How to Organize Your Shoes

Do you dread another morning of digging through a jumbled mess of
loafers, slippers, boots and running shoes piled in your closet? Even
if you do spot the pair of shoes you want, you may not be ready to
shuffle off to Buffalo. Be well heeled and ready to meet each day with
shoes that are are well organized.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Gather all your shoes from around the house into one place. Discard those that are beyond repair. Screen out pairs worth repairing and make plans to take them to a shoe repair shop.

2. Sort the shoes into groups. First sort by frequency of wear--daily or special occasion--then by color within each grouping. Further separate the groups by seasons.

3. Eliminate duplicates, footwear past its prime and shoes that no longer (or never did) fit. Keep only the pairs you love and wear.

4. Count how many pairs remain and shop for shoe organizers. Hanging cubby bags or shoe racks capitalize on extra vertical closet space or the back of a closet door. Horizontal shoe shelves maximize space between the bottom of hanging clothes and the floor.

5. Use these organizers to arrange your shoes. Place the current season's daily favorites front and center. Store out-of-season and special-occasion pairs on higher closet shelves in their shoe boxes--take a picture of each pair and tape to the outside of the box for instant identification. Put shoe trees in boots and store on the floor or from hanging shoe trees.

6. Repeat the process next season.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need additional shoe storage, place an over-thedoor shoe rack or bag on the back of a bedroom door.

• When traveling, always take a spare pair of shoelaces. See 60 Conquer Your Closets.

• To minimize shoe clutter at a home's entry point, keep a large basket to hold shoes until they can be returned to each owner's closet. See 70 Organize Entryways and Mudrooms.