How to Organize Shoes: 16 Creative Solutions

Modern shoe rack with shoes - How to Organize Shoes

Are you tired of digging through a jumbled mess of shoes whenever you need the perfect pair? I’ve certainly been there. Not to mention, having shoes piled on top of one another is a sure way to put unneeded wear and tear on your shoes.

Like with anything, taking care of your belongings is a great sustainability practice — taking care of our things can help them last longer and reduce waste. In this blog post, I’ll share ideas on systems to organize your shoes to save you time and frustration.

Shoe Shelf Storage

Shoe shelf storage is great if you have vertical wall space available to organize your shoes in a rack or shelf. These are more likely to be visible and work best if you are okay with being able to see the shoes — which may be preferable or not, depending on your room and closet setup.

Vertical Shoe Shelf

Vertical shelves like this one can hold a lot of shoes. This takes advantage of vertical wall space while maintaining a small overall footprint. But at my height, I would need a step ladder to get the shoes from the top of the shelf! If you’re petite like me, you could store shoes you wear daily on the lower shelves.

Entryway Shoe Rack

This entryway shoe rack doubles as a place to sit down and put your shoes on (so useful!). It is similar to a shoe organizer I’ve had in the past. It works well in an entryway if you want to encourage guests to remove their shoes indoors.

DIY Vertical Shoe Slots

These DIY shoe slots made from old wood pallets are so creative and have a rustic flair. I like how the shoes here are visible for easy access but still tucked neatly away. It’s a great budget-friendly storage solution too.

Shoe Cubby Storage

Shoe cubby storage can work well for children’s shoes and adult shoes, depending on the size of the cubby!

Multipurpose wood shoe cubby

I thought this shoe cubby was just gorgeous with the beautiful wood tones. The hooks at the top allow you to hang a jacket or a handbag. Also, the bench allows you to sit at the entryway to put on and remove your shoes.

Modern shoe cubby

This shoe cubby leans more utilitarian in terms of design and offers a clean, modern look. It can hold 24 pairs of shoes.

Shoe Cabinets and Armoires

If you prefer very little visual clutter, shoe cabinets and armoires are a way to organize your shoes that keep them tucked away and completely out of sight.

Minimal Wood Shoe Cabinet

I loved the aesthetic of this shoe cabinet. I love that it can store all kinds of shoes including high heels, men’s dress shoes, sneakers, sandals, and more.

Double-decker shoe cabinet

This cabinet has two layers of shoes within each cabinet. It can store up to 18 pairs of shoes.

Hanging Shoe Storage

With hanging shoe storage, it’s fun to get a little creative! From DIY options to over-the-door shoe organizers, these take up minimal real estate and can be great for small spaces.

Over-the-door shoe storage

I’ve used this shoe storage method before and can tell you from personal experience that it’s handy in small spaces. The only downside to over-the-door shoe organizers is that it works for a limited variety of shoe styles., For example, ballet flats store well, but high heels or boots won’t fit as well.

Tension rod shoe storage

This is a thrifty and creative way to store shoes in small spaces. It simply requires tension rods and s-hooks or clips to hang up a variety of shoes including flats, boots, sneakers, and more.

Shoe Drawers

Shoe drawers are a great storage solution in closets or entryways with excess drawer space. It’s perfect for everyday sneakers, running shoes, slippers, and sandals. Boots and heels may require deeper drawers to fit properly.

DIY Tension Rod Shoe Drawer

This is an easy way to convert an existing drawer into a shoe storage solution. Simple and cost-effective. All you need are a few staggered tension rods to organize your shoes.

DIY Mud Room Shoe Drawer

This mud room creation is so innovative! It’s beautiful too, with the contrasting wood grain against the white built-ins. They are an attractive and practical solution for shoe organization.

Under Bed Shoe Storage

Storing shoes under the bed is a great place to put off-season shoes. For example, storing your summer sandals in winter months.

Under bed clear top shoe storage

This shoe storage solution is both attractive and useful. I like that there are built-in cubbies to store the shoes and a clear top so you can easily see what’s inside.

Built-in Shoe Storage

Built-in shoe storage is definitely my favorite because of the customized look and feel., With that said, this is likely among the costliest options if you hire a company to do this for you.

Closet Built-in Shoe Storage

This is a lovely example of built-ins crafted to store a variety of shoes, as well as handbags. Part of the experience of built-ins is assessing your needs to design the right solution for you — sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Shoe Displays

If you’re a shoe aficionado, shoe displays are for you. These make your shoes the highlight of the room.

Wall Shelf Shoe Display

This shoe display makes a statement! I love how the shoe display and sneakers combine to create an art wall.

Standalone shoe display

This shoe display is a standalone shelf and could be used to display shoes, handbags, jewelry, or other personal items. Try layering a few together side by side to add more impact and space to store shoes!

Conclusion

You can maximize your shoe storage capacity while maintaining a clutter-free environment by utilizing innovative storage solutions such as shoe racks, hanging organizers, and repurposed furniture.

Remember to personalize your organization system to fit your unique needs and style, allowing your shoe collection to shine and leaving you with a well-organized, stress-free space.

16 Clever Ways to Organize Shoes