How to Pack Shoes for Moving – The Complete Guide

The First Step of Packing Shoes for Moving – Preparation

When you are getting organized to move, be sure to leave enough time for boxing up your footwear. As well as in the case of many other items you possess, it is imperative to wipe, wash and clean every item before you do anything else with it. Packing services that some cross-country movers provide may be helpful with boxing up, but all of the cleanings are up to you. Keep in mind that, after washing your footwear, you need to dry it thoroughly, which can be challenging if you have little time for packing. Otherwise, during the relocation, a little bit of mold can develop, and it can cause some unnecessary troubles.

You do not want to open your bags and be unpleasantly surprised by the smell coming from them! Whether we talk about East Coast movers or West Coast movers, interstate relocation is a process that demands time, so it is inevitable for your items to pick up the bad odor if there is one. We have multiple tips for getting rid of the bad smell. You can put your shoes in the freezer for a night, which will kill all of the harmful bacterias, or you can try baking soda – it is supposed to absorb bad odors. For a more natural approach, try lemon or orange peel. In the end, if you want to preserve a pleasant smell, put some tea bags in every pair before boxing them up.

Store Items That You Will Actually Wear

The essential part of this preparation should be defining which footwear you want to keep, and it most definitely needs to be on a list of the things to do before you move. Like most people, you probably have those pieces that you swear you will wear or ones that are so beautiful but so uncomfortable that they are just picking dust. Either way, consider them as items you should not pack when relocating. Try to get rid of shoes you deep inside know you won’t wear –  donate or organize a garage sale, for example, and earn money. If you are a humanitarian at heart, visit various sites, such as Soles4Soles, and explore the possibilities of donating. Of course, if you have the ones that are so old and torn, kiss them goodbye (figuratively, of course.) The downsize of your footwear should be very helpful, especially if you are relocating to a smaller home.

The Second Step – Sorting Your Shoe Pairs

Sorting items is an absolute key for a successful relocation process, and it is very beneficial for reducing relocation stress. According to that, try to divide your footwear following a few different criteria:

• Sort according to their value to you – Footwear that is more special to you or more expensive needs to be packed more carefully. Also, make sure that you put them on your household inventory list.
• Sort according to the weather and seasons – Footwear for a different season is not as essential as footwear for the current one. This sorting method will help you plan the order of unpacking after relocation. It will be easier to notice which footwear needs to be unpacked first and which ones can wait a little longer. In this matter, it’s all about choosing the best time of year for moving.
• Sort according to shape and size – You can’t use the same technique of boxing up for boots, sneakers, and sandals. Bear in mind that the heavier footwear needs to be put on the bottom of a carton and that the lighter ones should go on them. If you are relocating with children, make sure their footwear is packed separately from yours.
• Sort according to essentialness – Some of your footwear you wear a lot, some of them you wear just on special occasions. You can separate in one pile a pair of sneakers, sandals (or boots, depending on the season), and a pair of some elegant footwear, so you won’t need to search for them before unpacking.

How To Pack Shoes for Moving – Supplies You Can Use

We can all agree that boxing up your footwear isn’t a job as delicate as boxing up fragile items. But have in mind that your footwear can get damaged if you do not get any relocation supplies. On that note, make sure to prepare the materials necessary for boxing them up. We placed them in several different groups while keeping in mind their primary purpose. Of course, if you hire a long-distance moving company, they will take care of everything, including supplies and equipment. Just make sure to tip your long-distance movers for their work, especially if they had to box up your heavy tools as well.

Boxes, Duster Bags, and Plastic Containers – Where To Store Your Footwear?

First, you need to comb your home for some small, old shoe boxes. They will be of extreme help for the most precious pieces that you have. On the other hand, your least important footwear doesn’t need to be placed in separate, smaller cartons. So, if you wonder how do you pack multiple pairs of shoes together, the answer is simple – find a bigger carton and place them all in it.

If you do not know what you will do with all of that carton after the relocation, you probably want to learn how do you pack shoes without a box. You can always rely on duster bags for storage. Plastic containers, both big and small, are also suitable cardboard replacements (if you already have them in your home.) If you want, you can check for cross-country moving services that can provide you with cartons and other storage materials.

Choosing Your Wrapping Material

When it comes to your most important footwear pieces, you should find some suitable wrapping material for them. Depending on your preferences, it could be packing paper, newspapers, bubble wrap, clothes, and alike. However, note that newspapers, although the cheapest, may not be as good wrapping material as paper because it could leave black ink and damage your most beloved pieces permanently.

Additional Packing Supplies

Remember that you will need scissors, markers, tape, a tape gun, and alike. You will probably use them through the whole process of relocation if you didn’t hire any of the long-distance moving services. Just be sure to also have them on the day you picked for boxing up your footwear.

What’s the Best Way To Pack Shoes When Moving – Tips and Suggestions

Now that you have all of the supplies, the process of boxing up can start. To become an expert, follow a few easy steps. Stuff every shoe with some material. You don’t want to pick up your shoes after the relocation only to find them squashed. Try stuffing your footwear to avoid that utterly unnecessary problem. You can choose from previously enumerated wrapping materials, but we have more tips in our sleeves – use socks! Not only will it help you preserve the shape of your footwear, but your socks will be packed simultaneously with it.

Wrap the most important pairs separately. Idly, it would be best if you could cover every item of your footwear. Of course, it would take longer, so if you have a last-minute move or just don’t want to waste too much time, apply this step only to the most important ones. Expensive footwear made from some delicate material needs to be packed individually. Use the packing paper or any other wrapping material of your choosing and cover each one. Take extra precautions with high-heels – add some more material on a heel to protect it more.

How To Pack Shoes for a Move – Box by Box

Box up the most valuable ones first. Nicer footwear that you already wrapped should be put in shoe cartons. If your chosen wrapping material is bubble wrap, you can cover the carton, too. That way, you provided the maximum protection you could. Small plastic containers could also work, maybe even better, because of the stronger material they are made of.

Next in line should be your essential footwear. Store it up in a separate carton because you will have to unpack it first. When it comes to all of the other footwear, try to separate them into cartons according to their type. Make sure that the cartons aren’t too heavy. Connect the pairs with laces, if they have any, and put them in a storage space (a box, or container, or laundry basket, for that matter.) Just try to arrange them, so they don’t move too much.

Labeling – A Cherry on Top Of the Cake

Every organized relocation needs proper labeling. Make your life easier, and do not forget to label your boxes at least as footwear – bonus points for you if you mark the type. You can utilize markers, sharpies, color coding, or anything similar to that. That way, you will also know which carton contains your essentials so that you can access it more easily.

If you want to find out more moving hacks for your sneakers collection, be sure to watch the following video.

Unpacking – What Is the Main Goal?

Could you answer when the last time you sorted your footwear was? We often don’t have enough will or enough courage to do it. The relocation, however, can be a godsend event for that purpose – your items will all be clean, and you are just left with setting them up the way you prefer. And if you organized and labeled every carton the way we pointed out, it won’t take much time, either. However, try to keep the regular maintenance so your footwear can look its best and last longer.

Is It Better To Keep Shoes in Boxes or Out After Moving?

There is no need to keep in a closed space those items that you wear frequently. However, you should put in a carton all those pieces that you do not wear very often or those that are delicate and expensive. It may steal some space, but they will be more protected that way. You won’t have to clean them from dust, and they will be less exposed to moisture. Also, if you need to relocate again, you wouldn’t need to search again for proper cartons.

Keep Your Footwear Collection Intact

This task may seem less important than relocating big screen TV, or, for example, relocating furniture, but do not underestimate it. We showed you all of the ins and outs of packing your footwear, so each of your shoe pieces gets to their new home undamaged. Follow our tips, and all you will be left to do is smile and look fabulous in them while making new friends in a new city.