If you need any help learning how to pack shoes for moving, you’ve come to the right place. These next few tips will show you everything you should know, like how to declutter your inventory, which supplies to get, how to label the containers, and so much more. Keep on reading, and you’ll be able to pack your footwear like a pro in no time.
You don’t have to be an expert to know how to organize your move quickly and efficiently. If you need some assistance, these excellent relocation hacks will help you prepare even your most delicate footwear for shipping.
If you’re not sure when to start packing for a move, ask yourself, “Would Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw be jealous of my collection?” Unless the answer is a resounding no, you should probably start preparing your footwear as soon as possible. This will prevent you from leaving everything for the very last minute when you likely won’t have enough time to secure each pair properly.
“Sort your inventory” should be one of the key tasks on your overall moving to-do list, especially when relocating to a smaller home. The place will likely have insufficient storage capacity, which makes fitting an extensive shoe collection very problematic. Fortunately, relocation is the perfect time to declutter and reduce your overall inventory.
The basic premise of decluttering is to get rid of anything you don’t need. This is precisely why it’s one of the best things to do before relocating, as it allows you to decide what to do with each pair easily:
If you’re relocating into an apartment, you might not have the room to fit all your footwear even after decluttering. Fortunately, you have the option to place some of it into storage. There are several options on the market, with many cross-country movers providing storage units as a part of their long-distance moving services. Many companies even offer a whole month of free storage if you choose to move with them, so that may be the deal you’re looking for.
Now that you’ve trimmed down the size of your inventory, it’s time to get all the necessary supplies. Besides the usual stuff like duct tape and boxes, there are several types of packing materials you should consider getting when preparing your footwear:
While you can get all the supplies from major retailers or a long-distance moving company, you can also find some of the materials you need for free. Firstly, you should check if your friends and family members have any leftovers from their last relocation. You can also look for free supplies on FreeCycle, a website that specializes in reducing the global waste problem. Finally, you should be able to find most of the things you need in recycling centers or local stores, as they often separate their packaging. Just remember to only take new and clean materials, as using newsprint or dirty boxes is known to leave stains that are very difficult to take out.
Do you know how to pack shoes for a move without the regular materials? While you’ll still need a box, you can use socks to stuff each shoe instead of paper, saving you both money and storage space. Socks are so useful that you can even learn how to pack glasses for relocating with them. Other common household items, such as towels and linens, can also be used as an acceptable alternative to traditional materials.
Unless you’re planning to wrap your whole collection in plastic, you’ll have to clean each shoe separately. While most of your footwear can be cleaned with wet wipes, make sure they’re alcohol-free, as it causes damage when overused. You’ll likely need to spend more time on the soles. Fortunately, an old toothbrush and some soap are all you need to remove the remaining dirt and debris, you just have to be persistent. After you’re done, leave the footwear to dry completely before wrapping it up.
Remember that cleaning the footwear and removing unpleasant odors are two different things. Placing a dry tea bag in each shoe after cleaning will eliminate the smells and give it a fresh new scent. You can also mix a citrus peel or place baking soda to take out the odor or wash the pair in the washing machine. The latter option should be restricted to sneakers and avoided at all costs with footwear made out of leather and other delicate materials. Once again, dry all the pairs entirely before you start wrapping.
Truth be told, there’s no single best way to pack shoes for moving. However, you should always stuff each shoe before wrapping it up. This step is crucial whether you’re planning to use crumpled-up paper sheets or socks, as it’s often the only thing that will keep the shoe’s original form intact during transport. You also need to avoid cramming each box with too much stuff, as this is one of the main reasons why the footwear loses its shape. When loading the truck, make sure that the lighter and delicate containers always go on top.
When planning to wrap your footwear, you’re likely not going to use the same materials and methods for each pair. For example, you should consider wrapping designer heels and high-end sneakers individually. You can secure them with plastic while also padding each container with bubble wrap. Make sure they’re packed in original boxes if possible.
Your everyday sneakers and slippers usually don’t require this much trouble. Most of the time, the only material you’ll need is paper, and they can even be packed with other footwear in the same container. Just remember to stuff them, and they’ll be good to go.
If you’re missing the original packaging, each shoe will need to be wrapped individually. As with all other footwear, stuff it with crumpled paper to keep it from getting trampled and losing its shape in a large box. Tie the shoes with laces, so they do not get separated and secure them with plastic. If you want to learn how to prepare expensive and delicate footwear for shipping without the original packaging, check out the video below.
Whether you’re boxing up shoes or something entirely different, proper labeling is going to make unpacking after a move that much easier. The best way to do this is to mark the top and two sides of the container with the footwear’s type and another defining feature, like the brand or its color. If you’re relocating with kids, you likely have a lot more pairs to deal with, so you can write each child’s name on the boxes that have their shoes.
Since you’re planning to move across the country, relocation labels become even more important. Most long-distance relocation companies move several people at once in the same truck, and while it’s very rare, shipping mix-ups do occasionally occur. If this scenario does happen, you can still avoid losing even a single shoe, as all you have to do is mark your full name and phone number on every packed box.
Since most of your belongings won’t arrive for the first week or two after you’ve moved in, you’ll need to set aside some footwear as a part of your relocation essentials. You won’t have to carry too many pairs with you, but whatever you bring with you should be appropriate for the weather. For example, if you’re relocating to the East Coast from California in winter, you’ll need a pair of thick winter shoes or even some boots if it’s snowing. Wherever you plan to move, you could always bring a pair of slippers for when at home and some comfortable sneakers for everyday errands and hiking.
That’s all the relocation tips and hacks we have for you today. If you start planning on time and apply all of the things we mentioned here, securing your footwear will go without a problem. Relocation stress is a real thing, so if the process seems a bit too hard for you, remember that hiring a professional to assist you is always a viable option. Get on your phone, type in long-distance movers near me, and find a reliable relocation company with top-notch packing services.
