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Packing shoes for travel can be a surprisingly difficult task. Often when you’re exploring the world, you will visit multiple countries with varying landscapes. You will travel to cities, beaches, mountains, countryside – and everywhere in between. The walking conditions change depending on the season, latitude, altitude, and geographical location that you’re discovering. Selecting the correct footwear to fit all these requirements can be a tall order!
At home, you may have multiple pairs of shoes to suit these occasions. However, when traveling, you don’t have this luxury. You may need boots for exploring hiking trails, flip-flops for visiting tropical beaches, slides/sandals to wear in hostels or hotels, and casual shoes to wear when walking in urban areas. Packing these shoes for travel is something of an art so here are a few tips to help you get started.
Many travelers opt for a hiking backpack to take on their journey. They are convenient for round-the-world travelers as they are easy to carry through bustling cities and busy transport hubs. Plus, they are durable and won’t break easily. Lots of these backpacks have straps and cords on the outside which can be used to pack your shoes for travel.
Flip flops can easily be clipped onto the outside of your bag. They are lightweight and can be threaded onto a strap with relative ease. It’s also possible to use the laces of your hiking boots to tie them onto your bag’s exterior. As these shoes are heavier, tie them onto the outer base of the bag. Then make sure they’re securely fastened to avoid them swinging about and throwing you off balance!
Footwear can take up a lot of space in your baggage. They are hefty pieces of equipment that occupy a large packing area. However, fear not, there is a handy solution to get around this! Simply fill the inside of your shoes with clothing or other miscellaneous items.
You can stuff the inside of your shoes with socks, underwear, t-shirts, or any other gadgets or travel products. This helps to make use of the space available in your bag. It also allows your shoes to retain some of their shape rather than getting squashed flat in the bottom of your bag. To further protect your footwear, pack clothing around the shoes tightly to prevent them from shunting and moving in your luggage.
You may be a traveller who has multiple shoes to bring on your trip. You might also have a special pair of shoes you want to take extra care of to ensure they don’t get crushed inside your suitcase or damaged by being clipped to the outside of a backpack. In this instance, your best bet is to purchase a specialized travel shoe bag.
Shoe bags are common for golf shoes and dress shoes. However, they are now becoming more widely used for other types of footwear and they are an ideal solution for helping you pack shoes for travel. They give you full freedom to select your desired footwear and allow you to pack with confidence!
This is a classic tip for anyone traveling or backpacking on a shoestring budget. Wear the heaviest or bulkiest items of your clothing during transit. This will lighten the load of your bags and keep the cost of your luggage down. Wearing a heavy pair of shoes is the perfect way to do this.
For example, if you are taking a flight and decide to place a pair of hiking boots in your bag, this will be difficult to carry around the airport and you may incur an extra cost from having a heavy bag. Whereas, if you wear your hiking boots en route, you’re saving yourself the trouble of trying to pack your toughest shoes for travel!
Shoes are dirty. There’s no getting around that. They spend every moment of their existence planted against the floor picking up all kinds of dust, mud, and debris. If you then pack these shoes for travel in the same bag with all your clean clothes, you may find some items soiled upon arrival at your destination.
To get around this problem, try to compartmentalize your shoes. Place them in a special packing sack or section them into a different area of your bag so they don’t come into direct contact with the rest of your clothes.
At the very least, wrap your shoes in a plastic bag or face the soles against each other to avoid the dirtiest areas encountering your fresh clothing. You should also give your shoes a clean before you pack them into your luggage as damp shoes smell bad and this can cause mould to grow.
Final Tips
Knowing how to pack shoes for travel will often depend on two key factors: what shoes you are taking on your journey and what type of travel you are doing. If you pin down these two elements, it will make it much easier for you to decide what to do.
For example, if you’re a backpacker who loves to go on outdoor adventures, you will probably want to bring a durable pair of footwear such as hiking boots. Keeping your backpack lightweight will be an issue. As a result, you may only want to bring a comfortable pair of sandals or flip-flops to carry in your backpack as a second pair. They’re easy to fit into your bag and they can handle the rough and tumble world of being a backpacker.
Alternatively, you may be traveling for different reasons. You might be a more luxury-orientated traveller who opts for suitcases on city breaks. Having multiple pairs of fashionable shoes may be important to you. In which case, carrying a travel shoe bag or compartmentalizing your suitcase may be the best strategy to help pack your shoes for travel!
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