When travelling, whether it’s for business or a vacation, we all include shoes in our suitcase. Whether you plan to hike, spend time at the beach, hit the club or any other activity, chances are you will have at least 2 pairs with you. However, most people do not think much about the shoes and just toss them in the luggage. However, there are some shoe care tips you may want to follow and hopefully, by the end of this post, you will understand the importance.
Whether you deal with ruined shoes after every trip due to packing them haphazardly, always deal with foot odor in a suitcase full of clean clothes or end up with sore feet after a long day of hiking, these tips will help you take proper care of your shoes.
In This Post
Packing Shoes Properly
The last thing you want is to end up with a damaged pair of shoes during your trip. As such, it’s essential to know how to pack shoes properly. Footwear is normally the largest thing you will pack in a casual trip and so, knowing how to properly pack will save you a lot of space in the suitcase.
One of the best ways to keep the natural shape of your shoes is to stuff socks inside them. Pack them in an interlocking space so that you can save some space in your suitcase. Also, consider putting them in a dust bag and wrap them using a soft garment like a pajama or jumper. If you have a front or back loading backpack, ensure you pack the footwear first, and at the bottom. As mentioned, shoes are usually the heaviest items and by putting them at the bottom helps balance the contents of your bag. This ideally makes them easy to find.
Also, do not forget the footwear accessories. Whether you’re packing shoe police, shoe inserts or extra laces, ensure that you pack all the additional shoe accessories you need for your trip.
Utilize Waterproof Spray
Traveling with cold and wet feet is the worst and so, you should ensure that your footwear is protected from the weather. Leather shoes that are lined with fur may keep your feet warm in cold or wet conditions, but it is not usually waterproof. However, you can enhance the resistance with a protective waterproof spray.
Apply it on the shoe’s exterior before you travel. If you will be trekking during your trip, chances are your hiking boots are designed from waterproof materials. However, ensure you check on the specs before you depart. If they are not water-resistant, you can add a protective layer using a good spray.
Taking Care of Your Footwear During Your Trip
In addition to proper packing and using water resistant spray, you can ideally take steps to protect your footwear throughout the entire trip. This not only prevents shoe damage but also ascertains comfort.
If your traveling shoes get wet, ensure you give them adequate time to dry, at least 24-hours, before wearing them again. This will ascertain warmth and comfort and prevent things like smelly feet. However, you’ll want to avoid drying them too close to some heat sources like radiators and heat vents as they can damage the footwear.
Stuffing the shoes with newspapers tends to reduce the drying time and similar to socks, they help retain the shoes’ natural shape.
Also, make the conscious effort of keeping the footwear clean throughout the journey to ensure they are breathable. A simple task of wiping off the dirt with a wet towel can significantly help with comfort as well as the smell.
Keep The Footwear Smelling Fresh
After using the shoes during the trip, you will put them back in the suitcase and if they’re not in a fresh condition, they will affect the condition of the rest of the luggage. Fortunately, keeping shoe odors at bay is not complicated or expensive. Things like baby powder, rubbing alcohol or even freezing them will do the job.
Rubbing alcohol is probably something you’ll already have in your suitcase. Just pour a small amount on the dirty section of the shoe to eradicate the smell. Apart from removing the bad odors, rubbing alcohol ideally helps disinfect the shoe.
You can also use baby powder as a preventative measure. Rubbing a little baby powder on your feet before wearing the shoes is advisable if your feet tend to smell.
Freezing footwear is another smart way of keeping them fresh. If you have a fridge or freezer where you’re staying, out the shoes in a sealable plastic bag and let them spend the night in the freezer. The cold will kill any bacteria or fungus causing the odor. These can then be placed in a bag link this one from Equestrian Co
Travel With The Right Shoes
It goes without saying that you’ll need the right shoes for comfort purposes. Before you leave for your adventure, spend some time researching things like the climate and weather of the place and other factors that may influence your footwear choice.
If you will be going into unstable regions, safety footwear like steel toe boots might be the best option. If you will be spending most of your time on the beach, flip flops and sandals work just fine. When picking the shoes for traveling, keep the activities you will be doing in mind.
Training shoes and sneakers are usually best for walking in varying terrains and flats are ideal for walking around a city as they are more compact. You will want to leave your high heels as they are never ideal for most activities during your trip.
You will be moving around throughout the day and this will take a toll on your feet. That said, ensure you prioritize on comfort and pay less attention to the style. Ideally, avoid wearing a new pair of shoes while traveling as it’s bound to take a toll on your comfort.
