With fall weather rolling in it's time to start thinking about mixing up our wardrobes. We all know that maintenance to the small aspects of your home in a timely fashion (with the seasons) can help keep the clutter down and the organization up in your space, so let's start with the smallest part of our wardrobe... shoes. Click through the jump to get tips on keeping shoes stored, sorted and in tip top shape...
Storing Your Shoes Seasonally
An article by Erin Doland for Real Simple caught our eye this morning. It talks about seasonal shoe rotation, which is something we always mean to do, but if your house is anything like our house, it can fall by the wayside when other things come along.
1. Collect and evaluate your summer shoes. Gather all of your shoes together and give them a thorough scanning. How are the soles of the shoes? The interiors? Are materials frayed or in need of repair? Do you have more than you wish you had? Did any cause you a summer full of blisters?
2. Clean and repair the shoes worth keeping. After evaluating your collection, decide which shoes should stay and which should go. The shoes you choose to keep need to be cleaned and repaired (if necessary) so that they are ready to be worn when the weather warms back up in the spring. A gentle cleaner (like Soak) is fine for spot cleaning fabrics on shoes. An old toothbrush dipped in soapy water also can get into nooks and crannies of rubber soles on shoes. And, I recommend taking leather shoes to your local cobbler for repairs and a deep cleaning.
3. Store the shoes you'll enjoy wearing next summer. I suggest putting your shoes into clear plastic shoe boxes for the cooler months. The boxes will keep dust off your shoes, bugs out of the fabric and leather, and easily allow you to see into the boxes when you switch them out in six months. I suggest putting a lavender sachet into each box to keep odors to a minimum. Also, if any of your shoes should need shoe trees to help keep their shape, I suggest putting those into your shoes, too.
4. Donate or recycle the shoes you have chosen to part with at the end of the season. Again, this is when your local cobbler can be a good resource. Mine have always known of local charities and recycling programs that accept old shoes. Only donate barely worn shoes to charity, all others should be recycled.
5. Bring winter shoes out of storage and prepare your closet for cooler weather.
Photo and adorable shoes by melissann via Flickr. Thanks Melissa!
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Smallest part of the wardrobe?? HA! where do you live? At my house we have a rule. You may admire the shoes, mock the shoes, complain about the shoes.... but you may not under any circumstance count the shoes!
That said... I have clear plastic shoe boxes (www.thecontainerstore.com) into which I rotate shoes seasonally. If you still have a poloroid camera, taping a photo of the shoes to the front of a cardboard shoe-box is probably a price-equivalent approach (film is expensive now that it's no longer made and hard to find).
The out-of-seaon shoes are way up high out of reach, the in-season shoes are on the closet floor in racks.
view kimg924's profile
Ah to live somewhere where flip flops aren't worn year round- Sounds nice, but in Texas and other places where there is a good chance it will be 80 in December shoes aren't seasonal (just like everything else). : )
view marlamischief1's profile
I COVET THOSE RED SHOES!
view 5iveVincent's profile
How many women have "more shoes than they wish they did"?? :)
view Kathryn's profile
I'm loving those shoes too!
I have a rule about my shoe collection too. I have two hanging racks in my closet, and all of my shoes have to fit in the compartments. If I buy a new pair, another one has to go. It keeps me under 20 pairs. (The only things that don't count are flip-flops, slippers, winter boots, and a lone pair of knee-high leather boots I haven't worn in years. Oh, and out of season shoes. Not a very strict rule system, now that I think about it.)
view kls987's profile
I don't have that many shoes that I actually wear, so that makes me a woman who has "more shoes than they wish they did." We're talking six that ever see any use. And since I never wear my work shoes outside the office, they don't get much wear and tear.
view jooly's profile
what about a post on storing shoes that are actually in use?
i'm moving in two weeks, with about 60 pairs of shoes (of my own, my husband has his own 10-15).
since i'm a shoe designer, i actually do wear about 20-30 of them regularly, and i need access to all of them (so that i won't forget what i have!).
we live in brooklyn ,and are fortunate to be moving into a new apt with a fair amount of closets, but i am still looking for a storage solution that is easy to access, but takes up the smallest possible about of square footage...
any ideas???
view jessicaabroad's profile
Jooly - I'm the same way. I'm having a very hard time finding incredibly comfortable (but not ugly) flats that I can wear to work and on the weekends. I have a pile of shoes under my desk at work that I put on, but to get to work I'm running out of options.
I have so many cute shoes that I tried on in the store, walked around for a while and they were so comfortable. The second I got them outside, they ate my feet. It happens over and over...
I want a complete shoe overhaul.
view first5times's profile
same here first5times!!
I'm very meticulous about trying new shoes - then you get home and suddenly they're horrible uncomfortable and ouchy!
Ugh.
view clickchick's profile