You laid out four pairs.
Walking shoes, dress shoes, sneakers, sandals.
The bag does not fit them all.
You are about to triage which two stay home. Both options feel wrong.
Most trips need two pairs of shoes total.
Three is the cap, and only when a specific event requires it.
Four is almost never right.
I’ve weighed my carry-on at hundreds of check-in counters, my shoe count is one worn pair and one packed pair. Sometimes plus one specific-purpose pair.
Why four pairs felt necessary.
Each pair was for a hypothetical version of the trip.
Walking pair for the long city day you might do.
Dress shoes for the dinner you might attend.
Sneakers for the gym you might visit.
Sandals for the beach you might find time for.
If you do not actually have all four of those activities on the calendar, three pairs are insurance for trips you are not taking.
The real cap.
Pair 1 (worn). The bulkiest.
Boots in winter, sturdy walking shoes otherwise.
Pair 2 (packed). The lightest pair that covers a different need.
Flats, sneakers, or sandals depending on the trip.
Pair 3 (only if needed). A specific-event shoe.
Heels for one wedding.
Hiking boots for one planned hike.
How to fit the cap.
Stuff socks and underwear inside the packed pairs.
Place at the bottom of the bag against the wheels.
Pack other items above and around.
The full sequence is in the 10-step Space-Saving Travel Packing Method I built over those 12+ years of traveling half the year.
The right cap is two.
Sometimes three.
Almost never four.
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Two pairs is enough for most trips. The third is for trips you are not taking.
12-year nomad, carry-on-only traveler across 5 continents, and creator of Organizing.TV.
I help you pack smaller, stress less, and actually enjoy the packing part of travel.