You can either love them or hate them, but you can’t deny that you need them. You need shoes, and you probably own several pairs for work, recreation, and other activities. Unfortunately, this means everyone else in your home owns several pairs too!
All of these shoes in your home add up to one giant headache, especially if you have a small area, and you have snow boots or specialized types of shoes to organize and store. Keeping all your shoes corralled properly can be a huge challenge, but you cannot avoid it.
No matter the number of shoes you have or the size of your household’s shoe collection, getting all your shoes organized will help protect them from damage. It also makes them easier to find.
Here are some quick tips on how you can organize your shoes properly:
Go Through All Your Shoes
Sort your shoes and separate them into those that you wear regularly and those that you wear seasonally and on special occasions. To make it easier to find the pairs that you need, make sure to sort and organize by seasons as well. Donate pairs that you don’t need, don’t fit, or aren’t comfortable. Discard those that are beyond repair or too worn out. Count all the shoes you have left, so you can choose the right organizers for them.
Open Shelving for Frequently Worn Shoes
Keep the shoes that you wear often in visible storage or on open shelving. Each family member will have his row or section for his or her footwear.
This way everyone knows where to find their shoes every time they need a pair. This will help organize things quickly and keep the chaos in order. Make sure that each member of the family returns their shoes in their own shoe shelves. Make this furniture a functional piece of your house.
Avoid Getting Your Floors Muddy and Dirty
Make sure to stop dirt from reaching your floors indoors. Stop dirt by setting up a rubberized boot tray for in-season shoes in your home’s entryways. Place a bench, hamper, or cubby shelf above it to give people a place to put on or off their shoes. This is particularly useful in narrow entryways where people can trip easily.
In smaller homes, full-sizes shoe storage may not be a great idea. It is better to use rectangular rubberized or plastic trays next to your front door. This will help protect your floors from dirty or muddy shoes.
Utilize All the Awkward Spaces
There are areas in your home that can be used for storage spaces. Try turning that narrow alcove into an area where you can place a shelving unit for your shoes. Make sure to grab small canvas bags to protect your shoes, especially the off-season ones. For homes with small closets, you can also keep your shoes under the bed or a small cubby in the room. You can reserve your closets for clothing only.
Keep Shoes Visible If You Can
Keep your shoes visible if you can. Not only will this help show off all your beautiful shoes, but this will also help curb your buying impulses. If you can see that you have so many pairs, and you practically have no room for a new pair, you will less likely stop buying more shoes. The best way to store your shoes isn’t always the most obvious way.
Clean Your Shoes Before Storing Them
If you plan to store your shoes for a length of time, make sure to clean them before you put them away. Before you store shoes, make sure to clean them thoroughly first. Apply conditioner to the soles and uppers of your leather shoes. Make sure to stuff them with material to keep them smooth especially in the toe and heel area. Avoid stuffing too much that you will end up stretching your shoes.
You should also wrap your shoes with acid-free paper before storing them. Acid-free paper is quite absorbent, and they help maintain the proper level of moisture without damaging your shoes. Avoid using newsprint as it tends to damage your shoes.
You can also use a length of muslin if you need more heft to fill up your boots or felted shoes. Unbleached muslins are a great alternative to acid paper. Muslin can wick away moisture from your shoes as well as protect them buckles and sequins from damage.
You can also insert acid-free cardboard into your tall winter boots to keep them in shape. Make sure to stuff the feet with muslin paper as well to avoid creases at the ankle.
Remember that the Wrong Climate Can Ruin Your Shoes
You need to keep your shoes in a climate-controlled environment. The wrong temperature or humidity can ruin your shoes – causing the leather to turn brittle, weakening the fabric, and causing glues to loosen. If you leave your shoes too long in your basement or attic, your shoes can become ruined or unusable.
Place Silica Packets into Your Summer Shoes
Your summer shoes tend to be lightweight, and they are often made of a fragile material. Espadrilles and cork soles cannot tolerate humid temperature, so make sure to add silica gel into the storage containers to prevent moisture from accumulating.
You also need to store brightly colored shoes out of direct sunlight. This could damage the shoes.
Use Our 4 Shoe Organizers
One of the most critical aspects of storing your shoes properly is where you store them. You will find a wide range of shoe organizers, but it is important to find the best shoe organizers to keep your shoes safe at all times. Here are our 4 Shoe Organizers that will offer optimal storage for your shoes:
Shoe Sneaker Footwear Travel Clean Bag Organizer
Perhaps, you’ve always felt that your shoes need their bags when you travel. Perhaps, you’ve always wrapped them up in plastic grocery bags, but that doesn’t seem to work. They’re all scrounged up when you take them out. So, why not give your shoes the perfect shoe bag for traveling? With this Footwear Travel Organizer, you can throw all your footwear essentials into the bag, and then throw the shoe organizer into your luggage.
You can also use this organizer elsewhere. You can use this when you hit the gym. Pack your sports shoe along with your regular shoes, and then drop the organizer into your backpack. You would then be all set for the gym.
Get several bags if you have several shoes to store or carry with you on trips. This bag can hold several shoes. You can even get bags for each of your family members, so everyone will have their shoes organized properly for travel.
This organizer features strong long handles for quick and easy carry, and it has a transparent top, which you can use to store makeup and toiletries.
Super Thin Narrow Profile Modern Nordic Shoe Cabinet
Stash your shoes in style with our gorgeous shoe cabinet. This thin and narrow shoe rack will organize your shoes and provide more storage and space to your home. This is perfect for small homes and apartments, and it can fit in the smallest areas perfectly. It is svelte in size, and it is considerably neat and sleek. You can place it the corner, mudroom, entryway, hallways, or just about anywhere you can.
This shoe organizer doesn’t just work as a storage space. You can also use it as décor. It will blend well with your home decoration. It also adds to the aesthetics of your home while providing an elegant solution to your shoe storage needs.
This narrow organizer can actually hold up to 24 pairs of shoes! It is considerably easy to use, and it has holes in the back for proper ventilation. This ensures that your shoes stay fresh and clean.
You can also use this organizer for other purposes. You can store other items like blankets, toys, cables, beddings, and more. You can place vases or books on top, and use it a display cabinet.
Ultimate Shoe Organizer
This organizer offers a neat way to store your footwear. You will never have to put one shoe on top of another shoe! Don’t you just hate it when you need to put a shoe on top of another, and all the dirt on one shoe gets on the other one? With this organizer, you will never have to deal with that problem!
This organizer offers an easy, convenient, and compact way to organize your shoes and keep them clean. You can store a pair of shoes in a space fit for just one. It is perfect for small apartments or tiny houses. This features an innovative design that allows easy access to your footwear.
Super Thin Narrow Profile White Nordic Design Shoe Cabinet
Say goodbye to shoe clutter with this beautiful and sleek storage space. It looks quite chic too! It is narrow, so it fits small spaces perfectly. It’s great for small apartments or small homes where storage space can be a huge problem. It’s amazing how much storage space can be gained by installing this shoe cabinet.
It’s the perfect space for sneakers, boots, flats, sands, slippers, and more! It’s modern and chic, so it will add to your home’s aesthetics. It will complement your home décor as well. It is sleek and lightweight. It is also considerably easy to clean.
This storage cabinet features four sections to help maximize your storage space. It can be folded down, and it can hold up to two dozen pairs of shoes. It’s the perfect space to keep your high heels.