Shoes are a large part of your wardrobe, and like all clothing accessories lose their aesthetic appeal if they become damaged in any way. When moving houses, you need to take care when packing your shoe collection in order to minimize the overall amount of moving space that they take up while simultaneously ensuring that they do not become damaged during the move. Thankfully, you can accomplish this fairly simply with some basic materials and proper packing techniques:
Cleaning
Before you get started, you should make an effort to wipe down all of your shoes to remove any dirt, oils, or other contaminants which may be stuck on. This is because they can hold onto moisture, which can contribute to mold and mildew growth on your shoes while they are packed away, which can effectively ruin their appearance. Simple soap and water should be enough to clean most shoes, but be aware of any special material considerations associated with certain fabrics. In addition, this is a good opportunity to polish dress shoes that are looking a little worn. Be sure that all of your shoes are dry before you begin to pack them.
Preparing Your Shoes
While it's best to pack individual shoes into shoe boxes to protect their shape, this is rarely possible for large or old shoe collections that no longer have their boxes with them. Instead, you should make use of packing paper, available at most moving and storage supply stores, to stuff the interior of your shoes and boots, before wrapping the exterior of both shoes in the same paper. Avoid using newspaper or anything with coloring, ink, or dye on it, as that can rub off of onto the surface of your shoes and mar their appearance. Tape the paper to ensure that it does not come unraveled while in transit.
Proper Packing Techniques
Then, you'll want to pack away your shoes into larger moving boxes: having multiple pairs of shoes in a single box isn't a huge issue, but you'll want to create layers of shoes on top of each other. Keep the heavier and bulkier shoes on the bottom of the box, and more delicate items, like heels, on the top. Make sure to keep your boxes at a manageable weight to make the moving process easier, and take care to clearly label individual boxes with their contents so that the unpacking process is more straightforward and efficient.
Contact local professional movers for more information and assistance.
