Are Shoes Monopolizing Your Closet Space? Here’s How To Organize and Store Them Efficiently.

By Heather Kilduff of Sterilite Corporation

In the world of accessories, my number one weakness would have to be shoes. Be it a great pair of flats, heels, flip-flops, or boots-they all have a special place in my heart and in my closet!

I subscribe to the belief that if a pair of shoes is on sale, matches any single one outfit you own or is a color that you don’t typically see at retail, then by all means, buy ‘em! This mindset has forced me to develop a system within my closet to: 1. Store shoes that are out of season. 2. Create space for new purchases. 3. Maintain the lifespan of my shoes.

1. I store my out-of-season shoes in plastic shoe storage boxes. I spend about $1 on one of these little guys and it extends the life of the shoe by at least one year. It protects my shoes from being crushed or malformed and even from being lost. The containers I use are clear, so that I don’t need to label anything. I am able to see right through the box and can grab them if I need them. I stack the shoe boxes in a closet that I don’t access daily. Come Spring when I’m ready to swap out my winter shoes, the stored shoes are in great shape. And here’s a neat tip – store your shoes with a dryer sheet during the off-season.
2. Though my day-to-day shoe storage is different and more readily accessible, I still like keeping the shoes contained and under control. I need to see all my options at quick glance or I will forget what I have to choose from. I opt for stacking shoe drawers for most of these shoes. The stacking drawers are also clear so I can see what shoes are stored inside, and I can slide the drawer open and closed, keeping the area organized.
3. The rest of my day-to-day shoes I keep on a shoe rack secured to the back of my closet door. I like having some of my shoes there, but not all of them. Some shoe styles fall through the rack or just don’t fit properly. They are easy for me to see and to grab being stored out in the open like this, but too many shoes out in the open – well they smell like feet. The last smell I want near all of my clothes is feet!

So there you have it, my shoe organization steps. So go ahead and buy more, because you can never have too many pairs of shoes!

Comments

[Stacy]

I love the drawer idea. I'm going to find these and create a wall of shoe drawers. Thanks for your insight.

[Suzanne Strom]

love sterilite! the colors are awesome!

[Rachel Skafidas]

Wow! I need to get some of shoe stacking boxes, clutter free and it will be easy to see which shoe you are trying to find!

[Jessica]

My sons have more shoes than I do, so I keep them in these wonderful shoe stacking boxes so they are easy to store and find!! Love you sterilite and all the great colors!

[Amanda]

Love the idea of putting a dyer sheet in the containers!

[Cassi]

I will have to try the door hanging rack. I too love shoes and have issues with storage. Thanks for the tips!

[Clarence Bale]

Some experts say that you should maintain the order in your closets by purging one item when you buy a new one, but this seems a bit extreme. Rather than going this route, don’t stuff your closets with so much stuff that one more item is an impossibility, leave a little room for new stuff. Then hold a regular closet evaluation once or twice a year and look for items that are either worn out or broken and need to go in the trash or items you can donate to charity. This way you’ll keep your closets in check without having to purge for every purchase.