When moving from one home to another, you’ll surely reach the moment when you’ll have to pack your shoes for moving. And when you do, you’ll also want to know how to pack boots for moving – the bulky and heavy footwear that can be rather tricky to pack safely due to their larger size and greater weight compared to regular shoes.
Packing shoes for moving is often viewed as a no-brainer packing task… but that’s not always the case. The thing is that you still need to be extra careful when packing your shoes and boots – if you don’t, then you run the risk of finding your footwear pairs scuffed, misshapen, or over missing!
This time, we’ll pay special attention to packing boots for moving – what you need to do before you actually pack up the pairs, and of course – how to pack your boots so that they arrive in the new home intact – that is, the same way they left the old one.
Here’s the best way to pack boots for moving, step by step:
Step 1. Sort out your boots
The very first step when packing your boots for a move is to go through your footwear collection carefully and decide whether there are some pairs that are not worth moving for one reason or another.
Some of the boots you own may be too worn out to be worth the effort of packing them up and transporting them all the way to the new home. You may also find out that you’re very unlikely to wear some unfashionable ones anymore even if they are in good condition.
Furthermore, it won’t make much sense to take your winter boots with you if you happen to be moving to a warmer state where snow-white winters are virtually non-existent. Be practical and save valuable space by not moving big and heavy boots for no good reason.
Step 2. Get rid of the boots you’ll never wear again
Sorting out your pairs of boots may not change a thing after all – once you decide that they are all in good condition and perfectly usable after the move, then you’re still going to have to pack them well to survive the relocation unscathed.
However, you may have concluded that some pairs are not really worth taking with you, which begs the question of what you should do with them. As a matter of fact, you’ve got a few good choices depending on their current state:
- Usable. Consider donating some of the boots to charity if they are still in good condition but you don’t see yourself wearing them anymore for one reason or another.
- Unusable. Throw away for recycling the pairs that are in a really bad condition and nobody will ever wear again.
Good to know: How to get rid of things when moving house
Step 3. Clean the boots
The next step when packing boots to move is to clean your pairs before packing them. In fact, you may wonder if this pre-packing step is really necessary – after all, you can always clean up your boots after you’ve unpacked them in the new place, right?
There are a couple of reasons why cleaning up your shoes prior to packing them is important:
- You won’t be bringing any dirt and dust into the new place, and
- You’ll be contributing to the fresh start in the new home by unpacking footwear that is ready to be used.
If necessary, use mild soap and warm water to remove any dust and dirt from your boots. Take a closer look at their soles and remove any tiny pebbles that may have lodged into the rubber treads.
Step 4. Dry the boots thoroughly
One of the most important steps when packing boots for moving is to make sure the pairs are perfectly dry before you start wrapping them up in paper.
If any of your boots happens to be wet or not dried up sufficiently, then the possibility of mold growth inside them increases, especially when the pairs are incorrectly packed in plastic bags (see below).
It’s important that you give the boots you’re taking with you enough time to air dry once you’ve cleaned them up with water. If a pair is simply moist inside from the last time you’ve worn the boots, then again, you’ll need to let warm air circulate around them to dry them up.
When pressed for time, you can use a hair-dryer to speed up the process of drying the insides of your boots. If you have sweat-absorbing powder, you can apply a bit of it into the boots to absorb any dampness left from foot perspiration.
A cool trick you can use is to place a fragrant tea bag (mint, lavender, etc.) inside each boot before packing it up – this will keep your shoes fresh and free of bad odors.
See also: How to pack shoes for moving
Step 5. Stuff the boots with crumpled paper
Once your boots are clean and dry, the next step is to stuff them with soft crumpled paper. Why? The packing paper will help the boots maintain their shape in case an external force of some sort happens to press down on the boxes containing your bulky footwear.
This is a precautionary measure to keep the boots from losing their shape if they get crushed or smashed during transit. In most cases, nothing bad will happen to your packed shoes, but in case it did, you’d want to prevent finding your boots badly deformed during the unpacking process.
Fill the inside of each boot with soft wrapping paper to stay on the save side of things. Do not use newspaper because the ink could transfer onto the boots and ruin them.
Step 6. Use the original shoeboxes
Without a doubt, the best way to pack boots when moving house is to use the original boxes that the footwear came in. What’s good about those boxes is that 1) they are the perfect size to fit each pair, and 2) most of them are made of thick cardboard that should provide sufficient protection for your valuable shoes.
So, if you keep those boxes, then that’s great. If not, look for sturdy medium to large packing boxes that will fit the size of the boots. And yes, you can pack more than one pair in one box as long as those boots are pre-wrapped in packing paper.
When using second-hand cardboard boxes, make sure the containers are perfectly clean, completely dry, and strong enough for the load.
Bear in mind that if you’re packing winter boots during a summer move, then your winter footwear will most likely go directly into storage in the new place. In such cases, you’re urged to pack your winter boots in plastic storage boxes that are watertight and will not let any moisture inside.
Step 7. Wrap each boot individually in packing paper
It’s finally time to pack your boots in boxes.
What you need to do now is wrap each individual boot in soft packing paper. There are a few good reasons for doing it:
- The wrapping paper will create a soft padding layer between the boots and will keep them from rubbing against one another.
- The packing paper will, supposedly, absorb any amount of moisture left inside the box, no matter how small that amount is. This way, mold is unlikely to form during the move.
Thus said, do not use plastic wrap or plastic bags to pack your boots for moving – plastic is known to trap moisture, which in turn may lead to mold growth inside the shoes.
Step 8. Arrange the boots properly in the boxes
Finally, make sure you arrange the boots correctly in the boxes.
When packing one pair of boots in a small to medium cardboard box (ideally, the original shoebox):
- position the paper-wrapped boots in alternating directions,
- fill in any remaining space with crumpled paper to prevent any shifts,
- place one sheet of packing paper on the top,
- close the moving box, and
- label the box appropriately.
When packing more than one pair of boots in a large cardboard, then
- place the heaviest pairs of boots on the bottom,
- add in any other pairs of boots or shoes but make sure each and every piece of footwear is pre-wrapped well with soft packing paper;
- fill in any remaining spaces with wads of paper to immobilize the pairs;
- close the cardboard container, and
- label it accordingly.
To manage successfully the packing process on your own, be sure to follow a personal Packing Timeline that will guide you throughout the house packing marathon. Still, if you feel like you’ve fallen behind on your schedule, then do consider hiring professional packers to help you out.
