designer tips

Combat Your Clutter with These Awesome Shoe Storage Ideas

Shoes. They’re great when you need to get somewhere, but not so much when it’s time to clean them up and put them away in the closet or shoe rack. You can spend hours looking for that perfect pair in your cluttered closet – all while stepping on other pairs… But don’t worry!

DYI shoe storage

Published September 30, 2021 · words and photographs by Tatyana

Shoes. They’re great when you need to get somewhere, but not so much when it’s time to clean them up and put them away in the closet or shoe rack. You can spend hours looking for that perfect pair in your cluttered closet – all while stepping on other pairs… But don’t worry! With these 15 clever shoe storage ideas, you’ll never have this problem again.

Where can you store your shoes in your home?

Here are some options where shoes are usually stored: entryway, mudroom, garage, closet, under the bed, coat closet, door hangers, and in an ottoman. We will look at each one of those areas and will offer storage solutions.

Before you start you need to determine how many pairs of shoes you own so that you can plan accordingly.  Also, think of the type of shoes you need to store, everyday shoes need to be more accessible, while dress shoes can be stored away.

Entryway Shoe Storage Ideas

The entryway is the first place people see when they come over. Make sure you have a good shoe storage solution in here so it can look clean and organized.

Shoes can take up a lot of space in an entryway, so look for ways to store your shoes that are out of the way but still accessible. Don’t view your entryway as a long-term shoe storage solution, and keep only the ones your wear daily.

Functional entryway: everything you need to get in and out of the door

Shoe storage bench entryway

If there’s not enough space, think about clever ways to hide them out of sight.

A shoe bench or ottoman is a great solution for smaller entryways that are tight on space: it provides convenient storage and seating at the same time, saving you money by eliminating the need to buy both functional items separately.

A wicker basket is a great solution for tossing and storing kids’ shoes. 

Coat closet shoe storage

You can use the floor space in your coat closet beside or underneath your hanging clothes. The benefit of this option is that you take off your outwear and shoes in the same spot.

You can also hang a shoe storage system over the door for additional storage.

Mudroom Shoe Storage: hall tree

Hall trees often called mudroom benches or entryway benches, are a great way to store shoes and provide seating at the same time.

You can DIY and give your home a custom feel or buy a prebuilt one. They come in many sizes and shapes, ranging from a bench with cubbies to an entire wall.

Shoe storage in the garage

Just like the entryway, shoes should be stored in a place that looks good and organized. This is especially important if people come over to your house often. If you don’t want them laying around everywhere or leaving dirty footprints all over your flooring, store them in the garage!

Cabinet Ikea with doors for shoe storage

If you want to store shoes away, shoe cabinets or shelves are your best bet. Ikea Cabinet with doors is a perfect solution for garage shoe storage.

Just like the other options listed above, they provide a sleek and organized look while also keeping all of your shoes in one place. You can even go for sliding doors if you don’t have enough room!

Go for 14-inch depth cabinets (you don’t need more for your shoes). You can do KOMPLEMENT shelves (they are regular MDF shelves) for a more economical option or a KOMPLEMENT shoe shelf for a sloped look. They are a bit more expensive, but it’s easier to see your shoes on the upper shelves.

PAX System shopping list Download

DIY shoe storage cabinet

Alternatively, you can DYI build shoe storage shelves. Keep in mind that you don’t want deep cabinets. We would recommend 14-inch depth and adjustable shelves, so you can move them up or down depending on the height of the shoe.

DIY shoe storage cabinet

Or if you have an old dresser, converting it into a beautiful shoe storage piece is always possible! There are endless possibilities!

DYI shoes storage
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Shoe Storage under the bed

If you are tight on space or need extra storage and don’t mind bending over to find your shoes you can store them under the bed. This option is great because it hides them away from sight. The only downside is that you’ll need to buy stackable boxes or clear shoe organizers so you can see all of your shoes at once without moving things around.

Storing shoes in the closet

Another common storage space for shoes is the closet.

It can be a stand-alone unit or just an organized section of your closet. Use shelves to stack shoes and put different sections for work, casual, dress-up footwear etc. This works well if you don’t have enough floor space in one room to store all your shoe boxes neatly.

You can also go for open shelves or shoe racks in front of your wardrobe if there is enough space. This way, you are able to display them instead of hiding them away in storage!

Conclusion

Figuring out shoe storage can be frustrating, but there are many creative and space-saving ideas that you can adapt to help your situation. Just look around your space and start with what you have.

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