Getting a step ahead of your SHOES!

Shoes are really hard for some people to organize, especially if they own a lot of them. But, if your shoes are not organized, you can waste a lot of time trying to find the right pair for the occasion. Tripping over piles of shoes by the front door or having a mountain of footwear in the closet can be a danger and an eyesore. Part of getting your home organized has to include shoes.

The most difficult part is probably the beginning. Get all of the shoes in one place. You might be shocked at just how many shoes you have accumulated over the years. Collect shoes from everywhere around the house: by the door, in the gym bag, under the bed or other furniture. Don’t forget the car, some people keep a change of shoes there.

Discard any shoes without mates (you would be surprised at how often this happens). (And yes, I’m guessing you hesitate to do this because the second you throw the shoe away, you will find its partner. If this is your great fear, then at least put all the singleton shoes in a giant bag or box and mark down on your calendar to get rid of them if you haven’t found the partner in a designated time... months... not years!). Any shoes that are worn out, in a state of disrepair or damaged from being stored improperly have got to go. If you have multiple pairs that are alike or similar, pick your favorite and donate the others if they are usable. Get rid of shoes that hurt your feet, don’t fit right or pairs you never wear. Nice ones can be donated or taken to a consignment shop if it’s the right time of year for such shoes.

You should end up with your favorite shoes, those you love to wear and/or need to wear, like work shoes. Now you are ready to organize them. Most people like to put the shoes they wear most often in the most convenient place. You can organize shoes by season, style (boots together, athletic shoes together, etc.) or color.

Decide on the type of storage for your footwear. The more shoes you keep, the more important the storage is. Unless you have an entire closet devoted to shoes, you should invest in some kind of storage equipment. There are under the bed shoe racks, although it is better when you can see them and choose the right pair for your outfit while you get dressed. There is the rack that fits on the back of the door, shoe shelving or boxes. Beware of any shoe racks that wobble – wobbling racks mean that your shoes will continually fall off and annoy you.  If you use boxes that are not clear, take a photo and attach it to the shoebox so you know what is inside. If there are only a few pairs, you can line them across the bottom of your clothing closet. If you can spare the closet space, hanging shoe organizers are also great, but most people can’t afford to dedicate that much space to shoes. My favorite type of shoe storage are the cubbies that sit on the bottom of your closet so you can slide each pair of shoes in, still see them and protect them from dust.

Being able to find the shoes you need at the time you need them is the most important thing. Once you have a storage plan in place, work to maintain it. If shoes start piling up by the front door again, then you can repeat this process periodically.