Ways to organise your shoe closet
Even if you’re practical, your shoe collection can easily get out of hand. Sure you have sneakers, but what can you wear to work? How about a wedding? A beach? or to a wedding at the beach?
We tend to acquire a lot of shoes, and they can be a real pain to store. They’re clunky, harder to store, and if you are a hoarder then we can forget about the count for the moment.
Shoes can be trickier too because they’re almost a little more emotional. We keep hanging on to them even if they don’t fit.
So, what do you think is the best way to store your shoes, boots, sneakers, heels, and sandals?
Since they take up a lot of closet space, the key would be to figure out a smart system for organizing your shoes. There are many different ways of organizing them. The key is to pick an approach that will work with your closet space and allow you to easily see your shoes. Else, it’s out of sight, out of mind, and you might as well not have the shoes you can’t see, because you’ll never end up wearing them.
Declutter: First things first, DECLUTTER! Gather all your shoes and go through them. Check for any worn-out or damaged pieces or any shoes you might not wear again. You can send any worn out or damaged pieces or any pieces you would otherwise throw away to us at PAIO and we will recycle/donate them on your behalf through our 5R Cycle program.
Assess and Sort: Based on how many pairs you have left; assess how much space you would need to store and whether you need a separate storage unit. Now start sorting your shoes out into 2 categories –
- shoes you wear frequently
- shoes you do not wear frequently.
You can further divide these according to occasion, season or activity.
Once you’ve decluttered and sorted your shoes, you can use any of the following ways to store your shoes according to the space you have!
1. Shoe Boxes: As any organization pro will tell you, it’s harder to pick out clothes and accessories when you don’t know what you’re looking at. Stuffing everything in a tub makes it impossible to imagine your options, so when you’re sorting your shoes, try to keep them as visible as possible. If you’re using shoe storage bins or boxes, go for the see-through options. If you’re getting a shoe organizer, look for ones with clear slots. Prefer to reuse some of the shoeboxes you already have? Stick a picture of the shoes on the outside of each box. This easy visual aid will help jog your memory in the morning and prevent you from tearing your closet apart while you consider your outfit options.
2. Cubbies/Baskets: A simple cubby bench is a great solution for an entryway if you’re a sneaker and flats kind of person. It’s also the perfect multipurpose piece to have! If you love the cubbies idea for your entire shoe collection, maybe get a larger unit or if you just want to store your frequently used pairs then a smaller style works! Since sneakers are athletic shoes by nature, they’re built to withstand a little more rough-housing than, say, ballet flats. This means you can get away with storing sneakers in slightly less precious shoe storage options. Sneakers don’t have to be in bins, they can be in baskets.
3. Shoe Bins: Shoe bins are stackable, they’re widely available, and they’re usually transparent. They can store much of your shoe collection (except for tall stuff like boots and high-tops) in individual, easy-to-see spots.
4. Over the door organizers: Shoe organizers that hang over the closet door can be lifesavers — particularly for lightweight, casual shoes since you can bunch an entire pair into one slot. But if you have a sliding closet door, or just don’t have the space for the standard 24-pocket organizer, there are slim vertical organizers that tie over the closet rod. You can fit a pair of shoes in each slot. You can get two organizers and those should see you through a big chunk of your shoe collection.
5. Sneaky Storage: If storage is tight, and you need a sneaky way to stow your shoes, try out storage ottomans complete with little shoe pockets. A great option to store occasional and seasonal footwear. A multipurpose solution to storage and they are a great décor piece to have around. Another sneaky storage space is under the bed. A rolling tray under the bed allows your shoes to be easily seen and accessed in comparison to just storing them under the bed. These are great for occasional and seasonal footwear!
A chunk of the shoes we have are usually seasonal or occasional wear, usage of which is less and they’re usually a bit more expensive. To help your shoes have a longer life and to avoid dust build-up, storing them in cloth bags is the best solution.
While storing shoes on shelves or racks, place anti-slip mats on each shelf. These prevent the shoes from sliding off, trap dust and dirt, and can be wiped off regularly to keep your shoe rack clean.
If you try any of these organizing tips and tricks do let us know by tagging us on Instagram, using #Paioclan.