I have flat, clear rectangular containers that I slide under my bed. They are not made for shoes, but I fit 5 pairs in each. Very convenient.

i place each pair in a plastic rectangular shoe box (from container store), then stack the boxes on top of each other on the floor of my closet.

- clear boxes makes it easy to see which pair is inside.
- they're protected from dust + scratching
- for easier finding of pairs, i stack flats together, peep toes together, sandals together - each in a column or two.

some of my higher heels don't fit, so those pairs i just set on top of the stack.

not flimsy! hidden from view! not expensive in the long run. i bought a big box of them + ended up using extras around the house for things like misc electronic chargers, craft supplies, etc.

Check out Raine Heidenberg's shoe shelving solution, Too Many Shoes "available in a multitude of delicious colors". http://www.raineheidenberg.com/#product

I don't have a ton of shoes, so I just stash them in a large empty planter by the door.

http://www.modernica.net/index.php?target=products&product_id=40

Last year everyone went gaga for Jenna Lyon's clever repurposing of a tall bookshelf for shoe storage; I've seen several variants on this.

JL's shoes here on AT: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/source-for-super-size-shoe-rack-good-questions-103357

from citified: http://citified.blogspot.com/2009/12/two-lovely-things-chandeliers-party.html

dream closet! http://citified.blogspot.com/2010/09/storage-inspiration-shoes-shoes-shoes.html

and an enviable IKEA solution from Nicole at Making it Lovely: http://makingitlovely.com/2008/12/16/my-organized-closet/

My shoes are a bit too large for individual shoe boxes (size 9 1/2), so I opted for the hanging closet organizer. I have a long bar in my living room closet, and not enough coats to fill it up with.

so i purchased the cloth hanging organizer (normally for t-shirts), and I can fit 2-6 pairs of shoes.

ballet flats are all in 1 box, tennis shoes are 2 per box, and heels are placed alternating or on top of each other, at 3 per box.

seems to work out for my shoes, as well as my husband's, and cost about $20 total for 3 organizers.

I second jessica o'brien's suggestion. I do the same, except my shoe boxes are on top of my clothes instead of underneath. It is an excellent system, plus it makes me use a "one in, one out" rule.

I stack these on the top shelf in my closet-http://www.containerstore.com/shop/closet/shoeStorage/shelf?productId=10024250&N=154''
they work great and easy to access the shoes.
I put sneakers, flip flop and slippers in a pastic bin on the floor of my closet.

I keep all my shoes on cedar shoe trees, neatly organized on the shelves within my PAX wardrobe system.

I have gigantic feet, too (size 10), so I've had trouble finding solutions that will comfortably hold my clown shoes. I have this tall antique armoire that I got from my parents. It was too shallow to hang anything and it just sat at the end of my hall forever...until I hung a bunch of those hanging shoe cubbies from the bar. It holds all of my shoes and my daughters. The downside is that my chunkier shoes take up a whole cubby a piece. But you can see all the pairs at once, they've lasted about a year or two already and are holding up well, and while the functional part is kinda ugly, it's covered by a pretty door. We love it.

I saw someone use an old apple ladder leaning against the wall with her heels hung over the ladder rungs.

IKEA has similar solutions for less:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/10456/

I use these in my entryway closet:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/189-6813298-8156250?asin=B000MPQM2S&AFID=[DESTINATION]_df&LNM=|B000MPQM2S&CPNG=home%20decor&ref=tgt_adv_[XSVALUE]

and these in my closet (I bought mine at Hold Everything but Target carries the same design for less):

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/189-6813298-8156250?asin=B000JYASQI&AFID=[DESTINATION]_df&LNM=|B000JYASQI&CPNG=home%20decor&ref=tgt_adv_[XSVALUE]

You could try going to a retail fixture supply store. Since they're selling (often used and inexpensive) stands and tables made for commercial use they'll be stronger and display all your prettiest shoes better.

Depending upon the size of your shoes and your DIY skills, you could modify one of IKEA's cabinets by recessing it into the wall: http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2010/03/recessed-bertby-display-cabinet.html and http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2007/11/wall-display-cabinet-for-books.html. A recessed (or mostly recessed) cabinet would save floorspace. And think of the fun you could have with doors!

If you like the idea of the folding out shoe organizer, picture in the link, make sure it can attach to the wall. I have one from the Container Store and it does feel flimsy and is difficult to work with if it isn't attached to the wall.

I agree with using book shelves. I am lucky enough to have a built-in in a hallway near my bedroom. I like treating the shoes like art and I put the nicer ones at eye level.

This is pretty out of the box, but <A HREF="http://luckybydesign.blogspot.com/2010/08/diy-shoe-wall.html">this</A> is what I did!

I forgot to mention I used cork liner and cut to size per stacking box that way the shoes that do not have shoe bags won't get scratched when sliding them across the plastic. I keep most of them in their shoe bags. You can get this at the containor store as well.

Bookshelves all the way! I have a TON of shoes. My solution was to get Ikea Billy in white to match the wall, and install it on the wall w/o the backing. I like the look of the Lack better but it didn't fit well in my space and the shelves aren't modular.

With the Billy you can add more shelves and adjust to maximize. If you install the Billy on L brackets against the wall, you can lift it off the floor so that you can store boots underneath.

If I had the room I would store my shoes in a china cabinet : http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nd0x6HRO4QU/Sm5iuRQSsCI/AAAAAAAAJHs/QNNGOiyF37c/s1600-h/Shoe+Display.jpg

my bf has the same one from target, but with 2 "drawers" instead of 3. it's much flimsier than you'd think. i'd recommend the sturdier (non plastic) ones from ikea. the hemnes version is much sturdier and has a good 6-8" mini table top great for entryway or a bedroom.

Well, looks like again I mimic AT posters I don't know. I didn't even know I was mimicing! LOL- I put 3 Billy bookcases side by side, put the boots on the bottom shelves, arranged shoes by color and size, and put in the clear doors, so you can see the shoes. I put the really really awesome shoes on the tops of the bookcases. Love!

I bought this 15-slot organizer from target: http://www.target.com/ClosetMaid-15-Unit-Organizer-Alder/dp/B002IPG45K/ref=sc_qi_detaillink

It's MDF, so it is sturdy. And the fact that it is open on the front makes it really east to see what you are looking for when it is sitting at the bottom of your closet.

Even though it only has 15 slots, I double up flats and triple up flip-flips. It holds about 20 pairs easily. Plus the limited size forces me to think about which ones I really need -- maybe not the best option for a shoe collector. Although I guess you could always get two!

You could move to the Phillipines. I hear Imelda has lots of shoe space in her closet.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Another idea from the IKEAhacker web page. I quite like Emily's solution
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2006/08/emilys-gorgeous-shoe-storage.html

I found that instead of using bookshelves, I had better flexibility by installing and staggering Lack shelves from Ikea and treating as a shoe display/storage solution: http://www.nadarine.com/2010/02/get-on-good-foot.html

...and despite having not done any extra reinforcing on these shelves, and storing boots and such on them, they've not pulled away from the wall or otherwise moved in seven months.

I use an old wooden ladder for all my heels, (which comprise the vast majority of my stash) store my flats under my dresser in a line and my boots line up between the ladder rungs.

I have a shoe cabinet from Ikea that has a full length mirror as the door. It's slim and most people don't even know that it's a cabinet. It holds 8(+1 if you set them on the bottom ledge) pairs... so I have to be stingy, or you could have more than one!

I love things with duel purposes ;)

I saw on some website (maybe here?) someone using painted strips of crown molding to hang heels. It is cheap and you could go very high up the wall!

We used this
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S49884382

with the wire baskets, but i could see how one might want the nicest shoes in (clear?) plastic drawers instead. what i really like about using the Antonious is that you can pull the drawers.

some of my shoes are in a "cubby" storage thing, similar to the target one shown in JoesGirlFriday's link. but, instead of keeping it like a shelf, i keep on it's back. it's on the floor in the hallway closet, but having the cubbyholes facing up makes for easy reach and overview. even in the semi darkness of the hallway closet.

I have the same problem! I love shoes but have been holding off buying them because I have no where to put them. I have a tiny studio apartment with no room for a freestanding closet and a tiny closet.

Currently I have half my shoes on a shoe rack on the floor and the other half in their original boxes up on the top shelf. It's driving me nuts. I need a pro closet organizer.

After actually counting the pairs of red shoes I keep buying, I put them on display in cubbies in my entry. They're not only pretty, but they also serve as a gentle hint to guests to leave their shoes in the empty cubbies next to them.
almost empty cubbies....they have little house socks for guests to wear if they want to

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3379414682_a94b4d2c8b.jpg

There is a picture of the Ikea Lack wall selves that I have used in the past. They work perfectly!! and are actually really sturdy! And you get to show off your shoes at the same time!

I'm moving house in a couple of weeks and am going to be repurposing my Billy bookcase that I currently use as a bar!, as my shoe cabinets! I want to wallpaper the backboard with a luscious flocked wallpaper, and then line my shoes up and show them off! :)

I throw them in a giant basket in the mud room.

For heels, I have this: http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10000101&N=&Ntt=shoe+rack I really like it because it doesn't take up a ton of floor space. I originally had it tucked in on the side of a coat closet but I now have it in a walk-in. I organize shoes by color and it's easier to see the shoes than in the stacked plastic boxes I used to have. For flats I have a few of these: http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10005137&N=&Ntt=canvas+shoe

I have a bunch of these: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Whitmor-Shoe-Rack-Chromed-Steel/13905964

They're inexpensive and because you can expand them and stack them, they're super flexible. I have a narrow little space between a closet and a window, four or five of these stacked up fits there perfectly and holds all my shoes. And you can see them all.

I had a decent over-the-door rack that I took apart and laid on its back on the floor of my closet. Works pretty great - all of my shoes are in happy little rows below my dresses and nicer clothing. The one bugger is finding a place for boots...

check out _desire to inspire_ - they just did a post of Flickr pics for shoes. love the first shot of the slats, and the mail tube idea too: http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2010/9/12/flickr-finds-shoe-storage.html

I hang boots using skirt hangers (either the kind with the two clips or the clip bar depending on how thick the top of the boot) from my regular clothing rod (doubled up, top and bottom).

I do the clear plastic rectangle containers on the sweater shelf above my clothing rods for normal shoes, but they take up a lot of room and I find I can locate shoes quicker in their original boxes...so I need to figure this out further.

I have an Ikea Billy Bookcase across from my closet with all of my heels on it. You can fit 4 pairs on each shelf, and If you buy a few extra shelves ($5 each) you can fit about 35 pairs of heels, and They look so nicely displayed.

I use old wine racks - one shoe can easily fit in the space for a bottle, but then I have small feet.