Old Shoe Boxes | Moving Boxes | Suitcase | Garbage Bag | General Tips for Packing Shoes

How to Pack Shoes for Moving: Top 4 Ways

Shoes are heavy and oddly shaped, which makes them one of the most annoying things to pack for a move. We’ve put together some simple tips for how to pack shoes for moving and help you cross it off your to-do list.

The best way to pack shoes for a move depends on how much time, space, and money you have. We’ve found the four best methods: shoe boxes, moving boxes, suitcases, and garbage bags.

Our guide will help you pack your shoes, whether you need to protect your Louboutin heels and Gucci sneakers or you just need to get your old gym shoes to your new home. If you have already tossed the packaging, don’t fret. We’ll also show you how to pack shoes for moving without shoe boxes.

1. Old Shoe Boxes
2. Fill Moving Boxes
3. Use a Suitcase
4. Throw Your Shoes in a Garbage Bag

1. Use Your Old Shoe Boxes

🥇 Best Overall

The best way to pack shoes for moving is to put them in shoe boxes. Then you just put those shoe boxes into a larger moving box.

This gives your shoes the most protection, and it makes both packing and unpacking easy. The downside? Using shoe boxes takes up more room than packing loose shoes. So if you’re concerned about space, you might want to go with a space-saving method. (Or only use shoe boxes for your most precious shoes.)

If you haven’t held on to all your old shoe boxes, ask around on your local buy nothing or Freecycle group. Or, if you’re really invested in keeping your shoes protected, you can buy new shoe boxes on Amazon.

2. Fill Moving Boxes

🪐 Best For: Space

You can also skip the shoe boxes and put loose shoes in moving boxes. This method offers a good balance of protection and space conservation.

The best way to pack shoes for moving in boxes? Take a pair and put the tops together, with the heel of one shoe touching the toe of another. If your shoes have laces, you may even want to tie a loose knot to keep the shoes together. Then, fill the shoes with newspaper or other material so they don’t get flattened. Next, wrap each pair in a piece of packing paper. (You can also place them in a grocery bag if you’re worried about dirt or scuffs.)

Place each pair in the box, starting with the heaviest pairs. And keep in mind that shoes weigh more than you think. Either choose a smaller box or only partially pack the box full of shoes before adding lightweight objects on top.

3. Use a Suitcase

🧳 Best For: Mobility

If you’re using your suitcases to pack clothes for moving, you can add your shoes and pack around them. Suitcases will protect your shoes and make them much easier to transport because they usually have wheels.

Put shoes heel-to-toe in pairs like you would in a box, with the tops touching. To protect other items in the suitcase, put each pair in a plastic grocery bag and tie it in a loose knot. Shoes are usually the biggest and most rigid clothing items. So, put them in the bottom corner of your suitcase and pack clothing and other items around them.

4. Throw Your Shoes in a Garbage Bag

⏳ Best For: Speed

Strapped for time? You can always throw your shoes in a garbage bag. Keep pairs together by tying their laces or putting them in separate grocery bags before you place them in the garbage bag.

To be clear, a garbage bag isn’t the best way to pack shoes for moving. It won’t do much to protect your shoes. And this method leaves you with an odd-shaped bag you have to fit into your moving truck. So think of the garbage bag as your last resort.

But when you need to finish packing up ASAP, a garbage bag will do the trick. (Just don’t accidentally throw your shoes away with the trash.)

General Tips for Packing Shoes for a Move

No matter how you decide to pack your shoes for moving, here’s how to get the best results:

Get Rid of Any Shoes You Don’t Actually Wear.

Donating or throwing out shoes is one of the most popular tips for how to pack shoes for moving from Reddit. It’s also one of our favorite moving hacks in general. There’s no reason to put in effort to move items you don’t love.

Air Out and Clean Your Shoes Before Packing.

Everyone has smelly and dirty shoes. To avoid opening a stinky, dirty box in your new home, give your shoes some time to air out and clean off any obvious dirt or debris before you start packing.

Stuff Your Shoes So They Keep Their Shape.

Shoes can get squished and creased or lose their shape during your move. To prevent this, stuff your shoes before you pack them. For a cheap solution, use packing paper, newspaper, or even socks. (You can wrap the socks in a grocery bag first.) For your nicer shoes, consider investing in shoe trees — wooden devices shaped like a foot that help keep the shoe’s shape.

Pack Seasonal Shoes Separately.

One suggestion is to pack your seasonal shoes separately. If you are moving in the middle of July, you probably aren’t going to need access to your snow boots. We recommend storage containers so that your seasonal shoes are out of sight and out of mind. If you plan to eventually store them, you might want to consider clear storage bins so they are easy to locate later.

Don’t Overload Your Box, Suitcase, or Bag.

Shoes are heavy, and their weight adds up quickly. Resist the temptation to put all your shoes in one big box or bag. Instead, spread pairs of shoes over several boxes or bags. That way, the box won’t creak and you won’t hurt yourself moving them.

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