How to Pack Shoes in a Backpack (Without Dirt or Lost Space)
Shoes are the hardest thing to fit in a travel backpack. They're bulky, they don't squash, and the soles carry dirt from every street you walked. The short answer: wear your biggest pair, bag the second pair, and pack it flat at the bottom against the back panel. Here's how to do it so your clothes stay clean and the bag still fits under the seat.
Wear the biggest pair on the plane
Whatever is on your feet doesn't count toward your bag. If you're bringing boots and sneakers, wear the boots. If you're bringing sneakers and sandals, wear the sneakers. This one choice saves more space than any packing trick.
Use the shoe compartment, if your shoes fit it
Some travel backpacks have a separate shoe compartment, usually at the bottom. It keeps shoes away from clothes and often has vent holes for air.
Check the shoe size before you count on it. Most listings don't give one. Of the bags we compared, only the MATEIN personal item backpack states a size: 10 to 12. A compartment with no stated size is a guess, and big men's sneakers are the ones most likely not to fit, so measure your shoe against the compartment when the bag arrives.
A shoe compartment also takes space from the main section. The MATEIN listing says so directly. If you don't need it on a trip, it can hold toiletries or a charger instead.
No compartment? Bag them and pack them low
If your backpack has no shoe compartment, do this:
- Put each shoe in a bag. A cloth shoe bag, a shower cap over the sole, or a plastic grocery bag all work. This keeps dirt off your clothes.
- Lay them flat at the bottom, against the back panel. Heavy, firm things belong close to your back, where the bag sits best on your shoulders.
- Go heel to toe. Put the pair side by side with one shoe facing each way. They take up less room than lined up the same way.
- Pack soft clothes around them. Rolled shirts fill the gaps so nothing shifts.
Fill the shoes with socks
The space inside a shoe is free packing room. Roll socks, underwear or a charging cable into each shoe. It also helps the shoes keep their shape, so they don't get crushed.
Keep the bag under 8 inches deep
Most personal item limits are about 8 inches deep. Shoes stacked on top of each other push the front of the bag out fast. Keep them flat, side by side, and don't put a second pair in the front pocket. If the bag bulges, take the shoes out and re-pack them lower.
Choose a flat second pair
If you can, make the packed pair a flat one: slip-on canvas shoes, sandals or slides. They take about half the depth of a running shoe. Save the chunky trainers for the pair you wear.
Deal with smell and wet shoes
- Let wet shoes dry first. If you can't, pack them in a plastic bag and keep them away from your clothes. A bag with a separate wet pocket helps here.
- Air them out. Pull the insoles out for the night when you arrive.
- A dryer sheet or a small bag of baking soda inside each shoe can cut the smell on longer trips.
A quick shoe-packing checklist
- Wear the bulkiest pair
- Bag the packed pair, soles covered
- Flat, heel to toe, at the bottom against the back
- Socks stuffed inside
- Nothing in the front pocket that makes it bulge
- Check the shoe size before you trust a shoe compartment
The bottom line: wear one pair, bag the other, pack it low
You don't need a special bag to carry shoes. Wear your biggest pair, put the other in a bag, and pack it flat at the bottom. If you carry a second pair on every trip, a backpack with a stated shoe size, like the 10 to 12 in the MATEIN, saves the bagging step. See the best personal item backpacks for men for the bags we compared.