Every shoe collection is different. Some collections are large, others only have a few pairs. Even the shoes themselves range in size and shape, from tall, knee-high boots to regular-sized sneakers to tiny flip flops. A "one size fits all" approach to shoe storage makes little sense in this context, so designing and creating your own shoe storage solution works well. Does this Spark an idea?
Analyzing your Collection
Find all the shoes you have and organize them by type, and if there are enough of them, by color. Take a look at the shoes that you possess and make a list of the shoes you have. If you have shoes that you can no longer wear, it is time to sell them, donate them or throw them out.
Determining your Storage Needs
Now that you have some idea of what shoes you already possess, determine what kind of space you need to store them and how much of your closet or living space you want and can devote to shoe storage. Consider your shoe buying habits. If you buy a pair a week, you are going to have to leave room for that in your plan. Looking at the list you created, decide what features are the most important to you for your shoe storage. Accessibility, visibility, storage capacity and use of space are the primary issues. The amount of accessibility, shoe capacity and visibility should be determined by your shoe collection and your shoe wearing habits. The space usage consideration should be determined by the size of you closet.
Creating your Shoe Storage Solution
A cubby system uses high visibility and high accessibility. Buy cubbies that can be stacked for new additions to your collection or make your own with plywood. Cubbies do not provide high capacity, though. Using clear bins and specialized shoes boxes, especially those with drawers, can meet the challenge of a large shoe collection. If you are not storing your shoes in the closet, plastic bins can be an eyesore--get shoe boxes matching your decor. One way to do this is to keep the boxes that the shoes came in and cover them with a fabric. Attach a picture to the front of each box of the shoes inside so you can tell which pair is in the box having to open it up. Store shoes from other seasons or that your rarely wear under the bed.
Tags: your shoe, shoe collection, shoe storage, shoes have, shoes that, should determined