Shoe Storage 101

Shoe storage can be tricky, whether you own 10 pairs or 50. Flats should not be put away the same way that knee-length boots are, nor should your gardening shoes be kept in the same place as your high heels. We’ve got some helpful ideas for storing your entire footwear collection:

Store “outside” shoes in a different location than your bedroom closet. These shoes can include the dirty tennis shoes you wear to the park, gardening shoes and beach footwear. Keep these shoes in a basket or container by your front door or in the porch. This will give you easy access to them when you are on your way out while keeping any mud or debris from the outside in one place and not on the floor of your closet.
Try a shoe organizer that hangs over a door or inside a cabinet. These handy organizers come with sleeves or hooks so you can choose what best suits your space. Be sure to keep pairs together so you can easily find what you are looking for.
If you’ve run out of space and aren’t sure where to turn, hide your shoes under the bed. We don’t mean literally hide them – don’t just toss them under your bed frame and hope there aren’t any dust bunnies. Make sure the area is clean so your shoes do not get dirty just from sitting there. Use an under-bed storage container or individual shoe boxes to keep your shoes in a clean, dust-free environment.
Keep your shoes in clear containers. This will help you see which shoes are in each box and allow you to quickly locate whatever pair you need. If you keep your footwear in the boxes they came in, make sure the labels are easy to read. To jazz up your closet, put each pair in a fun patterned box. Photograph storage boxes are great for this purpose. To keep track of what’s in each box, use an instant camera to snap a picture of each pair and tape it to its respective box. Talk about organized!
If your closet cannot handle anymore shoe boxes, use decorative boxes and stash them on bookcases or shelves in more visible areas of the house. Guests won’t know what’s in your pretty boxes and you will have all the room you need to store your ample shoe collection.
Store several pairs of ballet flats in the same shoe box, with the soles of each pair facing one another. For taller boots, get a bigger box. Lay the boots like you would find them in a shoe store. Add rolled up magazines to tall boots to help them keep their shape.
Always make sure your footwear is clean before storing it. The longer that dirt sets in the harder it is to get off. Use a wipe on the soles of your shoes to be sure they are clean before putting them away.