Shoe Racks Blog

Being environmentally friendly is in.  Here’s one way you can do your part in your closet!  Read on…

I’ve blogged before about eco friendly shoes, and what you can do with old shoes to help the environment instead of harming it, and now I’m going to take it a step further.  If you are in the market for a new shoe organizer, and you like to shop green, an environmentally shoe rack may be the right choice for you!  There are many different ways you can go with this.  One way is to buy a product that is chemical free, like a cedar shoe rack that is left unfinished.  Just make sure first that it is made of a replenish type of cedar, like a farmed red cedar.  Another way is to use something you already have around the home, or search ebay or craigslist for something used.  Better yet, get yourself to the goodwill or Salvation Army for a pre-used shoe rack.   If you really want to buy one, though, this environmentally friendly shoe rack gets two green thumbs up from me.  This shoe organizer is made of 70% recycled plastic bottles, a fine way to make good use of wasted materials, turning them into something nice and new so that consumers have a choice of buying green planet friendly products.  This shoe rack has 20 pockets, for holding ten pairs of shoes, but is also great for organizing socks, scarves, and other accessories.  Best of all, it hangs over the door, one of the most space-efficient shoe storage options on the market, and requires no assembly or drilling.  Use it in the hall closet as the family shoe rack, in the kids room for small toys and stuffed animals, or in your own closet for easy access to your most used shoes!

Get your tiny shoes in order with this Aquarium Shoe Rack!

It’s been a long time since we’ve featured a kids shoe rack, so I was so happy when I stumbled upon this one!  It straps right over the closet rod, using up virtually no closet space, but offering ample shoe storage options.  The cotton polyester blend fabric stands up to medium and heavy use, perfect for little ones.  Strap it over the closet rod and organize away!  The pockets are perfect for storing shoes, but can also be used for other items.  Even little kids and toddlers can use this to keep their bedroom or playroom organized, with separate pockets for toys, clothes and shoes.  The pattern is absolutely adorable, a vibrant aquarium scene complete with fishies.  Over the closet rod shoe racks are a great choice for homes with limited storage.  They make use of the vertical space in the closet, which is usually overlooked by people in need of more closet space.  This one is perfect for kids, the colors and themes will inspire them to put their shoes or toys away.  Another feature I like about these, as a general rule, in the kids room, is that it allows you to have storage space up top where little hands can not reach.  Keep markers and paints (nothing dangerous like medicines, though) in the upper pockets to keep tiny hands from reaching!  The velcro is very strong and wide, perfect for bearing the weight of multiple pairs of shoes, toys and much more!  An easy way to keep things organized in this bag is to make tags for each shelf so that you and the kids know what goes where - a great closet organization tip!  When the kids grow out of their sea-creature phase, they can still use this in the corner of the closet to maintain their style.  And, best of all, the price is right!

Shoes:  Front and Center!  Give your shoes a prominent location in the closet to avoid clutter and damage. 

A custom closet allows you to design a closet organizer that fits your needs exactly.  Custom closets, though, can be pricey.  But now you can buy closet organizer kits to give you the “custom” closet of your dreams, at a fraction of the price.  If you have a lot of shoes, pick one that has a tower capability, so that you know that your shoes will be front and center, ready for putting on, taking off, organizing and keeping neat and tidy in general.  This shoe tower kit is made of laminated MDF which is a great choice for shoes, as it is a very easy to clean material, so you don’t have to worry about scuffing, dirt and mud.  Another good choice would be wire, although of course then the dirt can fall through to the floor, but hey, that’s why vacuums were invented, right?  Some of these closet kits have adjustable shelves, if you choose one that does have adjustable tower shelves, you might want to take a careful look at what types and sizes of shoes you have before you build it.  For example, high heels can lie flat on the shelves, so that’s not a problem, but high top shoes (your husband’s) will take up a lot of room vertically, so you’ll want to plan accordingly when setting up your closet.  The nice thing about a shoe tower is that it is perfectly suited to this important piece of apparel, because it is narrow and tall, making the best use of what is usually wasted vertical space in the closet.  Some closet organizers allow you place the tower anywhere you want.  If you would rather look at your shirts and dresses hanging than stacks of shoes, you might put the tower in the corner or back of the closet.  If you are like me, then you will love to put your shoes away every night and pick out the next day’s, meaning the shoe rack should go front and center!

Traditional Shoe Boxes get a makeover with updated materials and style.  Read On.

There’s no question about it, shoe boxes are one of the best ways to protect your footwear from dust, insects and moisture.  I remember that my grandmother always kept her cardboard shoe boxes from the shoe store and piled them high on her upper closet shelf, mostly for dress shoes that she didn’t wear everyday.  There were probably about 20 boxes.  This was great for protecting more expensive shoes. 

The cardboard could certainly keep dust off of the shoes, and she would even stuff the tissue paper back into the front of the shoes to maintain their shape (this problem can now be solved with shoe pops or shoe trees, both affordable and readily available at StacksAndStacks.com).  The problem with this system of shoe preservation and shoe organization was that you had to dig through dozens of boxes to find the right pair of shoes to match your outfit.  So while the cardboard boxes are protective (for a while, at least, until they start collapsing), they are also very secretive, each protecting the identity of its contents from our eyes. 

This problem can be solved with some great new inventions in shoe boxes.  These are permanent solutions that will last for years.  They are not free, like the cardboard variety, but they are a wise and cost effective purchase, because they will protect shoes (not cheap either) from the usual damage.  Clear plastic shoe boxes is the choice of many people, because they really let you see what’s inside, and allow you to almost create a display of your favorite shoes, perfect for shoe lovers like me!  A more discreet choice are fabric shoe boxes.  Now you may think that you can’t see through the fabric, and you are correct.  But, the manufacturers thought ahead and made these shoe boxes with a little window, so you can still see what’s inside – a great, neat look for any closet!

A Multi Purpose Modular Shoe Rack is this Week’s Product of the Week!

This week, the featured shoe rack has just about everything you could ever want from one. 

• Style:  Made of beautiful hardwoods with a natural finish, this shoe rack will match almost any decor.  The natural wood is left to shine through the clear finish, so you get the benefits of a finished piece and still have the beauty of the hardwood details.  Natural light colored woods match most decors, they are a very neutral color, so they can blend with colorful decors and muted ones alike. 
• Size:  This shoe rack is the perfect size for being left out in the open in a room or shoved to the back of a closet.  Alone, it holds between nine and twelve pairs of shoes, perfect for a seasonal assortment of footwear for anyone.  In closets and bedrooms, this shoe rack can be used one per person to hold their whole seasonal collection of shoes.  In open areas like the hallway and entryway of the house, a whole family can each put one or two pairs of their most frequently used shoes on this rack. 
• Foldable:  This shoe rack is foldable. Simply fold the shelves down and then the sides in for an easy to use and transport shoe rack.  This is a great idea for formal guest rooms, bring the shoe rack out when you have overnight visitors, and fold it up and put it away at the end of their visit for storage. 
• Stacking – if nine to twelve pairs of shoes isn’t enough, you can stack two units on top of each other, secured in the back with a simple plate and screw to amp up the storage to 24 pairs of shoes.  This is great in the closet where tipping isn’t an issue, and maximum shoe storage is a must.

A True Celebration of Spring Starts with Cleaning out Your Closet

Yesterday was the first day of Spring!  To me, spring means the start of my favorite time of year (the sunny, warm part).  I enjoy fall somewhat and the holidays are fun, but by the time February comes around, I have just about had it with clouds, low sun angles and wearing socks.  Spring cleaning is a time to start fresh, open up the windows and let fresh air in while you go through each room of your house and give it a thorough cleansing.  While cleaning with a sponge, soap and water is imperative, organizing is just as important. 

The places that need organizing most are the places where you tend to “store” things – that is, you put things somewhere that you don’t have to look at them (for the moment, anyway).  This usually starts in the closets, followed by the office and the garage.  Since the garage fortunately is not my problem, and the office is not fun, I always like to start with the closet.  And somewhere in that closet is a shoe rack, begging for attention. 

Here are some tips on how to organize your shoe rack and clean it, if need be. 

• First, sort through your shoes and decide what can stay and what has to go.  If I find a pair of shoes that I neglected to wear through an entire season (sandals in the summer, boots in the winter, etc.) I donate or sell them.  The rest of them I take down in preparation of cleaning the shoe rack.  Even in the closet, shoe racks can get dusty and dirty and, in turn, make your shoes dusty and dirty.  Get a wet cloth and wipe it down, getting inside each corner and crevice.  TIP: Baby wipes work really well on this (and many other) cleaning jobs, as they are thin and thus easy to get into hard to reach places. 
• Now you are ready to put your shoes back on the rack and enjoy another year of shoe wearing!  (Bonus:  If you get rid of a few pairs, then you have space for a few new pairs throughout the year!) 

Here is a helpful article about organizing shoes.

Footlockers are a Traditional and Fun Way to Store Shoes!

What is a footlocker anyway?  (And, let’s clarify from the start, I’m not talking about the athletic shoe mall store here.)  I’ve heard that word, footlocker, my whole life, and generally thought it was a large metal chest.  I feel like usually I have seen these chests in the trunks of the cars of rock bands, and also, for some reason, associate them with magicians. 

Anyway, I also used to sell these in a retail store and I can’t tell you how many different ways people actually use them.  And, truth be told, people did purchase them for their shoes.  But more on that later.  First, a definition of a footlocker:  NOUN: A trunk for storing personal belongings, especially one kept at the foot of a bed, as in a barracks. 

And, with more investigation I have learned that the term footlocker was, originally, a military term.  Soldiers used these boxes at the foot of their bed, hence, a “footlocker”.  Go figure!  I think they originally were very plain, made of plywood, and then as pressed board was developed they turned out that way.  Officers and superiors got deluxe models with metal frames and leather handles, and were allowed to hang pictures in them.  Anyway, I do think this would be a fun way to store shoes in the house, a great alternative to a traditional shoe rack for shoes that are out of season, probably not a good idea for ones you use each day, as that would require a lot of digging. 

Here are some other fun things to do with footlockers (and check out the pink one I found, above!!!) 

• Kids Trunk – Store toys for young kids, and let teens decorate the inside of the box with their favorite posters. 
• Keepsake box – Keep your children’s keepsakes throughout their life – artwork, school papers, blankies and give it back to them when they get married!

Stacking Shoe Racks Provide Customized Shoe Storage

Let’s talk about Modular Shoe Racks.  But, first, a definition of “Modular”:  designating or of units of standardized size, design, construction, etc. that can be arranged or fitted together in a variety of ways.  In the furniture and organizing worlds, modular means that you can customize your storage or furniture in some way.  For furniture, you use modular styles to choose the pieces that you need, for example, on entertainment centers, you might only need certain media storage pieces.  And, in storage and organizing, modular means that you can maximize storage, creating a storage rack as large or small as you need it (always paying attention to certain restrictions such as weight limits and tipability). 

Modular shoe racks can come in many different forms, from specially designed racks that are sold singly, to bins and boxes that aren’t necessarily shoe racks to begin with. 

Here are some great products I’ve found to help you design the right amount of shoe storage for your shoes, some tips on how to use them and where to find them! 

• Stacking Shoe Racks: This is a great option because these shelves are designed to hold shoes, nothing else.  Choose from simple metal and wire shelves, cedar cubes and more.  A natural finished modular stacking shoe rack is a nice choice as it is both decorative and functional.  Another great choice is a plastic starter kit that comes with six cubbies, and then you can purchase more shelves to add in increments of 3 cubbies at a time – these are very affordable, too. 
• Other Bins and Boxes:  Stacking bins are also a great way to create modular shoe storage.  They are very inexpensive and usually sold in singles or sets of three.  The only drawback?  Since these tend to be larger bins, you may have to do some digging to find the right pair. 

And, a fun DIY shoe rack project I found.

Shoe Friendly Suitcases get your favorite Footwear from A to B Safely!

It’s almost spring and you can probably tell that I’ve got the travel bug, that is, when I’m not complaining about mud!  I am currently planning three trips to get me through the rest of the season.  And, I’m always thinking of ways to make travel with shoes easier, cleaner and more possible.  Honestly, the more shoes I can pack with me, the happier everyone is, and I can’t bring my shoe rack with me, now, can I. 

While dress shoes and sandals can be lumped in with the rest of my wardrobe (I literally stuff them in and around the clothes after they are in there to see how many I can fit), for most trips, a pair of walking or hiking shoes is a must have.  But, not only are these types of “athletic” shoes bulky (I could probably fit three pairs of sandals in the same space that they take up), they are also muddy and messy…at least they will be after hiking through the Alps, changing flat tires in the plains states and rock climbing in Colorado.  So, to make things work, I’ve been looking for a suitcase that deals with these problems.  When shoes get really dirty, they can’t go in the suitcase with the clothes, or they will cause stains at the worst time, when I’m away from my tried and true washing machine. 

The Heys USA 3 piece luggage set has some incorporated some great designs to help with this troublesome problem.  These cases have removable wet pockets, great for wet socks and other items, and they even have a separate shoe compartment.  Well it can’t get any easier than that, and this is really nice luggage, too.    It is waterproof, great for adventurous travelers, and it has my favorite new luggage feature:  wheels!  Wheeling your luggage around the airport is a thousand times easier than carrying it on you back and shoulders.

The Ultimate Shoe (and grout) Cleaner:  A Grout Brush

Yes, it turns out that one of the best shoe cleaners around is a grout brush!  But first, here are some other methods for cleaning your shoes. I’ve spoken before about shoe polishes.  This is great for leather shoes, vinyl, suede and patent leather.  But, in keeping with the true spirit of mud week, we are going to talk about another kind of dirty shoe problem:  muddy shoes!  Muddy shoes require much more than shoe polish, first you really have to get the mud off of them. 

One method is the washing machine.  I wouldn’t do this if you either really love your washing machine or really love your shoes.  But if you aren’t completely attached to either one, it actually works pretty well.  Not for boots so much, but tennis shoes can be thrown in the washing machine.  You can expect some damage to the leather and possible washing machine damage, but I’ve done it before with older gym shoes and it turned out fine.  <b>Bonus Tip:</b> Really old shoes can be tossed in the dryer with your down pillows and comforters when you are drying them – this is how to make sure they stay fluffy and dry evenly. 

Another method of washing really muddy shoes is to soak them and hand wash.  Again, don’t do this if you really care about the leather or the quality of your shoes, but for older shoes that you wear out in the mud anyway, this might be a good solution for you. Simply soak them in warm water with a tiny bit of hand washing soap (used for delicates and lingerie) until the mud loosens up.  Then you should be able to finish up with a washcloth removing the rest of the debris. 

For really caked on mud, I have found that a grout brush works really well.  These are much stiffer brushes than a regular dish brush, so they can come up against tough caked mud and still win!  Tie a string through the hole in the brush and then loop it over the end of your shoe rack, especially great for outdoor shoe racks or in the mud room, to remind folks to de-mud their shoes before entering your house! 

Here are some more great shoe cleaning tips I found.