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When it comes to packing for a trip, suitcases can fill up a lot quicker than you’d expect. The worst is when you end up having to choose between a pair of shoes or one of your favorite pairs of pants, putting a damper on the whole packing process. Whether you’re using a full-sized suitcase or a carry-on, you have to be strategic with what you pack and with how you pack. After traveling to over 40 countries, touring the country for a year on a Broadway tour, and only having one suitcase to pack to live on a cruise ship as a performer for 8 months–I’m quite the pro when it comes to packing. I find it fairly easy to choose which items need to stay and which need to come, and I have a few tips and tricks that I love to use to make things work in a pinch. When it comes to shoes specifically, that’s where you have to get extra creative. I’m going to share a shoe hack with you that will work for any type of packing–whether you just have a duffel for a weekend trip, a carry-on, or a full-sized suitcase. Related: I’m a Carry-On Only Traveler—the 3-3-3 Method Changed the Way I Pack Use Every Square Inch Of Your Shoes By Stuffing Them With Items In a TikTok by travel creator Sumari Barnes, she shares the best travel hack for packing multiple pairs of shoes. She explains that to prevent her shoes from creasing and to also maximize the space in her suitcase, she stuffs each pair of shoes with socks. Barnes also explains that expensive shoe bags aren’t necessary to keep your shoes organized, and instead, she uses shower caps. She wraps each shoe in a clear shower cap, which not only keeps the shoe from dirtying other things in your luggage, but it also helps to keep the items that are stuffed in the shoe nice and contained. Now, you don’t have to only stuff your shoes with socks. I actually prefer filling my shoes with random items that I haven’t been able to find a place for in my luggage–things like bags of medication, small jewelry containers, hair accessories, or even chargers for your electronics are all great options to stuff inside a shoe. The goal here is to fill the shoes as much as possible, and then you can secure them with the shower cap so the contents don’t spill out. This way, the shoe can almost act as a packing cube for certain items. Related: The ‘Tetris’ Method That Maximizes Every Inch of Your Carry-On Where Should The Shoes Go Inside Your Luggage? Now that you’ve figured out how to best optimize packing your shoes, your next step is to figure out where in your luggage to place them. For shoe method, I start with any extra bulky pairs of shoes like bigger sneakers, boots, or loafers, I always start with those as one of my first items that I place in my luggage. I like to line up the shoes right at the bottom corner of the luggage, by the wheels, and they usually fit perfectly. Then, I fit my packing cubes or loose clothing in and around the shoes. For thinner shoes like ballet flats, smaller sneakers, or sandals, I usually leave these until the very end. I’ve found that I can usually lay these right on top of my clothing (I always pack with packing cubes) and the suitcase still closes perfectly. There have even been times where once I’m done packing, I notice a spot where I can slip in the pair of shoes in between packing cubes or alongside the edge of the suitcase. With this method, I’m sort of playing a game of Tetris, and can find any nooks and crannies that could possibly fit my shoes. It’s an extra win win when the shoes are filled with other items, because then you’re fitting in double what you thought you could.
