There are several types of shoe storage for your home, but regardless, the goal should be to create a space that is not only beautifully organized but functional. And know this — if you are currently reading this, then you should feel confident that you’re moving in the right direction.

Not only have you found THE place to be for anything related to designing + organizing your home. But additionally, organizing your shoes + identifying the most functional shoe storage doesn't have to be an intimidating task.

We promise, friend. So, what do you say, let’s dive in.

Assess What Types Of Shoes You Will be Storing

If you hang out around Elegant Simplicity a lot, then you know we’re no strangers to FIRST assessing what you have + then curating solutions that are custom tailored to you. That’s how you ensure that the solutions you come up with and the changes you make in your home — are right for you. 

When it comes to shoe storage before you can ever think of whether or not a shelf or shoe rack makes more sense than hidden drawers or hanging shoe storage — you must first determine what you’re trying to organize. 

And this is the process of identifying:

• what types of shoes you have

• how many people are going to use this storage

• how often will it be used, daily or occasionally

And we spend time because the most important thing is to curate a beautifully organized space that is functional + convenient for you.

Closet Shoe Storage

When it comes to arranging your shoe collection, one of the most common and practical solutions is to use your closet as storage for your shoes. 

Now, closet shoe storage manifests itself in several unique ways.

This could be a wardrobe closet you use for shoe storage in your garage.

It could be the entryway closet, the bedroom closet, or even a mudroom. 

Types Of Closet Shoe Storage

In any case, how your shoes are stored in these closets also comes into play. And there are various types of shoe storage that we explore with our organizing members

Shoe Racks

A shoe rack is a piece of furniture or storage “rack” that organizes multiple pairs of shoes. Shoe racks can be freestanding or attached to walls. And they can be designed for particular kinds of shoes, like high heels or boots, and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles to accommodate a wide range of shoe types. Additionally, we’ve even designed shoe racks specifically for certain kinds of shoes.

Hidden Shelves + Drawers

Hidden shoe storage refers to shoe storage that is intended to be concealed from view. This type of shoe storage is typically located behind a door or inside a cabinet. Pull-out drawers, stackable trays, and other types of storage units are some examples of the kinds of storage units that can be concealed when they are not in use to provide additional space for storing shoes. 

For many of our clients not having to see their shoes maintains an uncluttered feeling to their home. 

Over The Door

Over the door shoe storage is exactly what it sounds like friend, shoe storage that is designed to fit over the top of a door. This type of shoe storage has compartments for sliding shoes in + keeping them organized. Sometimes, over the door shoe storage is the most efficient solution for smaller closets because they make use of space where limited floor storage is hard to come by.

Hanging Storage

Another possibility we often take into consideration for shoe storage in a closet is the use of shoe organizers that hang. While these are similar to over the door organizers, they are specifically intended to be hung from a closet rod rather than a door. They are excellent for making the most of the vertical space in your wardrobe and may be used to store not only shoes but also other accessories such as hats, scarves, and belts in addition to shoes.

Under Bed Shoe Storage

One of the most often underused storage areas in clients' homes is under the bed.

Over the last decade + a half, we’ve worked with many clients. And what we realized is there’s two types of people. 

Those who use under the bed storage but don’t have any organizing systems in place so it becomes a mess very quickly. They can’t find what they need when they need it. 

And the other type of person who doesn’t utilize under the bed storage AT ALL out of fear of it becoming like the first person *wink*

But fear not friend, when done right — under the bed shoe storage can absolutely work. Especially if closet shoe storage isn’t an option because of either the closet space or the layout of cabinetry in the closet doesn’t allow for maximum functionality.

Types Of Under Bed Shoe Storage

There are several types of under bed shoe storage.

Hidden Drawer Shoe Storage

Under bed shoe storage drawers are typically attached as a feature of the bed frame. In some instances, the drawers are on either side of the bed. Alternatively, the hidden drawer may be at the foot of the bed. 

Obviously, which shoe storage solution works for your bedroom will depend on the layout but hidden drawers that are attached to the bedframe are an excellent way to ensure under the bed storage is maximized + also frictionless.

Rolling Shoe Storage

For those bed frames that don’t have built-in drawers — rolling shoe storage boxes are a common choice for use as an under-bed storage solution for shoes. 

When you need access to your shoes, you can easily roll out these boxes from under your bed because they are designed to fit in that space. We often recommend that any shoe storage container be made of clear plastic, which makes it easy to see the shoes that are stored inside. 

Entryway Shoe Storage 

You probably know by now that we’ve written ALL about entryway shoe storage. So if you’re looking for a deep dive on this particular topic head on over to that blog :)

But on a high-level the entryway of your home is often the place where people take their shoes off upon entering. And what we know to be true is that if your entryway doesn’t have intuitive functionality, then shoes + bags end up everywhere.

Types Of Entryway Shoe Storage

Bench Seating

When it comes to shoe storage in the entryway, benches are a great idea because, well, it's nice to have a comfortable place to sit down whenever you want to put on or take off your shoes. Benches also provide additional storage space for shoes.

Even more important is the fact that this bench has a shelf underneath it or opens up. This can be an excellent way to conceal or tuck away some of your go-to everyday kicks or shoes that you wear frequently.

Cubbies 

Whether this is in the entryway or even tucked away in a closet in the entryway, think about ways that small cubbies (overhead or below a bench) might help corral shoes that you use fairly frequently. This could be in the entryway. Cubbies are wonderful items because they not only offer a place to put one's shoes, but also lend an air of sophistication to the surrounding area. The drawback is that you have to ensure that the dimensions of the shoe storage cubbies you purchase are accurate.

Baskets, Bins + Shoe Totes

Whether your closet has a bench or built-in cubbies, using baskets or bins to organize and store your footwear is an effective method. In the same manner as cubbies, you can designate certain areas for frequently worn shoes (regardless of the season), and then store shoes that are not currently in use higher up. In households with multiple people, each individual might have one or two baskets for the shoes that they wear frequently. In either case, baskets or bins are a wonderful way to corral shoes in one location, keep the entryway organized, and also look fabulous at the same time.

When it comes to shoe totes, these are most likely going to be found in a hallway closet or an entry closet. It's possible that they're stored in a shoe organizer that's hung on the back of the door, that they're hanging off of a coat rack in a shoe organizer, or that they're stored in a shoe tote that's kept on a shelf.

Shelves 

Floating wall shelves are another option for a solution that is more permanent. This may or may not be a good option for you, depending on how many pairs of shoes you need to store in the space available for shoe storage in the entryway of your home. Your floating shelves could be made of wood or metal, and the shoes could be displayed on them like they would be on a shoe rack. Alternatively, you could pair them with fun baskets to store additional shoes while also maintaining a very clean look.

Shoe Racks

Shoe racks are a very popular storage solution that are comparable to floating wall shelves. Because each and every pair of shoes that you have in the entryway will be on display, the most logical location for a shoe rack is inside of a closet. Since you won't be putting shoes away in baskets or bins, having a shoe rack inside of a closet makes the most sense.

Shoe Trays 

Shoe trays are extremely popular due to the fact that they are able to collect all of the debris that travels in from the environment and ends up on the soles of one's shoes. They are an excellent option for storing several pairs of shoes or boots, whether for you, your guests, or both. These are available in a wide variety of finishes; sometimes they are made of galvanized metal, and other times they are made of a composite material. In either case, you should look for a material that can be cleaned with relative ease.

Custom Closets

And welp, we’ve come full circle now haven’t we friend *wink*

Before you dive into creating custom closets in your home — it’s really important to declutter + get organized. But as one would expect, once you know what it is you truly need to store, custom closets provide an excellent solution for entryway shoe storage. 

First, they can maximize the space you have available to you. From benches + cubbies to shelves or even drawers, instead of being locked into what is already there the sky (ok, fine the ceiling *wink*) really does become the limit. 

Beyond the flexibility of creating a shoe storage solution that fits what you need, because it’s custom to you, the items you use all the time can be made easily accessible.

And lastly, custom closets look exactly how you want them to look. They become a place to showcase what is important to you. 

Ultimately, when home is everything you need + nothing more®, there should be no other place you’d rather be :)

And if you loved this blog post then without question, you’re absolutely going to go nuts for our FREE video course: 4-Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home

Also, don’t forget to check out our amazing Free Resource Library or if you’re looking to start your home organizing journey, request a FREE 30-minute Clarity Call and… let’s chat!