Shoes. You hate storing them but can’t live without them. They clog up your entrance, invade your wardrobes and suffocate your hallways. Shoe storage is an enigma, but with the right storage solutions, you can continue to indulge your shoe obsession, expand your collection of favourite heels and still have enough room for a few of his pairs too. Here are a few of our favourite shoe storage ideas:

Go Vertical

Strapped for space but juggling an endless shoe collection? Pairs of shoes take up lots of floor space so store your pairs vertically with mounted shelves or steel bars to display and store effectively. Repurpose towel racks or create a bespoke shelf by converting a ladder into a storage unit or housing your beloved heels or along a towel bar.

Image by: Whistles, Masika Wa, Stagetecture.

Turn Storage into a Library

There’s little value in owning a beautiful pair of shoes if you keep them stuffed in the bottom of your wardrobe. Create a shoe library that will leave Carrie Bradshaw drooling with functional and stylish solutions for your beloved shoes. Visibility and accessibility are integral to a long lasting and efficient shoe storage solution, so rather than tucking your shoes away in their original packaging, store shoes in transparent containers and clear drawers to minimise time spent searching for your shoes. Other solutions include clear Velcro units that can hang from wardrobe railings or can be mounted behind your door.

Image: Howards Shoe Library.

Best Shoe Storage Solutions in the Market

We aren’t advocates of hiding away your shoes under the bed, in a hideaway drawer or in the pit of your garage, so we’ve compiled some of the best storage solutions on the market:

Ikea HYFS Shoe Boxes

Ikea’s range of shoe boxes are inexpensive solutions that will help you group similar shoes together, save time searching for a pair of shoes and will also give your wardrobe an uncluttered look.

With an opening at the front, the HYFS shoebox makes it an accessible solution but it also functions as a great decorative addition, allowing you to stack several boxes to suit your wardrobe.

Howards Storage World Elfa Shoe Library

Designed in Sweden, the Elfa shelving system provides a customised and flexible storage solution. The white decor trims provides an elegant and clean edge to a traditional wardrobe system and provides rooms for clear shoe cubes, gliding racks and extra shelves. The best thing about the shelving system is the space it provides to group different shoes together in a functional and decorative way. Ultimately, a diverse storage space is essential to cater to different kinds of shoe sizes and lengths, ranging from narrow flats to knee length boots.

Now that your shoes are well stored, it’s time to make some space for his shoes. Head to our Facebook page and share your top shoe storage tip to win a pair of handcrafted men’s shoes valued up to $250, or for more storage solutions for your home, check here.