Storing shoes in your room can be tricky, as not everyone has a walk-in closet with space for shoes. Shoes for men and women can take a lot of space in the closet, so you should be more creative.
There are many ways to store your shoes that may depend on your room’s size and look.
Some sneakers for men can resale for double the price online. When you think of that, you can’t just throw them on the floor, or let them outside your house. The same goes for some designer shoes for women.
Even if your shoes are not worth hundreds of dollars, they still deserve some care and love. The good news is that you can store your shoes in many creative ways, utilizing the space in your room efficiently.
It does not even have to be a big room. You’d be surprised to see some storage options can go with rooms as small as six or seven feet.
20 Shoe Storage Ideas
Here are some of the smartest shoe storage ideas you should check out to:
1. Hanging Shoe Organizer
The good old shoe hanger is a cheap and quick solution to storing footwear in your closet. Even if you have the tiniest closet, this hanger should still fit in. It cleverly utilizes the vertical space in the closet and is pretty easy to use.
It’s a ready to use shoe-storage solution that you can also hang outside the closet. Some people just hang it behind the door or on the wall. Made out of fabric, it’s sturdy enough to hold shoes for women with pointy heels.
2. Ottoman Storage
An ottoman that doubles as storage for shoes? Yes, please!
This could be the perfect solution for small apartments and houses that need to utilize every inch of the space. The ottoman’s top would slide open, giving you ample space inside to store all your shoes.
You can find small ottoman’s with storage online, but if you want to store all your shoes, go for a big one. That could set you back hundreds of dollars, so an alternative is to make one yourself.
Making ottoman can be challenging, but not impossible, especially if you know your way around making basic furniture.
3. Drop-Front Shoe Box
The clear shoebox is all the rage for sneaker lovers. Those who prize their shoes as collectibles want to see them all the time. These clear drop-front boxes are a great solution for storing big waterproof sneakers, while also displaying them.
You can stack these boxes on a wall to create a whole space for shoes. It’s best suited for a big closet with plenty of space to install an individual box for each pair of shoes. Those chunky sneakers for men will fit in as well.
These drop-front boxes make it easy to access your shoes. Also, these feature small ventilation holes to keep the shoes dry and get rid of any odors.
4. Shoe Rack Behind Curtain
Not everyone likes all their shoes displayed for the world at all times. Some people like them hidden away. Plus, shoes on a rack can gather dust pretty easily.
One way to deal with this is to install a wall shoe rack and cover it with a curtain. If you have a hollow wall, then it gets even better.
Otherwise, you can simply install a curtain rod with ample space from the wall (you’ll need one of those adjustable brackets).
No one would know there’s a shoe rack behind the curtain. In addition, the rack will use the wall instead of the floor. It’s a great idea to store some fancy shoes for women.
5. Spinning Shoe Tree
This smart product takes inspiration from the rack we use in the kitchen for mugs and glasses. It’s clever, easy, and even aesthetically pleasing. Again, one of those solutions that take very minimal floor space.
Made from stainless steel, this spinning shoe tree can easily house all your shoes, unless you own dozens of them. It’s mainly for women’s shoes, including sneakers for women. You can use it for men’s shoes as well, but you might not be able to fit as many.
6. Wooden Pallet on the Wall
Who knew a simple wooden pallet could be a solution for shoe storage? You can install a wooden pallet on the wall using some nails and a hammer. It has a raw aesthetic too, not to mention you’d be upcycling the wood, which is another feat in its own right.
You might not be able to fit in any big shoes like boots or even sneakers for men. However, it makes a great shoe storage option for kids’ shoes. The space between the stilts is enough to fix in some kid’s shoes.
7. Shoe Buckets
It’s quite simple and functional; you just stuff in your shoes in a bucket and hide it somewhere. You can place it in the closet, under the bed (if the height allows), or keep it under a table.
It’s a good option to store old shoes that you don’t wear so often and don’t entirely want to get rid of them.
You can simply insert shoes vertically. For flat shoes, you can also use a rubber band to tie them together. That will keep them together and create more space inside the bucket.
8. Under Bed Shoe Organizer
These easy to handle shoe organizers are pretty common and popular. A lot of us throw shoes under the bed already, might as well get an organizer to do it properly.
Some of these are hard case boxes, while some are bags. The hard case one is sturdier, but it’s not as flexible as the bag. Nevertheless, it’s a great and neat way to utilize the under bed space for storing shoes.
9. Stackable Cube Organizer
Like the clear boxes, this stackable cube organizer takes minimal floor space and neatly organizes your shoes. It looks quite cool too, beautifully presenting your shoes for easy access.
Another advantage of these cubes is that each unit is spacious. Therefore, you can fit in shoes for women like those with long heels. As your shoe collection grows, you can stack up even more cubes until you have a whole wall of shoes.
10. Corner Shelves
Do you have an unused corner in your closet, room, or garage? If yes, then use it to store your shoes. You can easily find small wooden corner shelves that are easy to install on your own.
If you’re handy with some woodwork, you can make these yourself.
These shelves are not just for shoes, you can literally put anything you like. However, you want to choose a corner less prominent. These shelves are not exactly decorative, so you would not want them to be super visible.
11. Hang Pocket Shoe Organizer
Want something that is easy to use? Here comes a perfect product.
This over the door hanging shoe organizer goes behind the door usually, but really, you can hang it anywhere. The pockets are spacious enough to stuff a pair of shoes. If it’s small, you can insert individual shoes in each.
Most of these shoe hangers are made of fabric, so these are quite flexible. When not in use, you can simply roll it. These are perfect for storing the everyday shoes that you use frequently.
12. Rolling Rack
Have you seen those racks in shoe stores with multiple layers and wheels? If you’re a big-time shoe lover and own more than 25 pairs of shoes, you might want to consider this.
The show tower is easy to use and a breeze to move around, thanks to the wheels.
You can place it in the closet if you have a big one. Otherwise, just place it against a wall anywhere in the house. The look is minimalistic, but it gets the job done very well.
You can place virtually any kind of shoe from pumps to boots to sneakers. However, it’s better with shoes with some kind of heel. Flat soles may not rest on the rod too well.
13. Tension Rods
This is a simple, inexpensive solution to storing shoes, not to mention super clever. Buy some tension rods, preferably with small diameter, and install them at the bottom of your closet. Install one angled from the other, just like it’s in shoe racks.
Even with two sets of tension rods, you can store as many as 10 pairs of shoes, even more, if your closet is wide. If you plan on storing heavier shoes like boots or sneakers for men, use thicker rods to withstand the weight.
14. Paint Cans
If you’re looking to get super creative, and don't want to spend much on shoe storage, find used paint cans. You can simply glue them on the wall, and use them for shoes. If you want to make things further secure, maybe drill holes in them and screw them on the wall.
You can house them pretty close to each other, so you can fit in more shoes. Do it on the closet wall or any other wall. This type of shoe storage looks downright cool and artistic.
It also gives the impression that you recycle and upcycle things. You can also buy empty paint cans online if you want a cleaner look.
15. Baskets
The good old baskets can be used for storing shoes too. Slide the basket under the bed or place it at the bottom of your closet. You’d be surprised to see how many pairs of shoes a small basket can fit.
Go for a bamboo basket as it absorbs moisture too. It’ll make sure your shoes stay dry and odorless. But you can also buy plastic ones, as bamboo baskets tend to be a bit pricier.
16. Old Ladder
An old ladder as shoe storage? Why not? It can double as a decorative feature. You’ve already seen ladder shelves, so this is something similar.
This requires absolutely no work on your part, as you pretty much just have to lay the ladder against the wall. However, if you want to secure it, you can nail it down or use glue.
It’s best mainly for shoes for women and sneakers for women with some kind of heel. You can also buy some designed specifically for shoe storage.
17. Slide Out Rack
Ikea’s Slide Out Shoe Rack is a great tool to store many pairs of shoes in your closet or under the bed.
The modern storage makes your footwear very easy to access and keeps shoes in their best form, thanks to the shoe insert. However, like most Ikea stuff, the assembly is a bit complicated.
18. Shoe Tray
You can create a shoe tray to slide under the bed or your closet. Either get a large size tray or create one with a large photo frame. It should fit at least five to six pairs of shoes.
It’s perfect for storing shoes for men, as it keeps them in the open without really displaying them.
If you have a lot of shoes, perhaps you can utilize several trays on each corner of your bed. It’s a good way to keep them organized and hidden away.
19. Towel Rail
Towel Rail is not just for towels, you can turn it into shoe storage as well. You can insert shoes behind the rail or hang the ones that have high heels. If you install multiple rails starting at the bottom of the wall, all the way up to your shoulder height, you have a full shoe rack.
This is best for only a handful of shoes, perhaps sneakers for women that may be small enough to fit within the rail. For large shoes, it’s not a viable solution as they will not fit, neither hang.
20. Steel Wall Rack
This is a nice and clean shoe storage option to install on a wall or on the back of the closet door. You can house quite a lot of shoes in this thing. It also features two baskets at the bottom to place other accessories like bags.
You can buy it from the container store and install it yourself. All the hardware comes with it, but you’ll have to drill holes in the closet door, so be careful with that.
Tips for Storing Shoes
Here are some useful tips that may help you when you're planning a shoe storage.
● Use Less Floor Space
People often make the mistake of storing shoes on the floor under the bed or in their closet. That strategy would quickly eat up all the space. Instead of floor space, use height.
Whenever you can stack shoes, one on top of another, that way, in terms of floor space, you’re only using the space for one box.
● Use Cedar Wood
When storing shoes in a wooden cabinet or rack, go for cedar. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s also naturally resistant to pests. You’ll never have the problem of your shoe rack rotting with pests or mold.
It’s a good option for those expensive shoes. The cedar will keep all the bugs away as well as moisture.
● Have Some Ventilation
Whatever shoe storage you’re using, make sure that there’s some ventilation and that air circulates in and out of the storage space.
If you take off your shoes and directly put them in the storage, they would still be moist. With proper ventilation, they’ll dry up fast.
Closed shoe storage with no ventilation might result in your shoes smelling bad. That’s not a problem if you’re storing shoes in an open space. If taking the DIY approach and making your own shoe storage, make sure to think about air circulation.
● Clean Shoes Before Storing Them
It’s best if you clean your shoes before storing them, especially shoes that you’re not going to be wearing anytime soon.
For instance, you’re winter snow boots or your sandals in summer. Seasonal shoes should be thoroughly cleaned and dried before storing them away.
● Less Space? Get Rid of the Boxes
There’s no proof whether boxes can make a pair of shoes last long. But many of us think that shoes will last long if properly boxed. They will definitely be dust-free, but there’s no evidence about longevity.
If you don’t have enough space in your shoe storage or closet, in general, don’t keep them in boxes. If you really like the idea of boxing your shoes, get one of those cube and box shoe storages. That way, almost all your shoes will always be boxed.
Conclusion
There are so many shoe storage options to fit everyone’s needs. Whether you live in a small apartment or a big house, there’s something for everyone. You can also take the DIY approach and build yourself storage appropriate for your shoes.
Proper storage for shoes for men and women ensures your shoes don’t get dirty or damaged. Also, it looks neat when shoes are in their place, rather than spread all over the bedroom. The latter does not leave a good impression.
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