Great Ways to Store Shoes

If you’re a shoe lover like me, the only thing that’s on your mind when you bring home another pair of shoes, is “Where am I going to put these?” Granted I’m not as obsessed as Carrie Bradshaw, whose husband built her a walk-in closet that is unrivaled to any real life closet, I still like to consider myself a fashion-forward individual who has an ample amount of closet space devoted to shoes, shoes and more shoes.

Every season, I try to go through my closet and clean and organize my shoe and clothing collection. And every season, I think I get a little bit better at it. First, I take an inventory of all items and then I figure out the best way to categorize. I am definitely of the belief that I like to see everything in my closet. But with shoes, it’s important to store them properly so you get the most mileage out of them, while still retaining that like-new look.

I have tried shoe racks of every shape and size. I’ve tried hanging shoe racks and those that sit on the ground. I’m not necessarily a fan of the over the door shoe racks, as I feel like my high heel shoes aren’t getting the protection that they deserve. I find that those type of shoe racks work better for casual loafers and flat shoes like flip flops, or my beloved Rocket Dog shoes, of which I own several pairs.

Shoe shelves are great if you have the room. In fact, one of my girlfriends just had her closet re-done with cedar shoe shelves, and I have to admit, they smell pretty nice. Space is definitely a concern in any closet, but the great thing about built-in shelves is that you can use them for displaying folded t-shirts, scarves and your handbag collection too. If you choose to store your shoes on shelves, I would recommend either keeping the original boxes, or putting them in clear shoe boxes where you can easily see the content. Some women even go so far as to photograph their shoes and then stick it on the outside of the box for quick location. This is a great idea, although I can honestly say, it’s still on my list of things to do.

Shoes are an investment and they should be treated as such. Sure you probably have discount shoes and discount boots in your closet, and you probably own a pair of way-to-expensive shoes as well. But no matter the shoe, it deserves to be protected and cared for, instead of just thrown into a heaping pile on the floor. The extra care that you put into storing your shoes now will pay off in the years and seasons ahead.