News & Blog

How to Pack Shoes for Moving in 4 Simple Steps

Sep 06

More often than not, shoes are packed for a move last-minute into a giant box or bag with little care for the individual pairs themselves, and they often arrive at their destination smushed, scuffed, or smelly. But there’s a better way to pack shoes—one that ensures they’ll still be protected, clean, and scuff-free upon unpacking. Here’s how to pack shoes for moving.

Before You Begin

Before you begin packing your shoes, you’ll need to do a little prep work too.

Gather and Sort Your Shoes

Take some time to find all of your shoes, placing them on the ground in front of you, and get ready to start sorting. You should sort your shoes into four different piles: donate, bulky, fragile, and everything else. Place shoes you no longer want or wear in the donate pile, so that you’re not wasting valuable packing space for shoes you’re not going to use again. Bulky shoes, like rain boots or hiking boots, should go in their own pile so that they can be used as the sturdy base of your shoe storage. Fragile shoes—think shoes with delicate straps or snaps, or shoes that you want to ensure remain scuff-free throughout the moving process—should be kept together. Any shoes that don’t fall into one of these three categories should stick together.

Give Your Shoes a Sniff Test

One last step in the preparation process: make sure your shoes aren’t smelly. Smelly shoes kept close together in boxes and bins will only get smellier. If a few of your pairs have an unpleasant odor, let them sit outside overnight to air them out before continuing,

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Packing tape
  • Marker

Materials

  • Medium heavy-duty boxes or bins
  • Newspaper and paper towels
  • Hanging shoe organizer
  • Bubble wrap
  • Shoe boxes (optional)

Instructions

Materials to pack shoes for moving
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

How to Pack Shoes for Moving

  1. Pack Your Bulky Shoes

    Grab a heavy-duty medium-sized box or plastic bin. Line the bottom of it with your bulky shoes, standing them upright in pairs. If any of your bulky shoes are prone to being crushed, stuff them with newspaper or paper towels before continuing. Use the bottom of as many medium-sized boxes as you need—it’s much better to have multiple smaller, moveable boxes than one or two impossibly-heavy boxes that are practically bursting at the seams.

    Adding shoes to a moving box

  2. Pack Your Everyday Shoes

    Next, reach for that hanging shoe organizer and place it on the backside of a door. Fill each of its pockets with your everyday, non-bulky, non-delicate shoes. Place one shoe in each pocket, and keep pairs next to each other. Once the organizer has been filled, carefully remove it from the door, and fold it over itself two to three times. Place the folded-up shoe organizer into one of your heavy-duty medium-sized bins, on top of the bulky shoes.

    Packing smaller shoes in a canvas organizer

  3. Pack Your Delicate Shoes

    There’s one more step left in your shoe-packing process, and it’s the one you should give the most care to: packing shoes that are fragile, expensive, or prone to scuffing. If you have the original shoe boxes for any of these shoes, pack pairs in those first, and then place them in a bulky-shoe-lined box (but not the one with the hanging shoe organizer). The remaining pairs should be separately wrapped in bubble wrap, keeping individual shoes apart. Place the bubble-wrapped shoes inside the bulky shoe boxes.

    Packing delicate shoes in boxes

  4. Finish Up

    Once your shoes have been packed away, seal your boxes with a few layers of packing tape and label them. Take care when moving them so as not to disturb their layout. Once they arrive in their new home, unpack them as soon as you can so that they don’t become crushed or disfigured over time.

    Labeling a moving box with shoes

More Tips for Packing Shoes

  • Short on moving boxes and bins? Use your hard-shell suitcases. Hard-shell suitcases can be a great place to keep everyday or delicate shoes when moving. But keep bulky shoes away, as suitcases are probably too small for more than one or two pairs so they aren’t an efficient use of space.
  • If your move will take a while, or your items will need to sit in storage for a week or two, make sure you don’t pack all your shoes away. Instead, keep a couple of useful pairs with you in a suitcase or box you’ll have easy access to throughout the move.
  • Don’t pack your shoes in the same box as your clothes, towels, or other linens. Shoe odors can leech into fabric over time, even if your shoes don’t seem that smelly at the time of packing.
By

RABEKAH HENDERSON

Updated on 09/05/23
 Reviewed by

KATHERINE PICOTT
Reposted by KVCore
Article Link: https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-pack-shoes-for-moving-7557411
  • Featured image for How To Read Faster: 16 Proven Tips From A Thorough Reader
    Sep 06

    How To Read Faster: 16 Proven Tips From A Thorough Reader

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS If you want to know how to read faster, you’ve probably tried to stop “subvocalizing” and reduce “backskipping.” What if I told you such “speed reading” techniques are probably a waste of time? Especially if you’re a serious learner who has big goals for your life? If you’re that kind of learner,...

  • Featured image for Decking decorating ideas: 15 ways to add personality to a decked space
    Sep 06

    Decking decorating ideas: 15 ways to add personality to a decked space

    (Image credit: Garden Trading) BY SARAH WILSON PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HOLLY CROSSLEY Transform your outdoor space with the latest decking decorating ideas and you'll be able to host alfresco in style whatever the season. When styling your deck, first think about how you intend to use the space, whether that’s for small get-togethers, larger-scale...