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Shoe storage...

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Hello, YLFers! I've finally got a real closet, but now I need to figure out storage for my collection of booties. My closet was used as the mechanical room when the house was converted from electric baseboard to forced air, years before I arrived. So reclaiming it was no small feat! There is still a water heater behind the door (which opens in).

Previously, I stored my booties and handbags in a tall metro rack on wheels that I pushed into the closet (it's a small sized walk-in). Most clothes were in a wardrobe, as well as my tall boots and my sneakers and Birks. Some clothes were also on an additional metro rolling rack fitted with a hanging bar. My sandals, flats, and pumps are all in under bed storage boxes.
All of my clothes are now in my closet and I've gotten rid of the wardrobe. Hooray! I have been purging shoes to make it all fit...I have "only" 4 pair of tall boots left, which I've arranged in one corner of the closet under some low hanging sweaters. I've freed up one additional under bed box for sneakers and Birks. So that's sorted. Photo 1 shows the space (complete with laundry bin and both crawl AND attic access. we added seals to both).

However. I still have the booties on the rolling rack. I first figured I'd store them under the bed as well, but they would have to be laid down to fit without being creased and so only 3 or 4 pair would fit in the one empty box I have...I could set them along the floor just under my hanging clothes, but I worry about the smell of so many shoes in a closed space, (one reason I prefer storing shoes under my bed) and I worry they will get constantly knocked into, stepped on , etc.

Photo 2 shows the available "space" there, which is practically nonexistent!

I have 10 pairs to store. I can place two fancier pair in the box with my sandals and pumps (since its half full). So really i have need to store 8 pair.
I'm looking for creative ideas. Where do you store your shoes, especially your booties, and what do you feel are the pros and cons?

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Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from Jenava

unfrumped

Veteran

Yay for new closet and organizing plans!

I keep my current season (s) shoes and booties on shelving above one of my hanging rods ,using some shelf stackers so booties are on top where there is room between ceiling. But my area of of closet rod is lower than yours so there is room for several rows of shoes above.

Can’t tell all the space options from the photo, but..
You might consider re- configuring wher you hang certain length clothing items to give you room below the garments. You could have a rolling bin that is just deep enough for the booties and flat, so they stand up when lined up. That might only hold a few pair, though.
You could, gasp, reconfigure the Elfa to have a very deep bottom drawer to do same. Or put some up on shelf quite high but have a step stool. I keep a very small collapsible one tucked against a wall. You could flip storage of flats to floor if closet as don’t need as much clearance, and store booties under bed. I don’t mind if mine are stored flat as long as not crushed.
The thing I have found most helpful is to see if there’s a re- thinking of what goes where in case some things are easier to store more than one way or place, vs. others, and how all that affects my time & motion, and whether I keep fighting against something then I try to fix that, vs some changes that are easy to re- learn where things are.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Fun! My boots are on the bottom of my closet under my hanging things. Not ideal, and I am working with an Ikea wall closet. I dream of a walk in one day!

deb

Veteran

I have all of my footwear in Ikea $29 bookcases in my clothing closet.
I do not have an issue with smell.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I got it down to 4 pairs that don't have a home. I may squeeze them onto the floor under the hanging. Two fancy pair laying down in the pumps and sandals box, and 4 less-worn lying down in the last free underbed box. I have a LOT of flats (most loafers) so swapping them out probably isn't going to work. I have one more box under my bed currently holding yarn...I might be able to get a different box for that and move it elsewhere (I have so much yarn, its stashed in several places through my house. Hehe)
I suppose its theoretically possible to rearrange the shelves, but we do have some limitations. We have only two walls to work with, and there is a hidden soffit along the floor of the back wall. Oh, and my husband insists on a place for his things, too, for some reason (although he has 3 of 4 drawers in our large dresser)! He also has shoes that he needs to store somewhere...

The Cat

Veteran

I use hanging storage bags for shoes, like this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premi.....lp_pl_dp_1

Mine are from Ikea. Like the one I have linked to, they have room for 10 pairs of shoes (I also use them for collapsible umbrellas, fake fur boas and other items), and the width is only 14 cm!

It's wonderful to be able to stand (nicely dressed and groomed) and look directly at all my shoes at once and then quickly grab the pair I want--without having to spend time in uncomfortable positions, searching for them either somewhere above my head or in dark areas near the floor.

By the way, if you need more "hanger space" in your closet, consider to replace some of your hangers with narrower ones or to use hanger organizers like these: https://www.google.com/search?.....8d2ogWwADM
and these: https://www.google.com/search?.....-yaYEtocdM

nemosmom

Veteran

It’s hard to tell from photos, but it looks like you have some foldable pieces hanging currently. Do you have any flexibility with the position your existing rods and shelves?

I wonder if you could change the section on the left so the rods are 1/2-1/3 shorter (bare with me!) Then, put a narrow column of shelves in the corner nearest to the door (where your green long sleeve piece is hanging-pic 1). Remove sturdier pieces (jeans, knit tops/tees, sweaters) from hangers and fold them so they can go on upper shelves and place booties on lower shelves. If you need storage for flats, maybe a pocketed shoe sorter over the front of the door on the right will help.

I have a similar layout and even use shallow square boxes on one shelf as makeshift drawers to hold socks and undies. My dresser is in a different room, making it a challenge to get dressed.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm fortunate enough to have the back wall of our walk-in closet configured for shelves that hold my shoes. I move the shelves around for summer and winter to shift the storage from tall boots to sandals when the weather warms, and back again when it cools. But I've edited enough that most of my shoes and boots fit in it year-round.

But for your dilemma, I wondered something similar to unfrumped and nemosmom -- whether you might be able to convert some of that hanging space into vertical storage for folded items and the remaining footwear.

nemosmom

Veteran

Here is my set-up. My shelves are fairly empty as I have most sweaters and long sleeves in the storage boxes on the top. In fall, I shelve the sweaters and put all my tees and lighter pieces in the boxes.

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Jenava

(website)

Veteran

So, I used to keep my shoes in my closet in our last place which had a lovely big closet with almost exclusively hanging space. I found that every time I opened the door I would smell my shoes. Bleh. So i'm not a fan of keeping too many pairs in the same enclosed space as my clothing. The closet is quite small, so the ventilation is pretty minimal to move the air around. I have a drawer in our large dresser and two drawers in a small dresser outside the closet, so I actually have plenty of folding space. I could also convert the center section to shelving (although not without spending money). But generally I prefer to hang stuff. I also have all of my tee shirts, pajamas, swimwear and workout wear folded in the drawers in the closet. I considered actually hanging my tee shirts as well, but they are very neatly folded a la Marie Kondo and sitting in shoe box lids, so I left them.

I DO prefer to see all my shoes and not have to get out the boxes to find them. However, my tall hanging is already full (I actually had one of those for over-flow shoes in my last closet). I floated the idea of an over the door shoe option with DH but it would interfere with the working of the door (which opens in and the water heater sits behind it when open), so he wasn't excited about the idea (not to mention, it wouldn't be ideal for storing booties, which is what I really need).

I think a GOOD solution would require adding selves in the closet (and compromising on potential shoe-smell-tolerance; you can see the area above the drawers is hanging space but it's empty at the moment), or getting a separate shoe storage shelf for outside of the closet - maybe something designed for near the entry. I do actually have room for that, but right now I'm enjoying the open space that was recently taken up by the wardrobe, now gone.

Oh, and we only use slim velvet hangers unless the item MUST be on a bigger one. With the even-more-cramped quarters previously that was a must!

I'm curious for those of you who don't wear shoes in the house (we do not typically wear shoes in the house) how you manage the migration of shoes between the front door and the area where you store them? In my ideal-ideal world ALL my vast shoe collection would be by the front door, but we certainly don't have room for that! We barely have a foyer with a minuscule half-size hall closet.

RobinF

Veteran

I'm not much help on the storage, but regarding the smell, I wonder if something like charcoal deodorizer bags would help. I found some on Amazon (sorry my YLF collect isn't working or I'd link it) and have heard good things about them absorbing smells.

Kate

Veteran

I hang my tall boots in my closet in cloth bags. Works really well. The bags keep the boots upright even without boot trees. You could do the same trick with shoes. Depending on the size of the bag and the type of shoe, you might be able to get 3 to 4 pairs in one bag. I'd suggest putting each shoe in an individual cloth bag to keep it from rubbing up against its neighbor. That would certainly help mitigate any smells too. I also like Robin's idea of using deodorizer bags. I use a product in my home called Fresh Wave (non-toxic and no synthetic fragrances) and I think they make deodorizer packs and gels.

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Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I might try that trick with my tall boots, as they are tipping over occasionally when I move my clothes around...they are tucked way in the back under my tall hanging. The bags would help with the smell, as well. I will look into the charcoal bags, since I will likely need to store at least some of my shoes in there...

MsMary

Veteran

I love shoes on shelves. Any chance of squeezing a small bookcase into your bedroom somewhere? Also pro tip: If you put them on the shelves toe-to-heel they take up less space.

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Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Unfortunately there isn't space for any more furniture in there, but I could potentially get something like this with doors on it to hide the clutter and set it up in my room instead of the closet...I have to convince DH though. He's not a fan of furniture which is ironic because he is an interior designer! LOL

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

No outside shoes in our home, but guests are welcome to keep their's on. We live in a loft apartment with limited space.

To answer your question:

I wear house shoes - (a few sets of at-home-only sneakers) - in our home that I keep in a separate pile. I take them off and bring down a pair of outside shoes from my closet (all my shoes are there). Make sure they work with my outfit, and leave the house sneakers by the door. Come back, take off outside shoes and put at-home shoes back on. Leave the ONE pair of outside shoes by the kitchen for the rest of the day. Take them back up at night. No piles of shoes by the door.

Anonymous

Mine are in the closet, tall boots in back and booties in front- but I have only 1 hanging rail so they dont interfere (except my long dresses and coats).

I wear no shoes in the house but have a little storage ottoman in the living room where a few stay. Most just go back in my room.

nemosmom

Veteran

No shoes in our house, either. I keep a pair of slippers by the door that I put on when I come inside. Then I carry the shoes I just removed to my room. Snow boots and rain boots stay in a boot tray in the garage until I clean them and box them for summer.

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I so dearly wish we had a garage or mud room! Our front area is a mess of outside shoes. I carry mine back to my closet but NO ONE else in our house follows suit. In fact, my kids don't even have shoe storage in their room (shared), and my husband keeps only his fancy shoes in our closet (I think right now he has about 4 or 5 pair in there; he keeps them in their original shoe boxes, stacked on the floor under his hanging clothes, but he has very little hanging).