Handmade birch bark insoles have been used since World War I to protect soldiers from foot fungus. Birch bark insoles save you from the cold, have a bactericidal and biostimulating effect, and eliminate unpleasant odors.
The unique healing properties of birch bark have been known since ancient times - even our Slavic ancestors widely used the possibilities of this tree for making birch bark boxes and tues.
Products, milk, honey, stored in containers made of birch bark, remained fresh for a long time due to the content of betulin and natural components of silver in the birch bark.
Self-made insoles from birch bark have water-repellent and heat-saving properties, effectively treat fungal diseases, relieve leg fatigue, reduce joint pain, have a beneficial effect on the skin of the feet, eliminating dryness and healing cracks.
Bark from fallen trees is ideal for making birch bark insoles: you will not have to harm nature and the process of separating birch bark from the trunk will be somewhat easier than from a growing tree.
On a selected flat area of a birch trunk, two deep transverse cuts are made with a sharp knife, after which longitudinal cuts are made, carefully separating the bark layer.
If the harvesting takes place in winter, then it is necessary to act doubly carefully, because in the cold, birch bark becomes very fragile and breaks easily.
The bark is washed with water, the outer layer, consisting of white thin stripes, is cleaned off, leaving a 3-4 mm thick layer of birch bark for work. The bark peels off quite easily if you pick it up with the edge of a knife. If necessary, smooth out irregularities with sandpaper.
For leveling, the deformed bark is abundantly moistened with hot water and placed under a press until completely dry. After the workpiece straightens and dries, they start making insoles.
Any insoles from the existing shoes are used as a template. The template is placed on the birch bark along the fibers, i.e. parallel to the black streaks on the bark; circle with a marker and cut out with scissors.
In order to make warm insoles in hiking conditions, it is recommended to leave a layer of bark thicker or to glue two layers of birch bark with resin of coniferous trees.
In shoes, birch insoles are placed with the inner side of the bark, which was adjacent to the trunk. For use in winter footwear, additional insulation with textile insoles over birch bark is recommended.
If in the first days the birch insoles seem unusually tough, do not be intimidated by this sensation and refuse to wear them, because rather quickly the bark takes the shape of the foot and becomes soft and comfortable.
