Where do you put all those shoes?

[MisfitMama]

When we take off our shoes in the back hall, they just stay there until there are 20 pairs in a narrow hallway. I put a particleboard box back there, which holds some pairs, but not enough, and also we seem too lazy to use it, or something? What solutions do you guys have? I'm especially interested in tips from people who are not good at organizing - what have you come up with that is sustainable?

Thanks!

MisfitMama

[cathe]

Moved to decluttering forum

[sapphire_chan]

:

Waiting to see the responses.

Right now my solution is to wear the same shoes everyday (priciest shoes I've ever bought, Eccos, soooo comfy). Occasionally I'll need/want to wear pumps or sandals or a different pair of flats and they'll end up piled by the front door until I get around to tossing them back in the closet.

[Mommy&Will]

I'm on the hunt for something to solve our shoe pile problem as well.

I have seen a really big pan used, and it just would take a lot of practice and consistency to make sure everyone puts their shoes in their neatly. The great thing about the pan is that when it gets dirty, its easy to take outside and hose down.

Another idea I've seen is to make cubby holes - I've seen these at preschools too - where each family member has a place to hang their coat and their shoes go right below. Each cubby hole could either have the family members name, or make or cut out pictures that relate to each person in the family. Such as, "Billy likes to play soccer so his cubby hole has a picture of a soccer ball."

Also, we keep our "work" shoes in the garage. So if I'm working outside, or need my tennis shoes for a walk, I put them on in the garage. My every day shoes are kept inside. But I still need to get my act together and find something do keep them in!

[mykdsmomy]

This is what has worked for us....I bought this wicker basket from Walmart : (it's a laundry basket..in the basket/craft section). I keep it by my front door....when you come in, you take your shoes off and put them in the basket.....Every once in a while (once a month or so) I take a few pairs out and put them back into our room or the kids' rooms...whereever they came from...whichever ones they arent using....
it keeps the shoes contained and the basket is cute.... HTH

[LeosMama]

I know this isn't frugal, but we bought a step-2brand bench. It is a flip-top bench, so it has a storage box and underneath it has a place to put more shoes. So we fill the compartment and the bottom with shoes. It's not super-tidy, but it's contained in one place and it's plastic so I can wipe it down easily. I go through it occassionally and put some of the shoes back into the closet (it's Fall now, so the sandals will go back into storage).

Boot Bench

HTH
-Lindsay

[fek&fuzz]

I have a book shelf in my entry way; the first shelf is at least a foot of the ground. It's about 4 feet long. Everyday shoes go underneath, other shoes go on the first shelf, sweaters and a basket to hold gloves/scarves/hats go on the second shelf, keys and mail goes on the top shelf.

[MaryLang]

Right now I have a coffee table by the front door and I put a rug under it, we just slip our shoes under there. Boxes and baskets were too much to deal with, that shows you how lazy we are,lol.

[Alkenny]

I have a Rubbermaid tote by the front door (maybe not too Earth friendly...I'm working on that!)

My brother bought a house that has a mud/laundry room with built in wooden cubbies.

[J-Max]

We have these 2 benches that have drawers in them. They have two 2'X2' drawers in them. Right now they are stacked on top of each other, but they have been side by side before. We put all the shoes in them, except for the big rubber barn boots, which go in the closet in the barn, and my and dh's boots, which sit next to it. Right now there are 4 4-wheeler helmets on top if it, but I am going to have to find a new place for those, because dd#2 keeps knocking them down.

[orangefoot]

We have one of these not very natural material but it does keep all our shoes off the floor in what I used ot call our hallway which I realise now is really a very small vestibule!

This is what ours looks likewith shoes on

We have tried shoe racks, benches, piles of shoes to no avail but this is really working at the moment. I have also seen one in this style made of metal but I can't remember where.

Sapphire chan's solution is also good - jut have one pair of shoes. I live in Birkenstocks in the summer but have trouble in the winter as I wear boots and shoes and more shoes!

[KaraBoo]

IKEA has great shoe racks. Ours looks like a small dresser. It's quite narrow and has four big drawers that tilt open.

[bluets]

we enter through our garage so we set up a shoe rack right in the garage for shoes we wear frequently and/or seasonally (so the sandals will be there in the summer, the boots in the winter). off-season shoes are in the front hall closet. my snazzy dress shoes that i wear infrequently are in my bedroom closet.

[Sherra]

You can get shoe racks at a few stores:

www.hometrends.com

http://www.carolwrightgifts.com/

[amyamanda]

We have a low two-shelf bookshelf that we call the "shoe shelf," and also a big wicker laundry basket next to the door for the overflow. Our front hall is a very high-traffic area and it's awful to trip over shoes all the time. I've recently given my 7yo the job of keeping the shoes off the floor in that area. It's easy for him to toss them into the basket if he's feeling lazy, or match and line them up on the shelves if he's feeling like a neatnik.

Out-of-season shoes are promptly packed away - one plastic bin for "Summer Shoes and Rain Boots" and another for "Winter Shoes and Snow Boots".