Okay, here’s our hot take of the day: once you use a bag with a separate shoe compartment, there’s no going back. They’re just one of those things: you never know you need them until you really need them.
Picture this: you’re returning from a weekend in the wilderness and need somewhere to keep your muddy (and dare we say stinky…) shoes separate from the rest of your gear. Perhaps you’re a serious sneaker enthusiast and keeping your favorite ones away from anything that could even remotely cause a crease is key. Or maybe you’ve got a big fashion weekend ahead and you just really want a separate spot for each item in your outfit. Valid.
Whatever it is, having a dedicated space for your shoes comes in handy more often than you’d expect (yes, we’re speaking from personal experience and yes, we’ve also been known to use these compartments to hold hair dryers and even cans of Onda in a pinch).
Here’s the rundown of our top picks for bags with separate shoe compartments.
THE GO-TO: The Weekender
The Weekender is one of our most popular styles for a reason. It has a spacious interior and multiple internal organization pockets (including a padded laptop sleeve) that create the basis for a staple travel bag. The cherry on top (or in this case on bottom)? The zipper pocket at the base of this bag is the real gamechanger. This section gives the bag a sturdy structure, while also being the perfect place to subtly store shoes and more. We love a pink Weekender bag that we can toss our shoes into, but it also comes in a wide range of classic colors including Black, Beige, and Olive.
TRAVEL LIGHT: The Mini Weekender
If you’re someone who packs light, a mini weekender bag is a great option for a travel tote with a separate shoe compartment. This style comes with all of the features our OG size is known for (like our staple trolley passthrough, key leash, and a removable shoulder strap) but it’s sized down to work as a personal item. This is a no-fuss option that works great as a starter piece for your luggage collection, and the shoe storage is a great addition to boot (ha — see what we did there?).
LOOK SLEEK: The Premium Weekender
When it comes to quality vegan leather travel bags, you won’t find a lot out there that also come with a zipper shoe compartment. That’s where our Premium Weekender comes in as a great overnight bag blending gorgeous Cactus Leather and intuitive function. It’s perfect for anyone looking to add a little luxury to their travel game. We like to say this bag has the look and quality of a designer bag, plus the real-life-ready function we’re known for.
So, next time you’re packing for a trip and realizing you could really use a separate space to store your shoes, take a peek back at our top picks — you know we’ve always got you.
