When it comes to moving out of home and into student accommodation, it can be tempting to try and pack pretty much everything you own. Obviously this isn’t usually possible – you’ll only have the space in your room, and while Cityheart Living offers spacious student accommodation bedrooms you still don’t want to pack more than you can fit in the area you have. This helps you keep things neat and tidy, and avoids overspill into shared areas.
With that being said, what shoes should you pack when moving into student accommodation? There are a few things to consider…
Are you going home regularly?
If you’re planning to head back to your family home regularly, during holidays or long weekends, then you may be able to switch up your shoes more often – e.g, with the seasons. This means less to pack when you initially move out, so that’s a bonus.
Are you an athletic person?
If you’re planning on working out or joining a sporting society at university, you will of course need to consider any specific shoes you need for your chosen sport or exercise.
Does your course require certain footwear?
If you’re taking a course with physical, hands-on aspects such as animal care or engineering, for example, you might need to ensure you have safe and suitable footwear. Speak to your university or college to confirm you have everything you need before move-in day!
So – what shoes should you be packing for university?
We would suggest a maximum of five different pairs of shoes; this should be plenty for your day to day life at uni, and they won’t take up too much space in your student accommodation.
Casual shoes: pack some trainers, comfortable boots or slip-ons to be your everyday shoe. Try to aim for something that goes with pretty much everything you own – a neutral, basic colour and shape that you can wear year-round, no matter what outfit you’ve chosen.
Going out shoes: a pair of nicer going-out shoes are always handy to have for nights out and parties. Whether you opt for pretty sandals, nice loafers or brogues, or even a pair of heels, again they should be neutral and match with your nicer evening wear.
Summer shoes: if you’re not planning to go home throughout the year, you’ll need some shoes for when the weather heats up. Flip flops, sandals or sliders are perfect for Summer and they’re also easy to chuck on when taking the bin out or nipping to the shop.
Winter shoes: similarly, you don’t want to ruin your favourite trainers in the snow or slip on the ice thanks to unsuitable footwear. Opt for some boots with a good grip for the colder seasons; black ones will go with most of your outfits.
An extra pair: decide on an extra pair to bring. As mentioned, these could be shoes you need for your course in particular – or if you’re a runner, these might be your running shoes. This way you have an extra pair to choose from and don’t need to opt for your casual, day to day shoes which might not be suitable for what you need them for.
Be sure to get some good shoe storage, like a shoe rack or over-the-door hanging system, to keep your shoes tidy and stop you tripping over them…
Photo: Nathan Dumlao
