Footwear is one of those things that’s easy to fall in love with. Yet for some, a serious size shoe collection can be something hard to store away. Especially when you consider that some shoes have an artistic quality deserving of being on display.
Being able to keep all your shoes, boots, sandals, and other footwear organized in their proper place requires a thoughtful shoe closet storage strategy.
Keep Functional Footwear Separate From A Shoe Collection
Most people who collect shoes or who simply like to have a lot of footwear options for any occasion, sometimes find themselves intermixing functional footwear like boots and beach sandals with formal shoes.
Before deciding on the shoe organization system that’s best for you, it helps to take the time to separate functional footwear from formal footwear. Things like hiking boots, beach sandals, gym shoes, and even the shoes you wear to work every day can and should be kept in the foyer or a front closet. These are the shoes and boots you grab when you are on the go. They don’t need to be mixed in with glossy stiletto heels, dress shoes, or collectible sneakers.
To keep them tastefully out of sight, you could even place a storage bench in the foyer. People can sit on it to tie their shoes while storing unused functional footwear inside.
Behind The Door Shoe Organizers
Maybe you don’t have a formal shoe collection, but you just like having the right shoes on hand for just about any occasion. If you find yourself a little short on wall space, you might want to turn to the back of a door for convenient shoe storage.
Sturdy bedroom doors and hall closet doors tend to be the most popular places for hanging a shoe organizer system. Designs and materials can vary. Some are simple heavy-duty pouches in a vague shoe shape, while others are sturdy wire baskets that are built into a frame that attaches to the door itself. While it might not seem important on paper, in the real world how these organizers attach to the door matters.
With an over the door shoe organizer, there’s usually a thin metal bracket at the top that hooks over the door, or screws into the top. These are relatively reliable, but depending on how tightly your door fits, the metal bracket can scrape up the jamb.
With a heavy-duty cloth or canvas over the door shoe organizer, the bottom tends to flop and bang if you open or close the door too fast. If you have high heels in one or more of the pouches this can be more than annoying, it can outright damage a pair of shoes. Though you can reduce this problem by attaching Velcro tabs to the middle and bottom of the door and the shoe organizer fabric.
A framed behind the door organizer tends to be more sturdy and doesn’t risk damaging the door jamb. Though most of them need to be screwed to the physical wood of the door, which might not be acceptable with certain hollow core doors or rental properties.
Create A Shoe Closet For Formal & Collectible Footwear
This is sort of the secret dream for a lot of shoe collectors or people who appreciate having shoes for every occasion. If you’ve been accused of being a “Shoe Hoarder” or you simply have a large collection of shoes you appreciate, then chances are a dedicated shoe closet is somewhere on your bucket list.
For some people, a shoe closet is essentially an extension of a walk-in or a reach-in closet. Repurposing some other clothing items or simply rearranging your closet space might be all you need to provide you with a whole wall of shoe storage.
A lot of shoe closets have cubbies for each pair of shoes. Some are even deep enough that the original shoe box can be kept behind in the back of the cubby, while the shoes themselves are in the front to be on display.
With this type of arrangement, you might want to consider having adjustable cubbies or adjustable shelves with movable dividers installed. This lets you make the most out of the vertical and horizontal space. You can then maximize the storage while intermingling high-top collectible sneakers and a tasteful pair of flats.
Proper Lighting For A Shoe Closet
While you are at it, take a moment to think about the lighting in your intended shoe closet space. If the overhead lighting is sparse, or you are concerned about it casting unattractive shadows, you might want to consider having accessory lighting installed.
Recessed Lights
Can be installed into the ceiling can be used to strategically light the shoe closet cubbies. It’s also a great way to dispel any ugly shadows. Though it is the sort of thing you really should have professionally installed.
Track Lights
Can be hung from just about any ceiling. The lighting cans can then be directed to fill the shoe closet with light, it can even be used to highlight special pairs of shoes that you want on display.
LED Accent Lights
Light Emitting Diodes have certainly evolved in recent years to be incredibly energy efficient. With strategic installation, they can be used to highlight special pairs of shoes. They can also be colored in just about any hue of the rainbow to punch up the aesthetics of your new shoe closet.
Creating Display Cases & Display Spaces
Most avid shoe collectors have a special pair or three of shoes that they love to keep on display. They might be easy on the eyes when you’re alone in your walk-in closet or perhaps the sort of thing that serves as a conversation starter with guests.
A display case or a display space with accent lighting is one of the more popular options for these sort of high-value collectible shoes. This might be a glass case with security locks built-in or simply a protruding shelf or pedestal with accent lights set up to perfectly highlight your favorite pair.
