Top 10 Best Shoe Organizers for Small Spaces

Buying Guide

Perhaps one of the most widely known stereotypes about women is that they love shoes. Movies make jokes about it; there are pictures and paintings and magazines covers that showcase it. It's something even little kids and people from other countries seem to associate with women.

Here's the truth: Women do love shoes.

But so do men.

For countless years, shoes have been symbols of status, wealth and power. Even in the time of the ancient Egyptians, people could tell whether or not someone was well-to-do simply by looking at their feet. Men, women, boys and girls - we all love shoes. Plus, today, having several pairs of shoes is practically a necessity.

We need shoes that match our work clothes, shoes for working out, shoes that match our dressy, night-on-the-town clothes, comfy, easy-to-slip-into shoes for the beach or for walking the dog. We need lots of shoes. While having that many pairs of shoes may be great for our wardrobe and our image, it's not so great for our closets, entryways and anywhere else that seems to be overrun by a tornado-swept pile of shoes.

That's where having a great shoe organizer comes in handy, but if you live in a small space like an apartment or dorm room or if you just have very little space in which to add new furniture and things, finding a shoe organizer that fits your area can be a problem. That certainly doesn't mean you can't find one though. You just have to pick the right one.

Picking the Right Shoe Organizer - Things to Consider

When you're picking out the shoe organizer for you, there are several things you need to take into account before making your purchase. Let's take a look at some of the most important of those considerations now.

Size

If you're working with a small space, the size of the organizer is going to be the first thing to consider. Going to the store and finding the best, cutest, most unique and original shoe organizer in the world isn't going to do you much good if it simply won't fit where you need it to go. Look around your house first, and find the perfect spot for your new organizer. Then measure the space, and keep those measurements close at hand when you go to buy your new organizer.

Type

As you can see from our buying guide, shoe organizers and shoe racks come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and styles. There are shoe organizers that hang on the backs of doors and in closets; there are shoe racks that turn like Lazy Susans; there are shoe racks that are tall, and there are shoe racks that are small. Decide what type of organizer you like best that fits in with your decor and the room's available space. You'll also want to consider where in your home your shoe organizer is going because some rooms just won't look right with some of these organizers.

Capacity

Because shoe organizers come in such different styles and sizes, they also hold vastly different amounts of shoes. If you're the type of person who just has a few extra pairs of shoes lying around, you won't need a large capacity organizer. If, on the other hand, you could open a Foot Locker with your shoe collection, you're going to need something that has a large capacity for holding shoes.

Price

While most shoe organizers and shoe racks are priced fairly reasonably, there are some styles that are pretty expensive. Make sure you stick to your budget, but don't sacrifice quality for low costs. You'll want an organizer that's durable and that'll hold up for the long haul. Finding a great, five-dollar deal on a shoe rack sounds great, and maybe it is! If you set your first pair of boots on it and it collapses, though, it wasn't really five dollars well spent.

What Are Some Tips for Storing Shoes in Small Spaces?

If you live in a really small space like a dorm room or a small apartment, then you probably have all kinds of neat hacks and tips for maximizing your space. If you're wondering how to do that with your shoe collection, there are actually quite a few options, many of which are D-I-Y and/or pretty inexpensive.

Maximize Every Corner

Everywhere you have an empty corner in your house, add small, triangular-shaped shelves. They don't have to be very large, and you can add only one or two vertically about two or three feet apart, or you can add them from the floor to the ceiling, whatever suits your taste. These little shelves are unobtrusive and small, but they can be lifesavers when you need a little extra shelf space.

Make a D-I-Y Pipe Rack

You've probably seen these done somewhere on Pinterest or on home improvement websites. Now it's time to make one yourself. All you have to do is get some large PVC pipes, cut them and stack them. You can use a little glue if you want to make them more sturdy. You don't have to cut them very long; you only need them long enough to store a pair of shoes or two, and they look really cool and crafty, especially in a craft room, laundry room or an all-purpose room. You could even build one in the garage/shop area if you have one and store out-of-season shoes there until you need them again.

If you're more inclined to be artsy and creative, you can also use old paint cans instead of PVC pipes. It works the same way, but the paint cans add a whole different look to the overall shoe organizer.

Utilize Tension Rods

If you're tired of the way your shoes look just stacked or thrown into the bottom of your closet, add some tension rods underneath your hanging clothes. Tension rods are great for hanging heels, but you can also buy hangers for shoes that'll allow you to hang any type of shoe on them. Additionally, tension rods aren't just for your closet. If you have any spare space in your house to which you wouldn't mind adding a tension rod, go ahead and do it. It's your house. You can put tension rods wherever you want.

Use Baskets

If you have a lot of sandals or flip flops or if you have small children and need a place to store their shoes, buy some attractive baskets and use them as shoe storage. Baskets don't work well with boots, heels and other large shoes, but they're perfect for little kids' shoes and flip flops. Picture a basket full of neat, tidy rows of flip flops. It's very beachy and Havana-chic, right? If you don't like the look of a basket of flip flops sitting beside your front door, you can always store the baskets somewhere a little less visible as well.

Go High

Doesn't it ever bug you that the tops of your walls and your ceilings are just such wasted space? If so, then do something about it. You can buy or build long, single-shelf bookshelves all around the tops of your walls. Many people have these types of shelves in their homes, although admittedly, they usually use them for storing books or, if they're in the kitchen, spices, condiments or small dishes. That doesn't mean you can't use yours for shoes though. This is another one of those instances of "It's your house! Do as you please!"

Invest in a Couch with Cubbies

Although this one will cost you a little extra money upfront, it's well worth it for all the extra storage you'll be getting. You can get couches with hidden storage areas in the ottoman or under the cushions, or you can buy a daybed in lieu of a couch. There are many daybeds that have drawers and cubbies underneath them for extra storage. Most people use these drawers for storing extra linens, pillows and blankets, but they could just as easily be used to store shoes.

Don't Be Afraid to Hide Them

Use all those hidden spaces in your house to hide your shoe collection. Buy an ottoman that opens onto empty storage. Put them in boxes under beds. Just put them anywhere you can hide them! If you have a steamer trunk or something similar, stick them in there. In this case, out of sight truly is out of mind.

Should You Use Storage Boxes to Store Shoes?

Sure! If you have a lot of storage boxes sitting around, collecting dust, absolutely store your shoes in there! Storage boxes are great for storing shoes. If you're worried about them smelling musty, buy some cedar blocks or some lavender satchels to put in there with them.

Scentsy even makes things called "Scent Paks" you can toss in to make sure things smell great when you pull them out again. You can also save the boxes in which your shoes were packaged.

I know that seems obvious, but some people don't think to save theirs. If your shoes come in a nice, sturdy box, keep the box and use it to store those shoes when you're not wearing them.

Does IKEA Have Shoe Storage Products?

When it comes to furniture, IKEA has everything, so yes, IKEA definitely has several options when it comes to shoe storage. Some of them are even pretty reasonably priced.

Just remember when you buy things from IKEA, they almost never come pre-assembled, so you need to be ready to put things together when you choose that option. If you absolutely know you can't assemble your own furniture, check out the IKEA "as-is" section for some pre-assembled stuff.

Conclusion

What types of products do you use to store your massive shoe collection? Did you buy something specific to do the job, or are you more of the D-I-Y type? Have you tried any of the products on our list, and if so, how did you like them?

Let us know all of that and more down below in the comments section. And just for fun, tell us who actually has more shoes - you or your husband/partner? Our guess is that there are more than a few households out there where the men are the ones with the massive shoe collections!

As always, thanks for stopping by! Be sure to like and share our articles, and come back again soon for more great buying guides and organization hacks.