Kelly's Cork Renew Sealer (2.2 fl oz) - Waterproof & Protect Cork Surfaces w/ Brush Applicator - Water Based Formula Dries Clear, Prevents Drying & Breaking Down of Sandles, Shoes, Fishing Rod, Coasters

I bought a pair of Clarks Women's Caslynn Shae cork platform sandals and, as I was reading the reviews, I found that some lovely woman had suggested using this product to seal and protect the cork. What a great idea! I taped off the nubuck and the insole with plastic packing tape and painted the cork platforms before wearing them. They look terrific - the product leaves a subtle sheen that's very attractive and it dries clear. It's easy to use too - it goes on white so you can see spots you've missed, it's an easy consistency to paint with, and the brush comes attached to the lid so it stores in the bottle. I also bought Clarks Women's Palima Palm sandals in gold and white and they both have cork soles so they're next. Then my old Birks, see if I can give them a new lease on life. This bottle will last forever! I am extremely pleased with this product, and my results with it so far. Recommend 100%! Update 7/12/16: My Birks and Clark's Palima Palm look terrific! Check this out - I bought a pair of beat-up, pre-owned Mephisto Helen sandals that have multiple cracks in the cork platforms. I wouldn't have bought them if I didn't know I could fix them with Cork Renew. I applied 3 coats of CR directly to the cracks (leaving 2hrs between coats to dry), then covered all of the exposed cork with 1 layer of the product. See the before+after pix below - you can't even see the cracks! The Cork Renew filled the cracks and reinforced the rest of the exposed cork. So this stuff not only protects, but repairs and restores! And it makes the cork waterproof! It's magic, and I'd give it 10 stars if I could. I'm back to buy more because I was holding the bottle in the same hand as the sandal and, when I turned the sandal over, I turned the bottle over too. Note to self: don't do that again, it looks better on the shoes! (BTW, you don’t need to tape off the shoes before applying Cork Renew. The brush is stiff and easy enough to maneuver. If you do get some on the upper or outsole, just wipe it off before it dries.)

This is the best brand of cork sealer I have ever used (and, amazingly, the least expensive as well). Goes on smooth, dries clear, does the job it was meant to on Birkenstock, Haflinger, Stegmann and other high quality cork foot bed shoes. Really extends the life of the shoe, and makes them wearable in the rain with no issues. I have been wearing cork soled shoes year round in the Seattle rain for many years, and cork seal makes a huge difference. One bottle should last for at least 10 pair of shoes (or redoing the same pair of shoes 10 times after the seal eventually wears off). A tiny investment in time and money to greatly extend the life of your very expensive cork soled shoes. You will be glad you used this. I recommend putting on two coats (let dry in between), when the shoes are brand new. After that, check the cork every 6 months or so to see if it needs a recoat. If the cork is looking dry or dull, slap on another coat. It goes on sort of milky, but dries clear. This is actually a plus, as you can easily see where you have already applied the product.

Love love love this stuff! I bought a pair of old Birkenstocks from the thrift store at my local Air Force base for $1, and they were pretty gross. I scrubbed them hard with powdered oxiclean, dish soap, and pretty much anything else I could find. I watched cleaning videos for old Birks, and you can totally restore the suede footbed by using sandpaper and completely sanding off the shiny toe/heel footprints! Anyway, the finish on the cork was peeling and I might have scrubbed a bit too hard with my bristle brush as well, because some little chunks of cork were falling off. I need something to seal the cork. So, I bought the Cadillac brand (green bottle) and it did almost nothing. I was super frustrated, and bought this, which looked more like the stuff they used in restoration videos I’d watched - it looks like a thin white Elmers glue. And it WORKED!!!! Perfectly shiny, seals in the cork! The bottle says it waterproofs unlike the other stuff I got. If you put it on as thick as my picture, it’ll puddle a bit as it dries, so it’s best to do two thin coats instead. You can see the difference between the two brands in my pic.

Not a bad price. This is a white liquid that is applied with a brush. It dries clear. Works perfectly. I have one complaint. When I first got it open, there was a plastic piece on the top that had a small opening that kind of restricted the amount of fluid pulled out on the brush. It was helpful. The second time I opened the bottle, it was gone, and had apparently gotten stuck up inside the lid. This made application of the product a little messier, but once I got the hang of it, not bad. I just think if you design a functional piece, it should actually function. Would still recommend. Pics show one of my attempts at application, and then the dried product.

Used it on my clogs and works well. Very thick and seals the cork effectively. Highly recommended to keep your clogs in good shape.

I have a pair of Birkenstocks I've been wearing ~2ish years now (right/brown in pic above, unless pic is upside down then it's on the left). These are my go-to summer shoe and are worn quite regularly and in all types of conditions minus any extreme raining/downpours or overtly sandy areas. As you can imagine they've gotten a bit of a beating, and as such it was time to reseal that cork, because as one should be aware even though cork is incredibly durable and supportive, like leather it needs to be maintained so it can CONTINUE to be as durable as day 1. That's where I came across this Kelly's Cork Renew. It's a good sized bottle and for the price point I can't find anything that competes (including Birkenstock's own sealer which is more expensive than Kelly's). Application was incredibly easy, and I did two coats for my old pair as they haven't been resealed before, but from now on I realistically will only need to do one coat for maintenance every few months. The applicator brush lays the sealant thick across the cork in an obviously white shade, which fades as it dries to clear. I usually wait at least 24 hours before wearing them again and at that point that healthy clear sheen is present on the cork as it looks on brand new Birkenstocks. To confirm this peep my brand new tan pair to the left which hasn't received any coating and hasn't been worn once (since my current pair still refuses to die). My eyes see no difference, especially in person, and the cork looks amazing and healthy as a result. Do yourself a favor, buy it, try it, and hold onto it because there's enough sealant in this bottle to last a long time. Also word of advice: don't put off sealing your birks until it's too late. I have friends who absolutely have no regard for their sandals and beat them to within an inch of their life. You've probably seen the type where the cork is degraded to bits and a lot of the cork has been weathered away to the point it looks like people are walking on their heels. You can't restore cork that's been broken off/removed, and if you don't reseal and condition the cork then it just becomes a matter of when, not if it will need to be repaired. If you plan on keeping your sandals for a long time then use this product to maintain that cork to practically brand new condition for years to come, and follow that up with conditioning the leather straps/material as well (with an appropriate conditioner) because you don't want that leather cracking either. So yes people, take care of your investments.

Although it worked well when first opened, when I went to use it again 8 months later the sealer was lumpy/coagulated and the brush was totally stiff and "glued together"--thus unusable. I had used it on all of my Birkenstock sandals (5 pr.) the first time but several of the older pairs needed it again. Very disappointed as reviews sounded so positive although most sounded as ifthey had only used the bottle once. So although cheaper than Birkenstock sealer, not if it can only be used one time.

I originally bought this in 2019, and just opened my bottle again today. The cap was stuck on tight, but a few raps on the counter loosened it up. SO . . . to prevent that from happening again I thoroughly wiped out the lid and the lip of the bottle this time (lol). But, I write this to confirm that the contents were in perfect condition, and still apply with ease. For those unfamiliar with this product, it is a mild adhesive glue that protects cork by sealing in the natural moisture, and providing a barrier from external dirt and water such as rain, etc. It is non-toxic, easy to use, and most effective when applied in thin layers. It will Not 'glue' things back together, like a torn strap, the adhesive isn't strong enough for that. However, it is sufficient to repair small tears or loose pieces of cork. (Applying a small dot of regular glue to the loose piece prior to using Cork Renew will yield better results.)