One of the items that tends to surprise people at how many they accumulate over time is shoes. If you are a shoe lover, chances are that you have a plethora of pairs in your closet and sitting around the house. This only seems to become evident when it is time to corral them all together and pack them. While it may seem tedious to pack shoes, these are actually fairly easy items to pack when you take some tips in mind. Let’s look at some of the best advice for how to pack shoes for moving.

Consider Downsizing

Trust us, we get it. It can be really hard to say goodbye to a pair of shoes that have served you well. Many people are a bit sentimental about shoes. However, just like other items, it can be very useful to sort through your shoe inventory prior to moving in order to identify pairs that are damaged, old, or no longer fit. Getting rid of these shoes can make packing a bit easier. Plus, it will also free up some space in your new home to buy more shoes if you’d like.

Set Aside Shoes You’ll Need

It is likely that you won’t immediately unpack your shoes once you move. Rather, you’ll gradually unpack over the course of a few days or weeks. Thus, you want to start out by thinking about all the shoes you’ll need during the moving process and in the first week or so in your new home. Perhaps some casual shoes or even dress shoes for work. Set these aside and don’t pack them so that you’ll have them available to use.

Organize Your Shoes

Of your remaining shoes, an effective step is organizing them into categories. This can help you easily find shoes that you need while not having to go through those that you don’t. For example, separate shoes by season, style, or the occasion you’d wear them. This makes unpacking far easier. Maybe you’ll end up with a box for winter shoes, a box for running shoes, one for work shoes, and another for nicer pairs.

Wrap Each Shoe Carefully

One of the most effective ways to pack shoes is to place them in their original shoe boxes. If you’ve saved shoe boxes, pat yourself on the back because they will not come in handy. However, you want to make sure to pack the shoe box correctly. Make sure to wrap each individual shoe separately in paper. This will keep the shoes from rubbing together during the move. Additionally, be sure to use clean paper instead of newspaper. While newspaper is great for many things, it can leave stains on shoes that are nearly impossible to get out, potentially ruining an otherwise good pair.

Pack Heavier Shoes towards the Bottom

Regardless of whether you opt to use shoe boxes or pack shoes loosely, you’ll want a larger box to store them in. Be sure to pack your heavier shoes towards the bottom of the box. This is important because it ensures that the weight is being appropriately balanced. This will prevent shoes from getting damaged. Remember to limit the overall weight for the box as too much weight may cause creases in the shoes at the bottom regardless of how sturdy they are.

Stuff Shoes with Socks

When you move, one of the most important things to do is to be efficient with your space. Spread over the course of an entire household, efficiently packing will drastically reduce the number of boxes that you have. When working with shoes, one way to do this is to stuff each shoe with a pair of socks. This serves two important purposes. First, it helps pack some of your socks. However, it also helps provide added support to the structure of the shoe, reducing the likelihood that it will get damaged from pressure during the move.

Consider a Closet Door Shoe Organizer

If you aren’t moving very far, a good idea for a life hack is to purchase a closet door shoe organizer. This can be used to expedite the packing process. Simply put the shoes in the organizer and then drape it over other boxes in your car or the moving truck. This can be a particularly effective idea if you don’t have a ton of boxes to use and want to reserve them for other items.

Make Sure Your Shoes are Clean

This is perhaps the one area that the most people fail to consider. However, it is incredibly important to make sure all of your shoes are clean before you pack them. There are two reasons for this. First, if your shoes are dirty, this can end up transferring to other shoes or potential heat from moving conditions can make it difficult to clean them later. Secondly, if your shoes have any smells to them, they can very easily be transferred to everything else in a box. Utilize baking soda or another absorbing substance to eliminate any smells.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, it is fairly easy to learn how to pack shoes for moving. It just takes a bit of planning and a little organization in order to pull off the process. As with anything, beginning as far ahead of time as possible can help you to have time to dedicate to fully preparing everything for being efficiently packed. When it comes to shoes, the keys lie in preventing damage while they are being moved and being able to easily identify those needed when it is time to unpack.

If you’d rather not deal with the packing process at all, you are always welcome to contact Rent-A-Son, Toronto’s Best Movers and Moving Services for your moving needs. We provide excellent service to the Ontario area and will gladly work with you to meet your packing and moving needs.