ORGANIZING AND STORING YOUR SHOES
Shoes can be tough to keep organized, but they get damaged, smashed, and lost if they end up in a pile at the bottom of your closet. So, coming up with a closet solution that works for your shoes and your habits is a must. If you're looking for new ways to get your shoes organized and keep them that way, you've come to the right place. Read on for great ideas, tips, and suggestions for getting your shoes organized in a way that will stay organized.
How to Organize Shoes in a Way that Works with Your Lifestyle
Evaluate Your Shoe Habits
Not many people carefully put their shoes where they belong every single time they take them off. Many of us are guilty of coming into the house, kicking off our shoes, and leaving them right where they land. On a good day we might push them into the coat closet and hide them from sight. This can lead to a shoe mountain in the bottom of the coat closet. So you need to evaluate what your habits are and come up with a plan for keeping shoes in a place that is convenient for you and your lifestyle.
Multiple Shoe Locations
Many people find it frustrating to perfectly organize their shoes in their bedroom closet, only to find later that it didn't work. Customizing your shoe storage locations to fit your life can solve this problem. Unless your bedroom is very near your front door, you will need to come up with multiple solutions. Many people find an entryway bench with a shoe shelf underneath helpful for stashing shoes when they come into the house. I do this, but I also have some small cubby-hole style shelves in the front corner of my coat closet where I stash pairs that won't fit underneath the bench. My kids have L-shaped baskets that fit on the stairs. They sit on the stairs to take their shoes off and toss them in the basket. If the basket gets full, they take it to their room and empty it.
Multiple Storage Options
Shoe racks that hold shoes with the toes pointed up are popular, but often end up empty in the bottom of your shoe pile. These are problematic because they take up a huge space in your closet floor, you have to physically carry your shoes to the rack and squeeze them in between other shoes, and they don't hold boots and some other styles of shoes. We say ditch the rack and go for shelves up the front corners of the closet, benches with shelves underneath, and labeled, stacked shoe boxes for longer-term storage.
Finding the right shoe storage solution usually takes a multi-pronged approach. It's not likely that you will find one shoe storage concept that will work for everyone in the house. Through trial and error, paying attention to everyone's habits, and thinking through each possibility for shoe storage, you'll find the right solution that works for you and your family. The best laid plans for organizing anything are ones that fit your home, your family, and your habits.