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Sick of unorganized, messy shoes cluttering up your closet or entryway? Well, you don’t have to put up with them anymore. There are a variety of shoe storage options available on the market to suit any kind of living space; from large homes, to small apartments. You might actually be surprised at all the different types of shoe rack and shoe cabinet choices out there!
We’ll take a look at a few of these in more detail to give you an idea of what you can buy to solve your shoe storage issues. Most of these products aren’t that expensive, so rest assured your shoe storage solution won’t break the bank (even if your shoe habit might!)
Regular shoe cabinet- 12 to 30 pairs
Some regular cabinets are designed to be a shoe-storage cabinet on the inside. Adjusting the height of shelves would help to accommodate the different size of shoes such as boots, high heels and men’s shoes. Some have air holes for ventilation so shoes don’t get musty.
The best thing about the cabinet is that it’s an attractive piece of furniture that looks like a regular cabinet but functions as shoe storage. You can even put decorative items like a vase or photo frames on top.
Best for: Entryways, hallways, bedrooms, lounges.
Check this page: Shoe storage that you can see inside: with glass doors or mesh doors, Shoe cabinets with sliding doors
Tilt-out (pull-down) shoe cabinet – 16 to 36 pairs
If you have a lot of shoes, pull-down(tilt-out) shoe cabinet is suitable for organizing your shoes and keeping them off the floor or giving you more room in your closet. It holds more shoes than the regular shoe cabinet of the same size, usually 16 to 36 shoes depending on the number of drawers or shoe sizes. Also tilt-out type is slimmer than regular shoe cabinet, which makes a great option if you want to place the cabinet in a narrow hallway.
Most of this type of shoe storage does require assembly and can be hard to assemble. Unless you are good at assembling the furniture we would recommend hiring a professional assembler.
Best for: Hallways, bedrooms, spare rooms or entryway, these cabinets can also be installed in a walk-in closet.
Check this page: Tilt-out shoe cabinet for narrow space
Over-the-door shoe hanger – 12 to 36 pairs
The over-the-door shoe hanger is a simple but effective way to store many shoes neatly. It requires no assembly and simply hangs over a standard door or closet rod. Most of this type of storage has 24 pockets and you can store up to 24 shoes but each pocket may hold only one shoe. The pocket protects them from dust and damage.
Best for: Bedrooms with limited closet space, hallway cupboards – can also be used for holding other items rather than shoes if you wish.
Check this page: Best over-the-door shoe organizer that meets your needs
Shoe benches – 5 to 10 pairs
Shoe Bench is incredibly handy for installing in your entryway to put away shoes as soon as you come indoors from work or walking the dog. You can also sit on it to put shoes on and take them off. Usually benches require assembly but very simple.
Best for: hallways or entryway areas, Bedrooms
Check this page: Entryway storage bench that can hide shoes (closed storage), Shoe cubby bench: bench with open shoe storage
Under-the-bed shoe storage – 6 to 12 pairs
Do you need more space for shoe storage? You can utilize the extra space under your bed. Under-the-bed shoe storage with four rolling casters allows you to slide it easily out from under your bed, and back again when you’re done. It holds six pairs of shoes, is very lightweight for easy maneuverability and very easy to assemble.
Another option for under bed shoe storage is a bag type. It has clear plastic cover with compartments to store up to 12 pairs of kids and adult shoes. Your family’s shoes won’t get dusty, no matter how long you store them.
Best for: Under couches, big chairs, and beds.
Check this page: Under bed is the best hidden storage for shoes!
Shoe ottoman – 10 to 20 pairs
If you’re after shoe storage and extra seating for your lounge or bedroom, the shoe ottoman is ideal. The ottoman offers both a seating option to put your feet up, (or to put on your shoes) and when you lift up the cover…a designer shoe storage. Nobody notices that shoes are inside.
The space inside is usually roomy. It’s slightly pricier than the other options but requires hardly any assembly, simply screw on the legs and you’re done.
Best for: Lounges and bedrooms.
Check this page: Ottoman and bench with hidden shoe storage
Shoe hanger in closet – up to 30 pairs
One type of shoe hanger has the hanging shoe holder with 5 to 10 mesh pockets. It is a compact and narrow hanging shoe storage system that takes up minimal space. Some has complained that the compartment is too small, so the one with bigger compartment would be better if you want to keep bigger shoes.
Another type is the sturdy shoe hook that can be hung over any closet rod to easily store shoes. It may allow only up to three or four shoes vertically, but it drys shoes and holds the shape better.
Best for: Homes or apartments with very little storage space in the bedroom closet.
Check this page: Boot storage solution in the entryway and in a closet ,Flip-flops storage solution: short-term and long-term!
Freestanding shoe rack – up to 50 pairs
The freestanding shoe rackis great for families who have a lot of shoes or someone who has a shoe collection. Since it’s stackable or/and expandable it can be adjusted to meet your needs.
Although it may not have the aesthetics of a shoe cabinet, for the price it’s lightweight, easy to assemble and take apart.
Best for: Closets, laundry or garage.Freestanding fabric shoe storage: reasonable and of great capacity
Wall mounted shoe rack – up to 18 pairs
Shoe rack can be attached to a wall, usually either in a closet or entryway. Or you can show off your shoe collection if you install in a living room or bedroom.
Best for: Closets, entryways and garages.
Check this page: Use wall space to store shoe
Hall tree – a few pairs
Hall Tree is not necessarily shoe storage, but the space-saving design allows you to fit all your entryway belongings in one place and also doubles as a bench.
Best for: Entryways
Check this page: Shoe storages for better use of entryway corners, Shoe rack with a mirror
Shoe boxes
Shoe boxes are a good way to store shoes since they are stackable. You can even use shoe boxes that comes when you buy shoes. If you do so, you had better label it. Clear shoe boxes are better to see through and look better. Either way, the shoes may have a musty odor if they are stored in a box too long.
Best for: Closets and garages
Check this page: Displaying sneaker collections at home
Decide on shoe storage by considering the number of shoes you have and space availability.
For people with a limited amount of space and only a few pairs of shoes, the shoe benches or 2-tier regular shoe cabinet would work well for storage. You can store all of your shoes in these and can put something decorative on top of it. If you have more shoes in limited space, the pull-down (tilt-out) shoe cabinet is a great solution, since the pull-down holds more shoes than the regular cabinet. In addition to that, you can use under-the-bed and/or over-the-door hanging type too.
For people with a medium amount of shoes and a reasonable amount of space, we recommend the shoe-rack in closet AND regular shoe cabinet. You can store a few pairs of shoes that you and your family wear regularly in a shoe cabinet in the entryway. Other shoes such as seasonal shoes or special occasion shoes can go in a shoe rack.
People with more space won’t have an issue about where to store their shoes with any of these products, but we would still recommend having a regular shoe cabinet which can store everyday shoes. Then you can add any kind of shoe cabinets to meet your needs. A shoe hanger or shoe rack in the closet would be great if you have more closet space. A garage could also be used if you have extra space in there.
