Pretty much everyone owns at least one pair, and some people own hundreds… and when it comes to shoes, it’s fair to say they can be a tricky item to store neatly. Rather than being uniform in size and shape, shoes come in a variety of styles with some used daily, and others only pulled out for special purposes. So, what should you store them in?
And that’s not the only question. Considered by some a functional item, maybe they are best stored in the garage with the sports and gardening equipment? Or by the front door so they are easily accessible as you come and go? How about in the bedroom so they can be easily accessorised with outfits?
It’s easy to see that when it comes to storing them, just like the shoes themselves – one size does not fit all. Here are our top tips for effective shoe storage in the most obvious zones of your home.
Entries and Exits
The places where you come and go from your home are an obvious spot for shoe storage. This is also where you are likely to be storing things like coats, bags, keys and other items that you take with you when you leave the house. So, consider combined storage options like a shoe storage bench that doubles as a seat; a shoe cupboard or shelf that can be used as a sideboard for keys, mail and small items; or a coat rack that includes a shoe shelf.
For built-in options, consider a coat cupboard with built-in shoe storage in the bottom, or combined book and shoe shelving in your entryway.
If space is limited, or you have children that tend to toss shoes every which way when they walk in the door, consider simple options like traditional low shoe racks, wicker baskets, or even modular storage shelves with pull out storage squares.
Garages and Utility Rooms
Footwear stored in garages and utility rooms is more likely to be seasonal, for sport, or for heavy work or garden use, so storage is more about keeping things clean, tidy and functional rather than looking pretty.
Consider storing seasonal or less frequently used sporting footwear in clear containers in cupboards along with similar equipment so everything can be easily found when it is needed.
For wet weather, work and gardening footwear, it makes sense to keep storage options near the entry point to avoid tracking dirt and mess through your home. Stick to simple options like shoe racks or shelves, ensuring your chosen solution has plenty of height to accommodate heavy duty footwear and gumboots.
If you don’t have a garage or need to utilise a small room like a laundry, consider using shoe racks that can hang behind doors, or smaller shoe racks that can sit in the bottom of cupboards.
Bedrooms
We can assume that if you keep shoes in your bedroom, you consider them more of a fashion item or want your comfortable favourites easily accessible. So, this is the perfect place to utilise storage options that will proudly display your favourite footwear.
In small bedrooms where wardrobe space is at a premium, look for alternative storage options such as hanging shoe organisers behind doors, sliding drawers under the bed, floating shelves to display favourites or even an ottoman placed at the end of the bed.
In a regular-sized wardrobe, a carefully measured shoe rack placed on the floor may work well, as would hanging organisers over the back of wardrobe doors for small or soft items like flats and slippers.
If wardrobe space isn’t an issue, or you are fortunate enough to be designing a new space, storage is only limited by your imagination. Consider creating low-to-the-floor compartments where high boots and winter footwear can be stored upright. Slide-out drawers or slanted shelves can be used to display flats; and specially designed shelving or clear display boxes for men’s formal footwear and those special occasion heels.
Regardless of how you feel about footwear, or where you like to keep it in your home, there is a vast range of temporary and permanent shoe storage solutions to choose from. Whether you are a shoe lover looking to create a shrine for your collection, or someone who wants functional tidy storage, take advantage of a free consultation with a design expert at Innovative Interiors, who will work with you to create the perfect shoe storage solution for your home.