How To Ship Shoes in the Original Box & Without A Box?[2024]

Written By Mahia

Last April, I planned to surprise my sister with a pair of Nike sneakers as a birthday gift. But we were not in the same town.

I thought of shipping those shoes. But I didn’t know whether it is allowed to ship shoes in the original box or not.

Moreover, I was unaware of how to ship shoes without a box.

I started to research and followed tips from the expert. That’s how I successfully made the task of shipping shoes a lot easier.

If you’re looking forward to learning the proper guide for sending shoes to a distant place, you’re in the right place. I’ve noted some useful and straightforward guides along with some tips for you.

Read till the end to find out everything on how to ship shoes.

how-to-ship-shoes-in-the-original-box-&-without-a-box

How To Ship Shoes In The Original Box?

When it comes to shipping shoes, one of the major concerns is the packaging of the shoes. And then comes the role of the shipping agency.

In this stage, I’ll focus on how to ship shoes in the original box.

Shoebox is the identity of a brand. An original shoe box releases an authentic and elegant look.

Furthermore, you don’t have to spend an extra penny if you use the original shoe box because the original shoe box comes with a pair of shoes without any charge.

I’ll share how to pack and ship shoes in the original box. So, stay tuned to learn about this topic.

Here’re the steps to ship shoes in the original box:

Step 1

Wrap the shoes in a poly bag individually.

As a result, the possibility of traction between the two shoes will be reduced. It will also create additional coverage for the shoes.

Bonus Tip

Some people suggest wrapping shoes in tissue paper.

But I found putting shoes in a poly bag more effective than tissue paper because tissue paper breaks apart very easily.

Moreover, a poly bag will save your shoes from getting wet.

You can also put two pairs of shoes in the same polybag. You should put one shoe in the opposite direction of the other.

To avoid traction, add tissue in between two shoes.

Step 2

Gently place the wrapped shoes in the original shoe box.

The original shoe box will provide adequate space for the shoes. You don’t have to get in panic that shoes will bend in lack of sufficient gaps.

Step 3

Always try to fill the empty place in the box with some pieces of foam or tissue paper.

You can also utilize newspapers. Therefore, your shoes get a fixed stay.

Step 4

Put the original shoe box inside an extra box.

This step is optional. But if you wanna avoid the least chance of damaging your shoes, then you should follow this step.

If you do so, your shoes will be safe from mishandling at the time of shipping.

Step 5

Mention your address carefully, or add the shipping label on the box. This step is quite important to reach your parcel at the proper destination.

Step 6

Go for shipping your parcel once you’re done with the packaging.

There’re several ways to do it. You can choose any of your preferred shipping services such as USPS, FedEx, UPS etc.

By following steps 1 to 6, I successfully managed to send the sneakers to my loving sister.

How To Ship Shoes Without A Box?

It is easier to ship shoes without a box. But you’ve to take some risks in this case. You can’t deny the possibility of ruining the shoes while shipping them without a box.

Moreover, it’s not a great plan to ship sneakers and boots without a box because a polybag or envelope cannot carry slightly bigger and heavier shoes. But you can easily ship smaller shoes, child footwear and regular slippers without a box.

Doing this will also reduce the shipping charge.

Now, I’ll share one of the easiest methods. You will need a piece of bubble wrap, tape, glue and a polybag.

how-to-ship-shoes-without-a-box

Here’s the shipping method without wrapping shoes in a parcel:

  • Place the pair of shoes on the bubble wrap. Make sure that the position of one shoe is opposite of the other shoe.
  • Put one shoe beside the other, not in behind or upper.
  • Wrap the shoes inside the bubble sheet in one direction. After wrapping it, attach the tape carefully so that the bubble sheet doesn’t unwrap.
  • Keep the wrapped shoes inside the polybag and seal the bag with glue.
  • Mention your address and identity on the face of the bag.

And now, the shoe is ready to reach its destination.

All you have to do is to choose an authentic agency that works on shipping several goods, including shoes. And submit your parcel to the agency with the proper address and fees.

Here I’ve mentioned one method of shipping shoes without any boxes. There’s another method that includes the use of a padded envelope.

In the next segment, I’ll discuss shipping shoes in envelopes.

So, read further if you’re interested to learn more.

Is It Suitable To Ship Shoes In A Padded Envelope?

It is not only suitable. Indeed it is the best way if you wanna ship shoes except for the actual box. You can choose any of the two sizes of available padded envelopes. The small size is (8 ¼” x 6 ¾”), and the medium is (13 ½” x 10 ½”).

For smaller shoes like children’s shoes, regular slip-on and women’s flat padded flat rate envelopes work best.

Moreover, the cheapest option is the padded envelope.

You have to pay only $7 for a dozen of padded envelopes. You can easily collect them from a nearby super shop.

You can also purchase a padded envelope from Amazon. Aware of the fraud sellers and try to buy the high-quality envelope. So, your shoes will remain safe in those envelopes.

After buying the envelope, put your shoes inside it. Seal and send it to the destination with the proper address.

How To Ship Shoes Without The Original Box?

Until now, I discussed how to ship shoes without a box. I also shared my personal experience with shipping shoes in the original box.

But what will be the solution if you don’t own the original box and want to ship bigger shoes such as sneakers or boots? Because you can’t use a polybag or envelope for shipping heavier shoes.

Furthermore, if you wanna gift someone a pair of footwear, it should be in a box. Sending a gift without any box doesn’t look pretty.

Don’t stress when I’m here.

There’re many options for shipping shoes without their original container. Among them, I will share some fruitful ideas.

You don’t have to spend a lot of penny on doing this.

Here’re the ways to ship shoes without the original box:

  • You can store your shoes in a USPS box. These boxes are available in standard sizes. You can take your desired one according to your shoe size.

USPS shoe boxes are free if you choose USPS priority mail to ship your shoes.

  • There are huge varieties of shoe boxes available on Amazon. You can choose any of them according to your preferences.
  • Purchasing a plastic container with a lid is another option. But it is a little bit heavier than the paper-made shoe box. So, you’ve to pay more courier charges.
  • If you don’t want to buy a shoe container, you can simply use your old shoe box.

It’s a good choice If your old shoe box looks like a new one and it is not torn anywhere.

But if the old shoe box is not fresh, don’t think of shipping shoes into it because the receivers won’t like to have any shoe which is contained in a ragged box.

What Are The Cheapest Ways To Ship Shoes?

After solving all of the issues related to shoe packaging, you’ve to pay attention to the shipping.

I recommend you hand over your parcel to any well-known shipping agency.

Here, shipping cost is an important issue.

The shipping charge depends on many things such as weight, destination distance, delivery speed and so on.

If you put your shoes in a padded envelope, then the shipping cost will be the cheapest ever.

Considering all of the criteria regarding shipping, I found the two cheapest and most trustworthy sites. They’re USPS and parcel shipping via UPS.

USPS

USPS is the most loyal in shipping parcels. First class mail, priority mail express and flat rate priority mail are worth mentioning services.

Depending on your parcel size and destination, they will charge from $4 to $72. You’ll have to pay an extra charge if you want to send your parcel rapidly.

You can ship one shoe box via the first class mail service for a minimum of $4. For a medium shoe box of size 13 ⅝” x 11 ⅞” x 11”, the flat rate priority mail demands $15.05

You should pay $8.30 for a padded flat rate envelope of size (12 ½” x 9 ½”). Isn’t it quite favorable??

If you’re more interested in knowing USPS’s overall service charge, you can search for it on their website.

UPS

UPS is another budget-friendly option. Their service quality is mass pleasing. They charge from $15.50 to $62.For flat-rate delivery, UPS offers a maximum of 50 lbs weight per box.

It’s not possible to note here all of the services, costs and service areas of UPS. That’s why I suggest you look at their official website. You may also get a discount there.

FedEx is another option for shipping shoes. But it is expensive compared to UPS and USPS.

If you choose FedEx flat rate shipping, then you have to follow their specific packaging. Their service quality is premium, and so is their charge. Their service charge starts from $12.35 and lasts up to $249.62

You must be curious to know which shipping service I chose to send shoes to my sister and how much it costs.

Let’s put an end to your curiosity.

I paid $13.65 for a single pair of shoes. My parcel started its journey from Chicago. It took only two days to reach my sister in Dallas.

Is USPS Shoe Box Free?

USPS is an easy solution to ship shoe boxes. Along with their services, the USPS container is also top-notch.

But do you need to pay for a USPS shoe box?

No, my friend!

If you decide to ship shoes via USPS priority mail, then they will provide you with shoe containers free of cost. The USPS shoe box is not a flat rate box.

is-usps-shoe-box-free

To get the shoe boxes, you will have to send your address and requirements on their website.

After verification, the authority will send you the box with a shipping label.

You can make either an online payment or cash in hand.

So, you can choose USPS service and their box for shipping your shoes to your customers or dear ones.

Before You Go

I tried my best to provide you with the proper guidelines and suggestions regarding your shoe shipping. I left no stone unturned doing this.

Let me know if you have any previous experience in shipping shoes.

Also, don’t forget to thank me if you got even a little bit of benefit from this article.

Drop your feedback below!

About The Author
Since childhood, Mahia is a shoe freak. And this is what lead her to do more research and gather knowledge about shoes.Mahia has always wanted to share her skill and knowledge about footwear with a mass audience, which ended her up in this amazing workplace.When Mahia is not writing, you can almost always find her in the kitchen experimenting with different recipes to upgrade her catering menu.

Leave a Comment