Shoe Storage

Buying Guide for Shoe Cabinets

Shoes- the one thing we can never have enough of! And this, by the way, holds true for women and men both. You need them for tens of reasons on ten different occasions. There’s one for your morning walk/evening jog, one for work, one for a casual day out with family/friends, one for parties, one for…phew! You could just go on simply because as long as there’s no dearth of reasons to wear them, you’re unlikely to fall short of those for buying them! It doesn’t matter whether there are 2 or 20 of them, if you have an efficient and organized shoe storage space. Let’s understand the right type.

Your Shoe Cabinet Shouldn’t Exceed Your Living Space

So, this is the important thing to remember here. You can get any design or variety of shoe rack or cabinet, or even get them tailor-made to suit your needs and preferences. Just make sure your shoe storage space doesn’t eat up a large chunk of the designated space for the shoe cabinet, in question, then starts getting a bit overwhelming.

An ideal shoe storage space should serve the following purposes:

• Keep the shoes neatly arranged in order so they don’t look all over the place
• De-clutter the place where you keep shoes (especially if you choose to keep them indoors such as your living room)
• If possible, your shoe cabinet should be efficient to serve dual- or multi-purposes as well, such as sitting, placing stuff over, or a piece of art décor

Now, to satisfy one or all of the above criteria may be difficult but let’s look at some exclusive shoe storage ideas, which can help you, de-clutter, as well as save up space too.

Innovative Space-Saving Shoe Storage Ideas: Keep Your Shoes in Style

One of the major concerns facing a lot of people, particularly those with limited spaces, is to find a suitable place to store their shoes. You can neither leave them scattered all over outside the house (it leaves a bad impression to visitors and also invite pinching). And when inside the house, they need to be ideally at the entryway so they’re convenient to slip into and leave home. How to keep your shoe storage space the least space-consuming? Follow the below tips:

1. Create a ladder shoe shelf- This is one of the simplest and even cost-effective DIY techniques to create your shoe rack in the minimum-possible space. All you need is a ladder, just high enough for you to reach comfortably every day, and some wooden boards for as many shoes as you may have. 

Place each board over each step of the ladder and arrange your shoes neatly in a multi-tiered shoe cabinet of your own. It can be easily tucked away close to the main door without any obstruction.

2. Use copper pipes- This technique is innovative and adds a tad bit rustic touch to your modern décor too. Plus, you’d love how much space you end up saving with these copper pipes fitted to the wall in an empty, unused corner. You’d get plenty of space on the flooring to place stuff underneath too in case you want to.
3. Make a hanging shoe closet- Why do we hang our clothes in the closet? – Simply because they use up lesser space. The same goes for your shoes! Consider these super cheap shoe racks that can hang one over the other, all connected to a master hanger overhead. You would even get a closed multi-tiered hanging cabinet of this type which can be zipped up, can hang in small open closet space, and is very compact.

Choose a shoe cabinet best for your needs

Every individual has a different need and preference for shoe storage. While some may like to keep it low-key, simple, space-saving, and cost-effective, others invest considerably into shoe racks to make them appear attractive décor pieces at the entrance. For these people, shoe racks need to be as stylish as their shoes itself. 

Here are some ideas on how to stock up your shoes in style so you can show off both your footwear and their home:

• Hide your shoes away- If this is exactly what you want, we have a perfect shoe storage space for you. How about creating a small drawer in your chest in the living room that you use to display all your photographs or artifacts? You can make the drawer tilt open or close to lend it a stylish look. All your shoes hidden away neatly and yet easily accessible.
• Create a glass display case- Unbelievable but true. Lots of shoe-lovers like to create a glass display case at the entrance for their most precious pairs, similar to the one they create in the kitchen/dining hall for their expensive crockery. You end up neatly organizing your favorite shoes and the glass on the cabinet doors gives your guests a sneak peek into your chic and stylish pairs.
• Get a sliding cabinet- Sliding doors always look trendy and elegant, besides saving up lots of space too. The best part is that you can have the door slide any way you want – to the side or upward – whatever style you wish to lend to your cabinet. It’s perfect shoe storage too- all your shoes hidden behind the board.

Tips on how to choose a good shoe cabinet

• Evaluate the space available in the room
• Consider aesthetics and sturdiness of the cabinet
• Determine the size (usability)
• Consider your shoe type and numbers
• Look at your budget

A range of options are available in various sizes, minimalistic designs, and a variety of materials. Wood, metal, plastic, fabric, particle board are some of the most popular materials used to make shoe storage units. These products are long-lasting and convenient to use but each comes with its own pros and cons. You may choose the one that suits you best. All you have to do is understand your need and pick the right one.

Other Uses for a Shoe Cabinet

• Not just shoes, store your socks too –How often do you reach out to pick your shoes when leaving for work only to realize that you’ve forgotten your socks in the bedroom? More often than not, perhaps. Now you can use your shoe rack to store your socks too – they’ll always be before your eyes and it’ll free up one drawer in the dresser too!

• Use the other drawers to store accessories – If you have a chest drawer to store your shoes inside, say in the bedroom, then the other drawers can be used for small accessories such as jewelry, scarves, watches, and the like.

• Store your craft too – Weird? Not at all. If you choose to keep your shoe storage cabinet in the house, you can find tons of other things that can be tucked in and which never seem to find an appropriate place either. Art and craft is one example. Store all your necessary supplies as well as creations neatly organized in other unused sections of your shoe cabinet. They can also be used to store old newspapers.

• Create your own outdoor/indoor sitting space – Falling short of seating space when guests coming over? Convert your shoe storage rack into a small sofa by placing an elegant and comfortable cushion over it. Trust us, your guests would never know what they’re sitting on either! 

And, if you have your shoe rack outside the house, then making the same arrangement would give you some cushiony top space to sit and relax for a minute after coming home from shopping.