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So easy to buy; so difficult to store. If only we could hang shoes up on closet hangers, or fold them up onto a shelf. Instead, their clunky, irregular shapes combined with dirty soles make shoes very difficult to keep organized.
Whether you’re looking for an efficient, compact way to store your shoes, or a stylish way to showcase your stilettos while keeping them organized, these solutions will give you the help you need.
The Practical and Compact Solution
If your priority is to keep your shoes coupled and organized in a small space, look to organizational devices like shoe racks and hanging pouches.
Shoe racks work vertically, clearing up extra floor space for other purposes. Pick up a multi-level rack to keep by the front door with your most frequently worn shoes, and another to store at the bottom of your closet for special occasion soles.
Hanging shoe organizers have a pouch for each pair, and can be hung over any door—a great space saver, to be sure. These won’t work as well for big boots or chunky heels, but are perfect for flats, sandals and loafers.
The Boutique Solution
If you refer to your shoe collection as, well, your shoe collection, then why not show them off? After all, fashion is art!
A bookcase with even, cubic shelves is the perfect platform to display your platforms—check out the Ikea Expedit collection, which offers several models with different numbers of cubbies.
Place one pair of shoes in each cubby, artfully arranged on an angle. Not only will your shoes be easy to find, but it’ll make your room look like a boutique shoe store.
The Stairway to Shoes Solution
This one requires a particular home layout: if your front door opens up onto a flight of stairs, make the most of the staircase by lining one or two pairs of shoes along each stair. It will allow you plenty of space to navigate the stairs, while providing an easy option to snatch up the pair you need on your way out the door.
This solution is especially practical if you tend you mix up the pairs you use regularly, or if there are several people in your household. It’s the more organized version of just tossing your shoes into a pile at your front entrance.
The Catalog Solution
Shoes might not be easy to stack, but shoeboxes can be played around with as easily as Legos.
Keep your shoes stored in the shoeboxes they come in., or find matching plastic bins that are large enough to fit a parif or shoes. Snap a picture of each pair, and paste it onto the front of the box. This will identify the contents of the box, without have to search around for the shoe you’re looking for.
Stack the boxes on a shelf, in the back of your closet, or somewhere else they’ll be out of the way. This is the perfect solution for shoes that aren’t worn frequently.
The Solution for Tiny Feet
Have a lot of kid shoes floating around? Seek out coat racks with pegs. Affix the racks to walls, and use the pegs as shoe perches.
For sneakers or other flat shoes, simply turn the shoe so that the sole faces out, and hook the back heel part of the shoe onto the peg.
You can also squeeze rubber boots and winter boots between pegs: place the boots upside down, and slide the heel are of the boot between hooks. The solid sole of the boot (which will be facing up) will keep the shoe in place.
The Vertical Solution
If you own several high heels, this one is for you: all you need is a ladder with relatively small rungs. Look for an old wooden one, which can be repainted to match your décor. Hang your stilettos by the heel onto each rung. Your shoes will be easy to find, all while clearing up your precious floor space.
