Conventional advice on packing footwear for a trip—even for a considerably long sojourn—limits itself to conservatism. Or defeatist austerity. Why carry that much load? Take along one pair that takes you from work to play just alright. Or, just pack three—boots, kicks and slides. (Really, now—slides?) The most ridiculous hack in my personal opinion is to wear your heaviest pair of shoes on the plane.
I’m all for travelling light and cutting out the proverbial clutter, but if you gotta carry your six pairs, you gotta carry your six pairs. If you’re someone who cannot wear the same shoes every day of your vacation, or more reasonably still, cannot go from the bar to the boardroom in the same pair of loafers, you need a way to do it. Not just another of the obvious workarounds circulating in the travelhackosphere. Which is why we tell you how to pack the six pairs you want, without damaging your footwear or forgoing other essentials at the last minute.
Head into this with the maxim that no space must go to waste
If your suitcase has a removable inner liner or an extra zip compartment, tuck a pair of flats or foldable sneakers behind it. In many cases, these underrated little compartments go unused, but they’re perfect for thin or compact shoes. So if you’re wondering where those really pliable canvas sneakers you love will go, this is it. The same goes for beach espadrilles. This way, you’ll still be conserving your main packing area at the mere expense of a slight bulge.
Packing cubes have had their moment (and they continue to have their own specific purpose—many of us still swear by them when it comes to compartmentalising luggage). But if you’re gonna whisk your favourite new trainer along, investing in compression bags is probably the way to go. Unlike their packing-cube counterparts, they don’t tend to fill up big volumes of space inside your suitcase. Effective ones are known to shrink the items they engulf by even half, but avoid forcing the issue—even a little counts. And wherever you find lodging, decompress every now and then to prevent wrinkling.
When placing your other footwear inside your suitcase, line it up with soles towards the sides. Then carefully roll up your socks, briefs and other small garments and place them inside the cavity, effectively utilising the volume of storage you would have otherwise foregone. If needed, you can wrap these items up in thin, reusable plastic coverings. For what it’s worth, as opposed to conventional wisdom, by packing your footwear along the sides, you’ll not only reduce the risk of deforming them (even if temporarily) or wrinkling your clothes.
For structured shoes or boots (your prized suede Chelseas), place them in the centre and—here comes the magic—secure them in place using the belt straps provided inside your suitcase. Place your clothing around it neatly and use the leftover volume to throw in towels, scarfs, t-shirts and loungewear items. Do remember to place them upright, as in with their soles to the base, and pack them up either in a compression cube or even a shower cap. If it’s mid-calf boots (or longer ones), however, cover and lay them down in the centre and resume the drill. Oh, and, don’t forget to utilise the hollow space inside them. We cannot reiterate this enough.
Being a proud travelling sneakerhead comes with a mindset
Which means that moving little mountains to prioritise them in your luggage space (and on your person) has to be never-ending. You’ve signed up for it. For instance, your flip-flops can go inside your dopp kit. You can tuck that compact pair of skate sneakers you have inside a drawstring bag and attach it to your carry-on backpack using a carabiner. And while we’re on the subject, we’d recommend investing in a weekender bag with a shoe compartment (or a roomy duffle) and using it as a carry-on. It’s much better than rushing to your flight with your feet chained in your heaviest boots, isn’t it?