Ghost Cleaning Instructions

Like any much-loved and much-worn shoe, your Orba sneakers will probably need to be freshened up every now and again. Follow this easy cleaning process to give them back their natural good looks.

Prepare a bowl of soapy water by using either a bar of soap or liquid soap, mixed with about 200ml cold water.

For best results you’ll need a soft natural fibre bristle brush (an old bamboo toothbrush is perfect), a hard natural fibre bristle brush and a clean cloth.

  • Prep

    - Remove the laces and the footbed.

    - It’s important that any dirt on the shoes is dry before you start cleaning them. Leave them to dry for a couple of days if necessary. When dry, gently dry brush off as much dirt as you can using the hard bristle brush.

    - Using the hard bristle brush, dry brush any dirt off the laces, then soak the laces in the bowl of soapy water. You can work some soap into the laces to help loosen any tough marks.

  • Soap

    - Using a soft bristle brush scrub the sole using soapy water until the dirt is removed. Clean the brush when done.

    - For the upper, rub the bar of soap into any stains.

  • Clean

    - Gently press the brush into any marks on the fabric upper and work out the stain using a circular motion, foaming up the soap as you brush. Repeat as many times as needed.

    - Place the shoes and laces in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight, to dry.

  • Protect

    - Make sure the shoes are completely dry before putting them together again.

    - If you want to add an additional layer of protection to your shoes, we recommend applying hydrophobic spray using the directions provided by the manufacturer.

    - Once you have applied the spray, allow the shoes to dry in a warm spot out of direct sunlight.

Important

Orba shoes are made from all natural materials, and designed for use in urban environments. As with any natural material, some marks or stains will be more difficult than others to remove, but this cleaning method will provide you with the best results.

We strongly recommend you don’t use your Orba Ghost shoes ‘off road’ or in extreme conditions, to ensure you protect their natural good looks.

Storage Guide

We recommend storing your Orba’s in a dry place that has plenty of airflow.

Using silica gel desiccant packets in the shoes when they are not being worn aids in drawing any moisture from within the materials. When storing your Orba Ghosts, we recommend either using shoe trees or stuffing your shoes with acid-free tissue paper, this will stop creases from forming and keep your ghosts looking new.

Don’t store anything on top of your shoes.

You should remove the footbeds if the shoes get wet or after long periods of sustained use to allow the whole shoe to dry and breathe. This will reduce the chances of any unwanted bacteria or microbes.

Put the footbeds back in once the shoes are dry throughout.

Orba Pro-tips

Do not use a washing machine or dryer to clean your Orba shoes as it may alter the properties of the different materials used in the shoe.

It is recommended to avoid the use of any detergent with bleaching properties when spot cleaning as this could affect the off-white colour of the flax canvas and damage the organically dyed lining.

Before wearing your Orba Ghosts for the first time, and at the regular intervals suggested by the supplier, we recommend using a textile protector spray that utilises nano quartz silica (silica and water). These sprays are made of natural components and will not affect the biodegradability of your Orba shoes. They also make caring for the flax canvas easier when dealing with some tougher stains through the hyrdophobic properties the silica gives to the shoe upper.

Slippery Surfaces

Thoughts for a rainy day - or icy morning.

The unique combination of components in the Orba sole has allowed us to achieve a very high percentage of natural material in each of our products. This balance of materials creates a smooth finish on brand new soles.

We advise you to take extra care walking on slippery surfaces like wet and icy floors when using a new pair of Ghosts, just to be safe.

As you wear your shoes, the outsole and tread are gradually roughed and the traction is increased.

It’s important to remember for your well-being, the Ghost has been designed to perform in urban environments rather than extreme conditions.

Variability of Natural Materials

Thumbs up for our handmade materials.

Our Flax canvas is handwoven using traditional methods. This means each pair is unique and incorporates the artisans ‘fingerprint’ in the finished material, unlike other automated or mass-produced textiles.

Please note that your pair of Ghosts will only slightly differ from what is pictured.

Our labels are screen printed by hand too! Is there anything like a personally made label?