | What to do |
|---|---|
| Dust, flattened nap | Brush one way, then lightly against the nap |
| Dry scuff | Suede eraser, light pressure, brush the crumbs away |
| Caught in the rain | Blot, stuff the toes with paper, dry at room temperature, brush when dry |
| Mud | Let it dry, brush off the crust, erase what is left |
| Oil or grease | Blot, cornstarch for a few hours, brush, repeat |
| Dull, dry cork edge | Keep from heat and standing water, a thin coat of cork sealer |
Protect suede before the rain
A water and stain protector made for suede, sprayed on a clean, dry pair, helps rain bead off instead of soaking in. Test it on a hidden spot first, since formulas can shift a color slightly. Spray light, even coats outdoors or by an open window, let them dry, and brush the nap once.
A protector slows water down. It does not make suede waterproof, so a downpour still calls for the faux leather clog or a different shoe. Cleaning strips some of the protection away, so spray again after a thorough clean.
The cork edge and the insole
Cork stays springy when it is kept dry and cool. Do not leave clogs in standing water, on a hot car floor or in strong sun for hours: the cork can dry out and crack along the exposed edge. When that edge starts to look dull, brush on a thin coat of cork sealer and let it dry before you wear the pair.
The suede insole wipes with a barely damp cloth. Too much water soaks down into the cork from above and slows the drying.
Faux leather and faux fur
The PU upper of the Intini Faux Leather Cork Clog wipes clean with a damp cloth and a drop of mild soap. Wipe the soap off with a second damp cloth and dry it with a towel. Leather polish and solvents are made for real leather and can damage the finish.
The faux fur linings of our slippers get spot-cleaned: a cloth dipped in water with a little mild detergent, dabbed on the mark, then a clean damp cloth. Let them air-dry away from a heater and fluff the fur with your fingers. Our product data does not list the slippers as machine washable, so keep them out of the washer and the dryer.
A question about a pair in this piece? Write to corkbed@intini.net and everyone at Intini will answer.