Do you own so many shoes that storing them can feel like it is a monumental undertaking? Storing shoes and sneakers, so that you can easily find the pair you want when you need them, should not be an engineering project in its own right.Instead, take some inspiration from shoe storage systems that work and replicate the most suitable one for your home. This will depend on the layout of your home and the sort of household members you have. For many with young children, a rear lobby area is the perfect place to install a shoe and boot repository.

For others, a porch or an under stairs closet is best. If you have a walk in dressing room, the best place to store your shoes will be nearby so you can coordinate your footwear with your other clothing. If you are squeezed for available space and stuff your shoes into boxes, you will rarely wear them. Instead make use of space saving techniques and use parts of the home you may not have considered before.

Laundry Room Storage.

Laundry rooms are good place for a family shoe store. This way, you have your shoes and sneakers set aside in the perfect place to clean them, if required. Ideally, your laundry room can be accessed from the exterior, so that you do not have to walk through the home in muddy shoes to take them off and store them away. Open shelving and drawers are best so that unpleasant smells from used footwear don’t build up. Keep the kids’ shoes on the lower racks so that they can reach them easily.

Tidy Garages.

Is there not enough space in your home for a dedicated shoe store? Garages make for the perfect place to stow away your family’s shoes and boots. So, why not put yours to that use? Make sure you can reach your footwear even if the garage is in use. As the shoe storage system is not likely to be on show to guests, a simple racking system will do the job. This is a very inexpensive way of getting your sneakers and shoes in good organizational order.

Space Savers.

If you don’t have a garage, or live in an apartment that isn’t large enough for an extensive shoe cache, use some space saving techniques. A shelving unit that fits in with your room’s nooks from floor to ceiling is a relatively simple job to make, for a good carpenter. Equally, it is a fine idea to angle your shelves so that the stored footwear does not stick out, stealing the room’s floor space.

Shoe Closets.

Shoe closets are the perfect way of organizing your high heels and sneakers, if you have sufficient space for one. Split the space up with regular dividers, but remember that some extra space will be required if you want to store boots, as well. Set out your shoes according to their function, sports shoes, mules, boots etc. This way you can find what you want quickly. Simply shut the closet doors and the look of the room becomes instantly tidy.

Pull Out Shoe Stores.

Use pull-out shoe stores to keep your footwear tidy. Sideways sliding racks make the most of the available space but also let you see the shoes from more than one angle. If you have lots of shoes, it can help to arrange them according to their color.

Dressing Room Footwear Stashes.

If you have a dressing room use a central island unit or the space under a window to stow your shoes. Don’t stick them at the bottom of a dimly lit closet so that you can’t reach them easily. Pull-out shoe stores are great additions to include if you use fitted dressing room furniture.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.