What do you do with your shoes when you walk in the door? Maybe you just add them to the ever-growing pile on the floor. Or perhaps you take them to the bedroom and put them in the closet. The thing about shoes is that they tend to take on a life of their own. If you don’t have a good shoe storage solution, they seem to find their way all over the house.
Below is a collection of five shoe storage hacks, all requiring minimal construction on your part. If you can use a basic set of hand tools, you can handle all of them. Of course, do not be afraid to build yourself something worthy of Better Homes & Gardens magazine if you are so gifted.
Also, don’t forget that stored shoes still need to be protected with a good shoe deodorizing spray that eliminates odors and keeps them from returning. ShoeFresh does exactly that.
1. A Wall-Mounted Coat Hanger
You can go to just about any craft co-op and find handmade, wall-mounted coat hangers. They generally consist of little more than a wooden slat with either wooden or metal hooks attached to it. The idea is to mount it on a wall. Well, guess what? A coat hanger works just as well for shoes. The only difference is that you don’t mount it up high. Keep it low to the floor.
This is a great hack for storing the shoes you wear every day. Mount the coat hanger just inside the door. Then hang a pair of sneakers, flip-flops, or whatever it is you use on a daily basis.
2. A Bench with Shelf
Next time you are out and about, stop at the local flea market or your neighborhood antique store. Look for an old bench the kids could sit on to tie up their shoes. If you find one, all you need to turn it into shoe storage is a pine board and a handful of screws. Install the board as a shelf underneath the bench seat. Then place the bench-shelf combo by the door.
3. Cardboard Shoe Rack
Most of us take enough home deliveries now that we end up recycling or throwing away cardboard. Why not cut up that cardboard to make your own cheap and easy shoe storage solution? All you have to do is cut your box into strips that are roughly eighteen inches wide. Mark six inches on either side, then fold the sides up to create a triangle. You just made a shoe compartment.
Make a half-dozen and glue them onto a flat sheet of cardboard and you have space for six shoes. Now repeat the same process by building up.
4. PVC Shoe Rack
You can do the same thing with PVC pipe and pipe cement. Cut sections of pipe and glue them together to create a shoe rack you can place by the door. The only downside to this particular hack is that it will need a saw. A cheap electric saber saw would work.
5. An Old Bookshelf
This final solution requires no installation effort other than what it takes to move an old bookshelf from one room to the next. Old bookshelves that no longer look good enough to be in the den or living room make great shoe racks out in the mudroom.
In whatever way you choose to store your shoes, be sure to invest in a good shoe deodorizer spray. ShoeFresh is just what you need to beat shoe odors and prevent them from coming back. Give it a try.