Shoe Storage Solutions?

We know that organization month has come and gone, but we're sort of in a funk about our current shoe organizing situation. Or, uhm, lack thereof. After the jump, we'll show you what product we're using to try organize our shoes.

It's the Clear Shoe Drawers from the Container Store. And at $7.99 a pop, they aren't an inexpensive solution. While we do like that they are meant to be stacked on top of each other, we can't help but think that there's other solutions out there that might work better (and be less expensive). Thoughts?

Image: notsogoodphotography

Comments (19)

In my hallway I use a DIY-built window box on its side as a shoe rack to hold lots of shoes for easy access after a number of squirrels decided that I was not allowed to have flowers outside. It actually looks quite good, low profile and long. As far as storage, my general rule is that if you wear the shoes infrequently enough that they need to be stored away, you shouldn't have them - but, I am the anti-packrat.

IKEA's Komplement shoe boxes are musch less expensive
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10118155
Plus, I worry about scuffs from plastic boxes...

I was in dire need of shoe storage but it was either hide them in the closet or find some fancy shoe storage that you wouldn't be able to tell that there were shoes in them.

I ended up getting a drawer system from IKEA and it fit perfectly in my closest under my hung shirts.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70120023

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/50101233

I was able to store 21 pairs of shoes & boots.

i use white cardboard photo/vhs storage boxes from the craft store. they work really well. i fear that plastic doesn't let the shoes perspire if they need to after wearing them...even if they have air holes. on the end of each box i put a photo of the pair of shoes. at first i just had descriptions, but with 50-ish pairs, some of the descriptions sounded too similar to one another. i like the uniform size of the boxes. great for vintage shoes that never came in a box. another great thing to do is use cedar bags to absorb any moisture in the shoes and keep them fresh. sorry if this is too martha stewart. tee hee.

My shoes live in the closet in my entry. I've got two over-the-door shoe organizers, one over the door and one against the side wall of the closet. My tennis shoes, flip-flops, etc are in a Rubbermaid container on the floor. I have somethng similar to the Container Store product above in my bedroom closet for my suede and satin shoes. I'll switch those with my open-toed shoes in the winter. Everything was purchased at Target.

we just use the ikea babord shoe racks, both in our entryway and in my closet.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/68270509

we haven't painted or otherwise spruced ours up, so they're nothing spectacular. but they're effective--and cheap! and if one manages to keep all the shoes neatly lined up, they form a not unpleasing visual display of their own...

It's so surprising to me that people are out there buying clear storage containers for shoes! Maybe other folks don't eat as much salad as we do, but we have been re-using the clear plastic tubs that our pre-washed salad mix comes in for shoe storage for years now. Of course we store other things in them, too, but they are particularly great for shoes because the 1 lb size is big enough for men's shoes, they are clear, and they have lids to keep the dust out. What they don't have is super-convenient drawers, but at a price of FREE, I think it's a small inconvenience to pull a box out of the stack.

These are the bins I'm talking about. It's painful to throw them in the recycling bin, and they have so, so many uses.
http://www.ebfarm.com/Products/Salad/SpinachAndSpinachBlends.aspx

its hard to find something to store shoes in that doesn't take up a lot of space. my in-laws passed down a really nifty shoe holder to us that has been great. we want to find another one to hold more. it velcros around the pole that you hang your clothes from. here is a link from linens and things. http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2666104

and for 9.99 its a steal!

I have 4 Jall organizers from ikea hanging in my closet. They are the perfect height if you divide your closet into two levels.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20123458

i'm looking for a shoe rack for my hallway... but why o why are they all so uuuuggglyyyy? or maybe i'm just too picky.

Hey mannequingirl
Any suggestions as to where I can get those photo boxes, I have been wanting to do something like that for years. Call me obsessive but I have been wanting something uniform, afraid of the plastic for the same reason. And since they are for photos I bet the cardboard is acid free (another concern of mine). Hey I'm a girl who loves her shoes.

i'd never spend $8 on a plastic box for shoes.

well...maybe if i bought very expensive shoes.

I got some of these for my boots (booty shapers - love the name!). They don't work for normal shoes but they keep my boots neat (and looking good). I used to use carboard but that was pretty hopeless.
Their available at shoebuy.com - http://www.shoebuy.com/booty-shapers.htm

Take a look at Shoe Stor's line of clear shoe boxes - have a variety of size for everything up to a knee high boot