The Authoritative Guide on Packing Shoes
When traveling, it's important to pack effectively and efficiently. You want to be prepared for your trip, but you also don't want to be lugging around five suitcases wherever you go. This guide will, hopefully, save you some time and space when you're packing for your next trip.
While you're packing, one of the first things to take into consideration is the number of days you'll be gone. This will help you determine the number of pairs of shoes to bring along with you. Here is a rough guide for how many pairs of shoes you should pack given the length of your trip:
1 day = 1 pair
2 to 3 days = 1 to 2 pairs
3 to 5 days = 2 to 3 pairs
5 to 7 days = 3 to 4 pairs
If you're traveling for more than a week, pack with discretion, but don't deprive yourself either! One thing that could help you is to draw up a rough itinerary of what you'll be doing during your stay to see which shoes are appropriate. This leads to the next item of consideration...
What kind of trip are you going on? Is it strictly business or is it personal? Are you going to be doing a lot of sight-seeing? Or will you be relaxing beach-side with a drink in your hand? Or will you be finding your inner peace whilst hiking up mountains and similar terrain? These questions will help you in determining which types of shoes to pack. For example, if you're only traveling for business, two pairs of shoes should suffice. A pair of comfortable flats for travel and a pair of nude or black modest heels that can be worn during daytime meetings or business dinners.
If you plan on walking uptown, downtown, and all around town sight-seeing, you'll definitely want a pair of trusted, comfortable shoes. You don't want blisters to force you to hinder your plans and bring your vacation down. After all, how many days a year do you get off for vacation/exploration? Your shoes should be keeping you going, not slowing you down.
If you're going to be nesting your toes in the sand, sandals or open, strappy shoes would probably fit best. Since you're going to be by water, you might want to consider packing shoes that are easy to slip on and off (i.e. flip-flops) as well as waterproof. You might also want to pack a pair of nice, formal(ish) shoes depending on whether you plan on going downtown to a club or going to dinner at a nice restaurant.
If physical activities dominate the itinerary for your trip, you definitely want to make sure you pack comfortable shoes that are suitable for the activities that you have planned. Don't bring thin, un-supportive flats to go hiking just because you like them and they're comfortable for street walking. Although that may be, remember that hiking trails can be vastly different in terrain (i.e. rockier) than paved streets. Make sure to have supportive, protective shoes to keep your feet in tip-top shape for the duration of your trip. Also, if you plan to spend your entire trip out in the "wild," there's not much need for any "fancy" shoes. There probably aren't any upscale restaurants in the mountains, so leave the heels at home. Even if you do plan to go back in the city at one point in your trip, try to go for nicer shoes with a low profile heel that you know are comfortable so as to not put too much stress on your feet after putting them through a lot of physical activity.
Another big point of consideration when packing shoes is the weather. During which season are you going to be traveling? Spring, summer, fall, or winter? Is it the rainy season or the dry season? Although weather websites may not be the most accurate, they do help provide a general gist of what to expect, temperature-wise. Given that information, pack accordingly. Don't pack open, strappy heels when the weather is predicted to be near-freezing and don't pack heavy-duty boots when it's going to be 90+ degrees Fahrenheit.
The main key to packing efficiently and effectively is to find shoes that are versatile. Why pack two pairs of shoes when you can pack one pair of multi-functional shoes? Try to find shoes that are comfortable enough to wear around during the day, but also stylish enough to wear out at night. That way, you can dance all day and night without a blister or extra bag spent on packing in sight. Cross-functionality is all the rage these days, after all. When you're always on the go, increasing efficiency is always good.
Hopefully this guide will help you pack your shoes on your next trip. Do you have any other tips or tricks for packing shoes? Share with us in the comments below!