Even if you’re practical, your shoe collection can easily get out of hand. Sure you have sneakers, but what can you wear to work? How about to a wedding? How about to the beach? How about to a wedding at the beach?
We tend to acquire a lot of shoes, and they can be a real pain to store. “They’re clunky, they’re harder to store, and there’s usually lots of them,” says Jeni Aron, an professional organizer. “Shoes can be trickier too because they’re almost a little more emotional. We can hang on to them even if they don’t fit.”
So, what’s the best way to store your shoes, boots, sneakers, heels, and sandals?
We asked Aron and three other professional organizers for tips. We also threw in some cleaning advice, since your kicks could probably use a good shine.
Follow these 15 simple and awesome tips for shoe storage nirvana:
1. Avoid storing shoes in wire racks.
After you move past the floor-heap option, your next thought is likely a shoe rack — one of those wire contraptions you can find in home goods stores. That’s also a bad call.
“Every time I see clients with those metal shoe racks that are tiered, I throw those away,” says Aron. “They don’t store everything, and they always get pushed to the back anyway. They get in the way of the clothes that are hanging.”
Wire racks are also a nightmare for certain types of shoes (almost anything with a heel), so really, they’re more trouble than they’re worth.
2. Sort shoes into categories.
Before you start implementing any new shoe storage solutions or schemes, organize your shoes into groups. First, divide your shoes into two categories:
- The shoes you wear all the time
- The shoes you wear less frequently
The ones you wear less frequently (think stilettos or snow boots) should be stored, as Aron puts it, “up high and far away.”
Now it’s time to categorize the remaining everyday shoes even further. Similar styles should stick together. Shoes you wear to work should be in one group. Shoes you’d wear out to dinner might be in another group, and shoes suited for doing a lot of walking could be in a third group.
Think of the activity you’d wear each pair of shoes for, so that when it’s time for you to head out for that event, you know exactly where to look.
3. Assess whether you need a separate shoe storage solution or not.
Some people collect shoes the same way grandmas supposedly collect Christmas sweaters. Maybe you’re one of those people. If you are, then you know that telling shoe enthusiasts they need to pare down their stash isn’t going to do anything.
But since closets have limited storage space, think about whether you realistically need to invest in a separate storage solution for shoes.
4. Use vinegar and polish to make leather boots look new.
The first step in boot care is protecting them from the elements. To prevent water and salt stains come winter, spray your boots down with a waterproof spray, which makes separate protectants for suede, leather, and other materials.
If you still manage to pick up salt stains, though, wiping your boots down with white vinegar works wonders on leather and suede.
If you’re looking to spruce up your leather boots, saddle soap should take care of any scum they’ve collected.
As for how to remove boot scuffs, dip a damp cloth in baking soda, scrub the offending area, and then wipe off the paste with a clean cloth.
After you’ve taken care of the grime, shine your boots by spreading an even coat of your preferred polish with a rag or brush.
You can also find boot care kits with foam applicators in your local drugstore if you’re short on time.
5. Clean suede boots with talcum powder, a brush, and a dry towel.
Not sure how to clean suede boots?
Simply brush off any scuffs or stains. Pencil erasers and emery boards can also help eliminate problem areas.
Also, never use water to clean suede. Water will leave a stain, and you’ll be really mad at yourself.
If your suede shoes contract a liquid stain by accident, from rain or another liquid for example, put talcum powder on the stain and let it sit overnight. In the morning, you guessed it, brush off the debris.
If these were any other kind of boots, you might be tempted to add a coat of polish to complete the clean. But guess what’s another no-no for suede? Shoe polish, which will only ruin suede shoes.
If your suede shoes are looking drab, we recommend buffing them with a clean, dry towel.
6. Consider storing sneakers in shoe baskets or cubbies.
Since sneakers are athletic shoes by nature, they’re built to withstand a little more rough-housing than, say, ballet flats. Which means you can get away with storing sneakers in slightly less precious shoe storage options.
7. Keep sneakers clean and smelling fresh with Mr. Clean.
There are tons of simple ways to keep your kicks looking fresh. But before we get to those, a quick word on how to keep sneakers smelling fresh:
If your sneakers carried some stench back from the gym, sprinkle baking soda inside each shoe, let it sit overnight, and dump the powder out in the morning.
The offending odor should be gone. Which means it’s time to move onto ridding your sneakers of dirt and other residue.
To remove simple stains from sneakers, wipe them down with a cloth. Or scrub them with a spare toothbrush.
And don’t forget about the shoelaces. The next time you’re doing laundry, toss them into the load. You can put the laces in a laundry bag or pillowcase so they don’t get tangled in the washing machine.
Prefer to clean shoelaces by hand?
Follow these six simple steps:
- Remove the laces from your sneakers.
- Brush any loose grime off the laces with an old toothbrush.
- Soak the laces in hot water and bleach.
- After a few minutes, scrub the laces again with the old toothbrush (be sure to clean it before you do this).
- Rinse the laces off with water.
- Let the laces air dry.