Organizing Shoes
Organizing shoes will save you from frustration in the morning. This will also save you money in the long run because if shoes are piled on top of one another, they can get scuffed or damaged.
Begin organizing shoes by gathering all your shoes from around the house into one open space where you can sort them.
Discard the ones that are damaged and are beyond repair. Donate or sell shoes that are in good condition but no longer fit, have gone out of style and also the ones you haven’t worn in years. This way you are only organizing shoes that you love and wear.
Sort the shoes that you decided to keep into two main groups - shoes that you wear on a regular basis and shoes that you wear on special occasions.
Subdivide each of the two main groups by style (like sandals, flats, pumps, loafers, sneakers, exercise shoes, winter boots etc.) and then by color within each style.
Many different kinds of products are available for organizing shoes at supermarkets that are very economical. For example: over-the-door organizers, shoe cubbies, shoe racks, revolving shoe tree, hanging fabric organizers, shoe file organizers and under the bed shoe storage bags.
Hanging cubby bags and over the door organizers utilizes the vertical space inside a closet or closet door. Horizontal shoe cubbies or shoe racks utilizes the otherwise unused space between the bottom of hanging clothes and the floor.
Over the door shoe racks come in 12, 18, 24 or 36 pair sizes and over the door pocket organizer can hold 12 pairs. They cost $13 to $30 and are available at super markets. You can use these on both sides of the closet door or back of the bedroom door.
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Closet shoe organizers come in 6, 8, 10 or 16 shelves and costs under $20 and can be hung from the closet rod.
You can find shoe racks that are expandable and non-expandable for less than $20 at supermarkets for closet shoe storage. With these, you can line up and stack your shoes for easy access. Depending on the width of your closet, expandability of the shoe rack and also the number of shoes you own, you can buy 2 or 3. Or use non-expandable one(s) for one or both ends of your closet (put it depth wise) and place one expandable one in the center. Alternately you can leave one or both end(s) free for longer length clothes.
Revolving shoe trees hold 18, 24 or 36 pairs but are pricier (upwards of $30).
Choose shoe organizer(s) that works best for you. The important thing to consider is that they should allow easy access to your frequently used shoes.
Store shoes you wear daily or often in the top rack(s) of a shoe rack or the bottom or center (eye level) pockets/spaces of over the door and hanging closet shoe organizers where it will be most convenient for you to get to.
Put out of season and special occasion shoes in clear plastic shoe boxes (one pair per box) and store them on higher closet shelves. This way you can see the contents without having to take them out. Storing shoes in boxes will prevent them from getting scuffed or damaged and also will keep them dust-free.
You can also use the boxes the shoes came in. Just take color photos of each pair with a digital camera or a Polaroid and stick on the outside(s) of the box for easy identification. Store them with the photo side facing you so you know exactly what’s inside each box. Make sure the pictures are large enough for you to see even the top most one clearly when they are stacked high.
Stack all your shoe boxes to optimize available space.
You can store out of season or infrequently used shoes in basement/storage area if you don’t have a shoe closet or if you are limited in space in your foyer or bedroom closets.
Consider using shoe trees in boots and shoes for long term storing. They retain the shape of your shoe and prevent bad odors. Store the boots on wall mount or free standing boot racks.
Organizing shoes is not a one time effort. Maintenance is crucial. Always keep the same shoes in the same place and you will be able to find them quicker. Try your new organization system for a week or two and make necessary adjustments to best suit your needs.
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