The mistake is packing for the holiday you imagine rather than the one you will have.
A coastal week is, realistically, three kinds of day: barefoot-adjacent, walking, and dinner. That is three pairs of shoes. The fourth pair — the one bought specially, the one that needs the right outfit — is almost always the one that comes home unworn, having taken up a third of the case.
The colour rule
Keep everything in one family. Two neutrals and a single accent means every pair works with everything else you packed, and you stop making decisions at eight in the evening. Tan, ecru and black is a complete palette. So is brown, cream and navy. What does not work is one pair of each colour you own.
The three pairs
- A flat leather sandal for the hours that involve sand, tiles or a boat deck. Leather rather than fabric, because it survives salt water and dries flat rather than stiff. This is the pair that will do more than half the week.
- An espadrille or woven flat for walking. Jute soles are light, quiet on stone, and cool in a way that a rubber sole never is. If the week involves a town with hills, this is the pair that matters.
- One evening pair — a low block heel, a polished slide, or a leather mule. It only has to work with two outfits, so choose for how it looks rather than how versatile it is.
That is it. If you are tempted by a fourth, make it the pair you wear on the plane.
How to pack them
- Pack shoes sole-to-sole in pairs — they take up noticeably less space that way.
- Each pair in its own cotton dust bag, so soles never touch clothing.
- Fill every shoe with socks, underwear or a rolled scarf. It holds the shape and reclaims the space.
- Lay them along the edge of the case, against the hinge, not on top of folded clothes.
- Heaviest pair closest to the wheels, so the case stands up properly.
The bag question
One crossbody for the days out — hands free, strap long enough to wear over a jacket — and one larger woven or raffia tote that folds flat in the case and carries a towel, a book and a bottle of water. Raffia weighs almost nothing and takes sand far better than leather does.
Leave the structured leather bag at home. It will be the wrong shape for everything you do and you will spend the week worrying about it.
Salt water, sand and sun
Salt is the real enemy, not water. If a leather sandal goes into the sea, rinse it in fresh water when you get back, blot it, and let it dry away from direct sun. Salt left to dry in the leather draws moisture out and leaves it stiff and pale.
Sand is easier: let it dry completely, then brush it out. Never rub wet sand off a leather footbed — you are sanding it. And keep suede away from the beach altogether. Our leather care guide covers the rest of the repair work when you get home.
The packing list, in full
Three pairs of shoes, two bags, one colour family, and enough cotton dust bags to keep them apart. Everything else is clothes, and clothes are easy.
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