A Travel Writer’s $10 Amazon Packing Hack for Shoes

Whether I’m checking out new restaurants and bars or traversing vast vineyards and farms, I often end my trips with shoes that are muddy and don’t exactly smell the best. I used to throw stinky shoes into a plastic grocery bag that would leave my luggage, clothes, and other toiletries with a lingering scent — or with dirt, grime, and mud everywhere. I’m embarrassed to say how long it took me to embrace traveling with shoe bags. The Yamiu Travel Shoe Bags are light, waterproof, and space-saving. Plus, they’re machine-washable, so I throw them in with the rest of my laundry after a trip, which is especially a bonus if they got muddy.

Shoe bags do for shoes what  packing cubes and vacuum seal bags can do for clothing as far as keeping the contents of luggage neat and organized, but it’s more than about compact packing and freeing up room, but keeping those dirty and smelly sneakers and shoes away from the rest of the items packed.

Yamiu Travel Shoe Bags

I’ve taken them on several trips, including ones that involved long nights on the Las Vegas strip, walking food tours in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and a hard hat tour of a new hotel in Santa Monica. No matter how my shoes looked and smelled after, it didn’t impact the rest of my luggage. Then, I just threw the bags right in the laundry when I got home. No mess, no fuss.  

The bags have a sturdy zipper design that make it easy to get your footwear in and out, but they can also work for anything other than shoes. Regardless of how muddy, dirty, wet, or sandy my shoes may get, it all stays in the shoe bag and never transfers to the rest of the contents of my luggage. Amazon shoppers love these for keeping their footwear protected and organized. “I used these for my husband’s shoes in our suitcase for a long flight,” said one Amazon reviewer. “It was also easy to remove them from the suitcase and store them in the closet at our resort with the shoes still in them.”

These are “great shoe bags,” agreed another Amazon reviewer, who gave this five stars. “They accommodate most shoe sizes, provide great protection, and are easy to wash if needed. I trusted them with my most precious booties during a flight and they worked wonders keeping them in great condition.”

More Deals On Packing Hacks at Amazon

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