Shoe Storage Ideas

You may need some serious shoe storage if:

you have tripped over shoes at least once in the last 24 hours.
it takes you more than 30 seconds to find both shoes in a matching pair.
you have a "shoe thing", that is you have many more shoes than you need and you do not like to let them go.
you have gone to work wearing an unmatched pair of shoes (you are forgiven if you were pregnant at the time and could not see your feet).
you are tired of looking at shoes on the floor when they are not attached to a pair of feet

Don't go shopping or even consider storage ideas for your shoes until you purge your shoe supply.

But once that is done consider how you are going to store your shoes.

Your final shoe storage solution should:

fit your space either vertical or horizontal (know your measurements)
be user friendly
allow easy access to your shoes you want when you want them and when you want to put them away!

Organizing tips, and storage ideas for your shoes.

If you are aware of the products that are available you can find space for your shoes. Consider all the vertical, horizontal, and forgotten spaces you have, and get the creative juices flowing by "thinking outside the shoe box"!

Measurements: Closet products are generally sized in 12 inch intervals as a closets are usually 24 inches deep but your entrance way can be large enough for a storage bench or small enough that it won't even accommodate shoe storage so get good measurements.

How many shoes need to be stored? - Which shoes do you wear most often and which ones are simply stored away? You only wear about 20% of what you own so some of your footwear will be worn often and those are the items that you need to keep readily accessible. Everything else can be stored away.

Products - shoe storage boxes are suitable for storing shoes that are not to be accessed frequently. Look for clear plastic boxes so you can easily identify what is in there. Make sure if you are using boxes that they are all of the same variety and that they are made to stack together. It is best if you purchase them all at the same time instead of buying a few and then trying to add some more later. You just never know if the same product will be in stock when you go back for more.

Shoe racks - shoe racks can be plastic coated metal, laminate, and melamine covered particle board and even real cedar. Look for shoe racks with stackable components so you can use the vertical space in your closet. Raise the closet rod to 72 inches and then put the shoe rack on the floor.
This arrangement provides space for your footwear and still allows enough vertical space above for hanging garments. You will need about 8-9 inches per pair of shoes so a 24 inch lineal space on a shoe rack could accommodate 3 pairs of shoes stored side by side. Generally shoe racks made for storing shoes in this way are manufactured in 24 inch widths.

Underbed shoe storage - some products are now made to fit underneath the bed to provide use of space that is otherwise wasted. Underbed units are made of either soft plastic or rigid plastic boxes with hinged lids. This is great shoe storage idea for those shoes that are not worn often.

raise the bed - There are specific products available called "bed risers" that create more usable for storage space under the bed. You can even go to the big box store and purchase bed casters that are adjustable to different heights and they might provide the few extra inches you need.

More organizing tips and shoe storage ideas

Think "outside the shoe box"

It is not always necessary to use a product designed for shoes. Other types of furniture can sometimes do just as well and it is not always necessary just to use products designed for that purpose. Metal lockers, book cases, storage baskets, and even laundry baskets can be used to corral those loose shoes.

Here are three ideas that are creative uses for furniture and products not necessarily designed for shoes.

Do you have a big decorative clay pot? - Instead of planting a plant in there and dealing with all the dirt and constant watering use it to store shoes right by the entry way. This one did double duty as an umbrella stand.

A vertical CD holder - it doesn't have to be for CD's, some of them are great for storing your footwear.

An entertainment unit - this shoe storage solution is not a piece of furniture made for shoes. It is an entertainment unit placed at the end of a king size bed. It is often hard to find a bench that will span the entire width of a king size bed but this unit fit perfectly and the owners used the "cubbies" for the shoes that are worn most often. It also provides a perfect place to sit when putting shoes on and taking them off.