Organized Living

SHIP-SHAPE SHOE STORAGE

Shoes are one of the biggest culprits of clutter in many homes, especially if you have young children. Taking shoes off when entering the house is an excellent habit for reducing dirt and allergens in the house, not to mention wear and tear on carpets. But how to prevent the pile of shoes strewn on the floor of your entryway?

Here are some ideas that might help. You might choose one solution or a combination of two or more, depending on the number of people in your home, how many shoes you own, and the amount of space you have to work with.

Shoes Off Limits
Some families solve their shoe clutter problems and reduce household dirt by having everyone in the family remove their shoes and leave them on a mat or rack in the garage before they enter the house. If you have a garage, this can work quite well. For the tidiest results, buy angled wire racks and hang them the width of one garage wall, with shoes worn the most frequently stored closest to the door.

Space Savers
If you have a small entryway, shop around for space-saving storage units that are 6” deep with angled shelves suitable for shoes. If family members are cooperative, choose units with shelves disguised as drawers that pull down to allow access but hide contents when closed.

Purge
Many homes are filled with shoes that no longer fit or are just worn out, especially if your family includes one or more growing children. Make a habit of going through shoes every few months and getting rid of those pairs that no one ever wears.

Bedroom Closet Helpers
Shoes scattered in a bedroom closet are hard to find and take up lots of floor space. Many products are available to solve this problem, ranging from see-through pocket storage that hangs on the inside of a closet door to cubby-type units that attach to a closet rod and store shoes in one or more vertical units. Even stair-stepped wire floor shelves will take up less space and appear neater. If you have many pairs of shoes, store the ones you wear infrequently in small, clear acrylic boxes and keep them on a closet shelf.