How to Safely Pack Your Shoes When Moving

In this guide we’ll explain how to take care of footwear when moving to a new home.

Don’t be alarmed: packing shoes for a move is no rocket science. You just have to make sure that your sneakers/loafers/derbies are:

• Properly organized.
• Insured from being lost.
• Kept fresh during the move.
• Preserved from mechanical and other potential damage.

These are four main pillars of successful boot transferring AND they are achievable with a bunch of smart tactics — we’ve carefully collected, reviewed and even field-tested them for you.

Best Tips for Packing Footwear for Moving

1. Socks + boots = Sockccess

What for: To keep their shape

Socks are great for moving footwear: they help maintain their initial form and also protect shoes from being damaged during the shipment.

We recommend that you roll up a pair of socks for each single shoe and put it inside by the toe area. (Heel area should not be neglected either, depending on the design).

In case you don’t have that many socks, you can employ plain wrapping/packing paper, plastic bags, paper towels, or maybe copier paper. Some people also resort to newspapers and other papery stuff with printed paint on it, which is not ok: you can accidentally soil your foot gear from inside.

2. Keep them organized

What for: To avoid fuss when unpacking

One of the best ways to pack shoes for moving is sorting your boots by:

• Importance.
• Fragility.
• Season.
• Who they belong to.

So, more expensive stuff should definitely be packed inside a shoebox and marked as VIP. Essential footwear — like your everyday bluchers for office — should be set aside from the rest of the pile, so you can access them anytime.

Seasons also play a major role. Sort out the boots according to their seasonal use. For instance, if you’re heading to a new home in winter, prepare a spacious box for sandals, espadrilles, and flip-flops. You won’t need them any time soon, so you won’t have to waste precious minutes on dealing with them.

It’s also a nifty idea to label sorted boxes with laconic symbols that denote their practical purpose, season, who they belong to, or your personal affection for them. A heart-shaped sticker can mark your most cherished ones, while a marker-drawn kitty face will tag children’s footwear.

Note: When moving, always put heavy shoes on the bottom, so they won’t crush lighter stuff.

3. Refreshing the shoes

What for: To prevent stench

Moving shoes conceals a serious pitfall: if it’s going to be lengthy, they risk becoming stale. What does that mean? Well, when you finally get to unpacking them, a foul shoe stink may knock you out of your socks. Most of the blame lies on the causative agents that can already be inside the boots. It’s just you’re so used to their odor that you completely ignore it.

Venting the footwear for 10–12 hours before going is an effective solution. If you’ve detected a rather potent stench coming from a certain pair, use a grandma’s remedy: put them in the freezer. The algorithm is this:

• Remove or at least clean the insoles.
• Make sure the shoes are perfectly dry — especially if they are leathery.
• If the material is too delicate — like suede — put them inside a shoebox first.

Don’t keep them inside for too long: 120 minutes is probably enough. A long exposure to a cold temperature can damage the footwear that wasn’t specifically designed to endure it.

Another master trick is to use plain baking soda. It’s an effective absorbent, which is also easy to get rid of in the morning: simply shake it out. If you have no time for venting the stink out, a few drops of an essential oil will disguise it to a degree.

And if nothing else works, well… stuff some newspapers in. Their fibrous material is marvelous at devouring odors. It still may leave some paint stains, but at least you will neutralize a nasty smell that can contaminate other stuff in your baggage.

Note: As for a viral tip that involves unused teabags, we are sorry to admit: there’s no vital evidence to support its efficacy. (Some say it’s utterly useless.)

4. Short Tips for Quick Solutions:

• Wrap your footwear with bubble wrap.
• Tie laces to keep a pair of sneakers together.
• Avoid putting your boots together with other clothes.
• Cheaper, older, simpler shoes can be put in a garbage bag if you have no time.

No Blues, Just Shoes

Now you know how to pack shoes for moving like a pro. Visit us for more handy tricks on how to move your stuff around the world safely!