8 Ideas for Storing Shoes

The floor of your wardrobe is one of the easiest options when it comes to shoe storage ideas. If you have enough space, you can simply line all your shoes up. When you set your shoes up in neat rows, you can see all your choices each day—and it doesn't matter what kind they are or how you organise your shoe collection.

Although this no-frills storage option gets the job done, you may not have room for all your shoes, especially in wardrobes with small spaces. Lining them up in this way could eat away at all of the floor space in your wardrobe, but tossing them into one big pile will just cause frustration and it's a recipe for ruining shoes.

If you have limited floor space, you'll probably want to mix and match shoe storage solutions. You could always keep the shoes you wear most on the wardrobe floor and use a different shoe storage option for the pairs that only come out on special occasions.

Both the boxes your shoes come in and the special bins you can buy separately count in this category. The perk of buying your own boxes is that they'll all be the same size. The original boxes your shoes come in can vary in size, making it harder to stack them. When you're picking out your own shoe boxes, you might select see-through plastic so you won't have to guess which pair of shoes is in each box.

Shoe boxes are great since you can stack them pretty high before being in danger of everything toppling over. This shoe storage option is ideal for sneakers, running shoes, flats and sandals—all of your shoes that can fit in a standard-size shoe box.

Another great shoe storage idea for small spaces is to hang your shoes on the inside of your wardrobe or on the back of your bedroom door. Over-the-door shoe racks come in fabric, mesh and metal. You can find organisers that have pockets for each individual shoe or ones that look more like racks where you slide your shoes in or hang them over an insert.

With so many options, this space-saving choice not only puts more of your shoes within easy reach, but also prevents pairs from getting mixed up with each other. Depending on what type of over-the-door storage you pick, you may want to limit the types of shoes that go into it. For those with pockets, shoes with low-to-no heels will probably fit best. For ones that more closely resemble a rack, you can probably store your flats and mid-heels, too.

Although shoe shelves and shoe cubbies look different, they organise your shoe collection in almost the same way by:

• Getting your shoes off the floor
• Making it easier to keep pairs together
• Working as part of your wardrobe layout

If you have a modular wardrobe organiser system, you can store shoes in a dedicated shoe area. If possible, set aside some shelves for your hiking boots and other taller shoes and then use cubbies for your lower heels, flats, sneakers and flip-flops.

A shoe tree or shoe-tree stand is a top-notch shoe organiser and a great addition to a bedroom corner. You can hook your shoes onto one and it spins for easy access. If you tend to switch shoes during the day, going from running shoes to work shoes to those you wear around the house, a shoe tree keeps them all within arm's reach.

There's another type of shoe tree, which is more of an insert than a shoe storage method. It looks like a pair of shoes with a hinge in the middle. Made from wood or plastic, this device not only helps your shoes hold their shape but it can also stop them from getting smelly.

Shoe tree inserts work best with loafers and dress shoes—any shoe that gets misshapen if stepped on or accidentally smashed under something heavy. And you can use them with most of the common shoe storage methods. For boots, look for boot shapers. These take the function a bit further, ensuring the leg of your boot stays in shape. They'll come in handy if you store shoes or boots on the floor, where they have a greater chance of falling over.

For those who live with friends, family members or multiple housemates, shoe baskets are a great way to store everyday shoes. Put them in the perfect spot right by the door so you always know where your shoes are and they're ready for you when it's time to leave.

Assign one basket to each person in the household and put their name on the front. Set the baskets up by the front or back door, whichever you all go in and out of the most, and know you'll never have to go looking for that random shoe again. The only trick for this shoe organiser is to make sure the baskets don't overflow with shoes. Get your family to empty them out at least once a week, returning lesser-worn shoes to their proper storage spot in their own rooms.

Similar in appearance to a shoe shelf, a shoe rack doesn't have to live in your wardrobe. Think of it more like a piece of furniture that pulls double duty as shoe storage. You can find a cute bench with a wire rack underneath and put it near your entryway for guests' shoes. There are also solutions that not only store shoes, but can hold your handbag, or even an umbrella or two. Since shoe racks are often designed to be showcased, they're another great option for family shoes that get left by the door as well.

When space is at a premium, but you need storage space for your shoes, under-the-bed storage is ideal. It not only compartmentalises your shoes, but the container usually zips up so nothing gets dusty. Since the space under the bed is often a catch-all for all kinds of discarded stuff, why not make it a useful storage space? It's an ideal location to store off-season shoes, so boots in the summer and flip-flops all winter long.