Shoe Storage - YouLookFab Forum

LJP

I have the same closet doors, and also bought a couple of 2-tired shoe racks for the floor. They are only tidy when I get down on my hands and knees and clean the mess up - usually after a few weeks of rummaging through different options . I do have a lot of footwear though, which doesn't help the problem of keeping them organized. As I gradually buy less than I edit out , it's getting better, but still not ideal. My collection of sneakers lives in a zippered flat divided shoe bag thing (from Ikea I think) that's under my bed, and also in an Ikea bin that sits inside a Billy bookcase . Out of season footwear is in a giant Rubbermaid tote that sits up high in the laundry room onto of pantry shelves. I don't love the idea of not having air circulating through the tote, but I've not found a better solution. I'm all ears.

1 week ago

Runcarla

Veteran

My current closet has an angled metal shoe shelf across the bottom. I don’t have that many pairs (10), so use about half the shelf for half my shoes (the dressier ones) with half my shoes on the floor under the shelf (sneakers). During winter, I keep my boots in the upstairs front closet - but move them into my clothes closet for off season storage.

The least worn (dressier) shoes get a little dusty even though I sweep or vacuume around them every other week. If I pull a pair out for wear, and they are dusty, I give them a swipe with a baby wipe*. I do the same with bags, if they haven’t been used in a while.

Out of sight is out of mind, for me - so I like to see everything.

*learned this from Angie

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1 week ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

A topic near and dear to my heart (and not really off topic imho). I have an abnormal amount of shoes, which I store with a combination of Ikea Murvel shoe stands https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/m.....-20434832/ and shelf dividers https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/v.....-60136623/ to give me to rows in the bottom of my (Ikea) wall closet. Twice a year I switch the position of the shoes so that the seasonal ones are in the front. Hope this helps but the Murvels really do save a lot of space.

1 week ago

cjh

(website)

Veteran

My everyday tennis shoes are on a four tiered wire shoe shelf. It holds three pairs on each shelf, and two on the top. Most of my converse are on a closet shelf just in a big pile, and a couple pairs of house-only athletic style shoes and slippers are on the floor under that shelf.

Sandals, loafers, short boots, and dressy flats are mostly in individual plastic shoe boxes stacked in the guest room closet, with my high tops on top of the shoe boxes. Usually I have the sandals out of boxes and lined up on the floor in there during the summer months.

I have too many shoes.

1 week ago

avicennia

Veteran

I have a small, old house in with an even older fashioned closet than yours — it’s got a proper hinged door. The closet extends beyond the opening so I have to reach back. I have a shoe rack on the floor of the closet and a cloth contraption on the back of the door that holds 12 pairs of shoes. It’s not ideal but it’s the best I can do.

1 week ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is not off topic!

I have two tiered shoe racks like the ones you describe for this purpose. One in my clothes closet and one in the hall closet for less frequently worn or more grubby shoes, like the ones I wear to hike in. (In winter, this hall closet has the wintery boots, whereas my dressier booties and shoes are in the clothing closet.)

I can keep quite a few pairs in rotation and visible this way. Like Carla, I keep the flat ones and some with heels tucked under the lowest level tier, and then there are two more tiers. There's also enough empty floor space under another closet shelf for two to three pairs.

I keep my off season shoes in boxes like these in our storage area. Note, I'm not promoting Amazon here. It is just where I could find a picture quickly. https://www.amazon.ca/Organize.....21/ref=sr_

They do fit under some beds, but I have an alternate space for them, so use it. This keeps the dust off and while the boxes are not the most sturdy items in the world, I've had them now for five years and they are not yet falling apart.

My tall boots go in another location in the basement for the summer, with boot trees in them to keep the shape.

1 week ago

Sisi

Veteran

Could you keep the seasonal shoes out of the boxes? That would make it easier to take them and then put back.
I keep my shoes in an old small closet (that was not designed for this purpose!) with shelves inside. The seasonal shoes are out of the boxes. Not the ideal solution but the best I could find up to date.

1 week ago

Irina

Veteran

LJP, I should be downsizing my shoe collection, too but it somehow grows. I have so many fit issues with my feet that when I find something that looks ok and fits, I grab it.

Runcarla, your shelf is a good solution for a minimal shoe collection. I probably need a bigger size.

Jaime, thanks! I looked at the IKEA Muriel and consider them. I think I need a shelf so I can have two rows.

Cjh, my off season shoes are also in a guest room, on a shelf in the closet. And it’s fine, I do seasonal switches and it works.

Avicennia, the old closets like yours are so challenging! Good that you found a solution!
Suz, I’m looking to buy a shelf and maybe Muriel units like Jaime suggested. I know under the bed storage works for many but I do not like to keep anything under beds. I have space and don’t mind keeping off season shoes in their boxes.

Sisi, I just don’t like keeping shoes on a floor in a closet for a season. Besides, they will not fit in a single file (!)

Thanks all for your shared experience and suggestions. I now feel inspired and will expand my project. I will repaint inside the closet, buy shoe shelves and a couple of bins for small bags. I keep all my purses on a top shelf in that closet. I’ll organize them, too.

1 week ago

Jules

Veteran

Thanks for posting, shoe storage is becoming a real issue that affects my ability to enjoy my collection. I’ll take a look at the ideas.

1 week ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

(This is not Off Topic, btw!)

I'll take pics of my new shoe storage area for you, Irina. STUNNING new walk in wardrobe post remodel - yet VERY small! We live in a loft. So all spaces are small

I don't have a large collection of shoes either. I find that really helps with storage because I don't swap out my wardrobe seasonally.

1 week ago

Sal

Veteran

I will take a snap tonight of my storage which I revamped in 2024. I do store shoes out of season in cloth bags in suitcases. They seem to last fine. I have 20 pairs of shoes outside my gear sneakers.

I have no more room for shoes though so I have capped at 20 pairs. I am slowly getting rid of my heels though.....

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Eileen Fisher Eileen Fisher Sport Sandal (Women) | Nordstrom

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1 week ago

Brooklyn

Veteran

Do you have room for a tall but narrow chest of drawers? IKEA has office storage that could be used as shoe storage. The drawers are shallow so that makes them better for clothing and shoes, I think.

I personally use a combination of open shelving and IKEA pull out shelves for my shoes, but I’m considering one of these.

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1 week ago

Irina

Veteran

Jules, you are welcome
Angie, I’d love to see your remodeled closet!
Sal, I’d love to see your closet, too! I have 39 pairs of shoes outside of my walking shoes. It’s for 4 seasons climate but it’s an old, I admit. I’m not looking for a storage for all, only for seasonal ones.

Brooklyn, unfortunately I don’t have space for something like this. It would be so good, though.

1 week ago

Kate

Veteran

All of my shoes are on shelves in my closet. Said closet was big, but not very functional with just a hanging rail along it's 12-foot length and one very high shelf I needed a stool to use.

I wanted something simple and cohesive, and relatively inexpensive that could be added to for different storage needs. So we bought a heavy duty organizing system from IKEA that was meant for basement storage, which you could could put together any way you needed. You bought it by the piece once you figured out what you required. We did that ourselves some years ago, and it has worked very well.

Currently, I'm considering a rearrangement of the system, which will mean breaking it all down and reconfiguring. Haven't mentioned that to DH yet!

1 week ago

Joha

Active Member

I’ve had the same problem for years. One day my husband designed a kind of bookshelf with flexible shelves, using cut to measure white mdf boards from the hardware store. It’s build to fit exactly into a wall space that was left next to the home office desk. I store my shoes in their original boxes and use small pictures of the shoes to help identify what’s inside. This also acts as kind of a decoration….

1 week ago

cat2

Veteran

I have a small two tier shoe rack near the back door and that’s where the shoes I am currently wearing go when I come in from outside. The rest are on a two tier fabric shoe self. Out of season go in soft bags — the ones they give out for travel — in a flat basket in another closet. The bags keep them from getting dusty and protect against scratches.

1 week ago

RobinF

Veteran

My closet sounds similar to yours except we swapped out the doors for curtains (I know that sounds weird but it actually looks really nice and I like being able to have the whole closet open). I have a wire shelf that holds about 12 pairs and I also have a hanging thing with compartments. I don't have a lot of dresses so it is where those would hang. I keep dressy shoes on a high shelf in clear boxes.

I also swap out my seasonal shoes - yes, I have too many shoes. What can I say, shoes are my weakness.

1 week ago

Star

Veteran

I have a small cupboard at the front door for the pairs currently in rotation, usually 5 or 6 pairs at a time. I have a couch in the kitchen which has storage space in the seat where I keep the balance.

1 week ago

Ginger

Veteran

I use the drop-front stacking shoeboxes from The Container Store. I love being able to see my shoes. They are totally covered from dust. And since the boxes open in front, I can stack them as high as I want and the space permits.

https://www.containerstore.com.....d=11019063

1 week ago

Sal

Veteran

I used existing shelving in my office for this. The top shelf is my dressier shoes. The cubbies are more casual options. I purchased the clear drawers for makeup, glasses, belts, swimwear, caps, scarves and belts. Jewelry and bags are also in here but not clothing.

In a month or so I will remove all summer shoes and add in my winter scarves. I took out most summer footwear a week ago but am in that transitional time of weather.

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6 days ago

Lisa

Veteran

I've always kept my special occasion shoes in their original boxes and in a different closet than my main closet. I reach for those shoes so rarely, they would be filled with dust from lack of use if I kept them in my main closet. My gear footwear is stored in the garage because hiking and riding gear can get very dirty.

For everything else, I keep my shoes in my large walk in closet, but I rotate their accessibility. I have a shoe rack and the shoes of the season sit on the rack for easy access. When the seasons change I rotate.

Right now I've just boxed up all my boots for fall/winter and unboxed my fashion sneakers for spring. I also have one pair of loafers purchased new for spring. When summer arrives I'll swap the leather fashion sneakers and the loafers for sandals and flip flops. Having the shoes of the season sitting on an easy to reach shoe rack ensures I wear them. I won't wear shoes that aren't within easy reach, I'm too lazy to dig in and out of boxes everyday.

I keep the original boxes of my shoes (when they come with boxes). For those that don't come with boxes, I have clear shoe boxes so I can see what's inside. This helps me store out of season items because I can stack boxes and also keep my shoes from getting dusty.

Another key thing for me is to keep a small sized shoe wardrobe overall. I prefer variety with my clothes more than variety with my footwear. The smaller size helps make rotating with the seasons easy to do because I'm never swapping in or out a lot of pairs of shoes at one time.

6 days ago

Ket

Veteran

This is an excellent post and is helping me ponder how to solve my own shoe storage needs. My shoes are currently housed under my bed in boxes or simply unboxed. But I would much prefer a better way. Will likely get another under-bed box and store my off-season boots, etc. there.

I live in a very tiny house. It is all of 900 sq feet, filled with large hobbies (huge power tools and lots of knitting and sewing), our child's books and toys, and three cats. And...we also have no closets. (This house has never had closets due to its 135-years age.) Storage has been a challenge. Hubs is likely building us a small closet this summer; after 8 years, it's really time. Our home doesn't look like a hoarder's place or anything; somehow we are able to keep most everything under wraps. Still, it is really challenging. It's forced me to keep my shoe collection rather minimal. Much as I love having more shoes, I am seeing how minimal can benefit. It's helped me make good buying decisions too.

5 days ago

Roberta

Veteran

I can technically walk into my bedroom closet, but it wouldn't hold all of my shoes. I bought a freestanding, slatted shoe cabinet that holds 25 pairs of shoes and low boots. This one is very similar (Wayfair). The slats allow air to circulate, but keeps most of the dust off. I keep my combat boots on a narrow wall shelf in the closet (six pairs), and my tall boots in see-through plastic boxes, since they don't get much wear. A couple of dressy pairs stay in their original boxes.

These limits keep my shoe habit in check - one in, one out!

5 days ago

Runcarla

Veteran

Here’s a story to make you laugh! My 87 yo mother is relocating from her assisted living place in Ottawa, to a place in the town where I live. These places are modest in size, and storage is at a premium. The last time I visited my mother, I helped her edit her shoes down to 20 pair. Last week while touring the new place, she admired the closet space and mentioned she had 27 pairs of shoes! Later, while I was giving her a tour of the town, she asked me: “where do women in this town buy shoes?”

And yes, we do have an indy shoe store on our very small main street!

4 days ago

Irina

Veteran

Thank you all! So many answers, hard to keep up!
I found one IKEA storage system and thought all my troubles were solved. But it doesn’t fit, unfortunately my closet is too small. I didn’t like any other options. I wish I had space for a freestanding unit like one that Roberta posted but I don’t. For now I emptied two drawers in my 3 drawer cabinet and put in my spring shoes. It holds about 12 pairs. I’m planning to switch it to summer flats in May/June.

Runcarla, OMG, I will be just like your mother if I’m so fortunate to live to 87!

4 days ago

sarah

Veteran

I live in a 1924 bungalow and share one small closet with my husband. It's quite awkward, as it has a regular door at one end. I have one shoe cubby, at the opposite end, somewhat similar to this one, although smaller: https://www.target.com/p/4-tie.....373743#lnk

I also have one shoe rack beneath some of the hanging clothing, similar to this one, but only two tiers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q.....1HZT306EFH

4 days ago

RachelNZ

Active Member

I store my shoes on a wooden rack inside an extra wardrobe we added to the small room I use as my ‘closet’. This keeps most of the dust off while enabling me to see my options. I keep the shoe boxes on-top of the wardrobe and rotate seasonally. Just in the transition time and had to get a pair of boots out of their box yesterday! The space still isn’t optimally used so may look for some better racks at some point.

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4 days ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I just want to clarify -- I don't actually use those under bed storage boxes under my bed, Irina. I put them in a different storage area on a shelf -- off season. And put the in-season ones on racks in closet. It works better for me than saving the actual boxes because these take up less room and I don't have to lug the shoes box by box from my basement -- I just pick up the handle and bring the box upstairs to do the tradeover. I guess this is a long way of saying, it will depend on your other storage options for the out of season items -- if you have a place closer in your house, maybe the individual box method will work easily for off-season storage.

4 days ago

karen23

Active Member

My closet does not have enough usable floor area, and it has a folding door, so my shoes are on 2 bottom-of-the-closet shelves that are stacked up. Not ideal, being out in the room. It's good to see what you all have come up with.

3 days ago

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