How to Organize Shoes in a Small Closet

Working with a small space of any kind, especially a closet, can be tricky. Organizing your shoes in a small closet can be downright challenging. Shoes are awkward shapes, so they’re harder to store than T-shirts or socks. You probably have shoes for different seasons and purposes, some of which you wear all the time and some of which you may only wear a couple of times a year. Once your small closet is organized and your shoes are stored neatly, you’ll probably save yourself a lot of time and frustration.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Getting Your Shoes and Closet Ready

1
Gather all the shoes you want to organize in one place. To get started, find all the shoes you want to put in your small closet together in one place so you can sort them out.^{[1]XExpert SourceKeith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari ConsultantExpert Interview. 2 January 2020.} This includes all the shoes already in your closet and any others you may have stored elsewhere. By taking all the shoes out of your closet, you’ll be able to see the kind of space you’ll be working with.^{[2]XResearch source}
- This is also a great time to purge your shoes. Throw out shoes that are no longer wearable and donate shoes that are still in good repair, but you don’t wear anymore.
2
Sort your shoes by season and purpose. You likely have shoes you only wear in one season but not the rest of the year. Shoes like that do not need to be front and centre in your closet; they can be stored further back or up in your closet. Once you’ve decided which shoes you want to keep, sort them into groups by season and purpose.^{[3]XResearch source}
- You can also sort your shoes by colour if you want. Sorting by colour might help you make decisions on which shoes to wear when you’re getting ready for work in the morning.
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3
Evaluate the space you have to work with. The key to organizing any small space is to take advantage of every bit of that space. Look in your closet and assess what type of space there is for your shoes. Do you have wall space available? Can you put stuff on the back of your closet door? Is there shelf space free?^{[4]XResearch source}
- Keep note of the space you have in your closet that wasn’t previously utilized. You may want to take advantage of this space for your shoes once you start putting them back in your closet.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Your Existing Closet Space

1
Use under-shelf baskets if your closet has shelves. The great thing about these types of baskets is that they slide under an existing shelf, but the actual shelf itself doesn’t have to be empty. For example, if you have two vertical shelves that are each 12 inches (30 cm) high, but the items on the shelf only take up 6 inches (15 cm) of space, you have another 6 inches (15 cm) of space of which to take advantage. A basket that hangs under the upper shelf can use that 6 inches (15 cm) of available space.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If necessary, reorganize the items on the shelves so you can fit as many under-shelf baskets as possible.
2
Try hanging fabric shelves if there’s room on your closet rod. Most closets already have a rod upon which you hang your clothes. If there’s space on this rod, try hanging a fabric shelf to the rod to take advantage of all that vertical space. The narrower versions, which are about 6 inches (15 cm) wide, work best for shoes, as one cubby perfectly fits one pair of shoes.^{[6]XResearch source}
- These fabric shelves fold up like an accordion and attach to your closet rod using strong velcro.
- While the narrower versions are a great size for shoes, the wider versions, which are about 12 inches (30 cm) wide, can also hold baskets or bins.
3
Make your own sandal storage devices with wire hangers. If you happen to have some extra wire hangers you’re not currently using, you can use them to make a hanger for sandals. Use wire cutters to cut off the bottom part of the triangle that makes up the hanger, then use pliers to fold the two ends of the curved parts of the hanger upwards. Now slide the straps of your sandals over the new curved ends and allow them to hang.^{[7]XResearch source}
- You may also want to use the pliers to curve the ends into a decorative circle to remove the sharp edges of the wire.
- Once your sandal hangers are made, you can hang them from an existing closet rod or even a hook on the door or wall. Or, you can install a new closet rod low to the floor just for your sandals.
- If you don’t have any wire hangers, try asking friends or family if they have any they can give you. Or, you can ask at a dry cleaner if they have any old hangers you could have.
4
Use baskets, bins, or crates if you have the space. Larger-sized baskets, bins, or crates work well for storing casual shoes, or shoes that can be piled upon each other without worry. For example, you could add a basket in your closet just for your flip-flops and/or slippers. You can place the baskets, bins, or crates on an existing shelf, or you can simply place them on the floor.^{[8]XResearch source}
- If you think you have space for a basket, bin, or crate, measure that space with a tape measure and write down the dimensions of the space. Then, when you go to the store, you can measure the basket to make sure it’s the correct size for the space you have.
5
Hang a shoe organizer on the closet door if there’s space. If you have a closet door that’s similar to a regular door and there’s room between the door and the items inside the closet, a shoe organizer can help you take advantage of this space. These types of shoe organizers usually come with hooks that go over the top of the door, and they have multiple pockets, allowing you to store several pairs of shoes.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You can also get heavy-duty organizers that can be mounted to the back of the door. They will, however, require more space than the fabric versions.
6
Place clear plastic shoe boxes on any shelf space you have. While shoes obviously come in their own boxes, those boxes are usually made of cardboard, which means they are not see-through. Clear plastic shoe boxes, on the other hand, are see-through, which means you can see exactly which shoes are in which boxes. You can put these boxes on available shelf space, or even inside a hanging fabric shelf.
- Plastic shoe boxes are great for shoes you only wear occasionally, as they may be more difficult to take out of the closet if other items are piled on top.
- These plastic shoe boxes come in different sizes, including ones large enough to store tall boots.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Adding New Storage to Your Closet

1
Make stylish shoe racks with crown molding. Crown molding usually goes on your wall near the ceiling, but if you hang it on the wall in your closet, it can be a great place to hang heeled shoes. Crown molding usually goes along the top of your wall, against your ceiling and comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Hang strips of the molding on the walls of your closet. Then, place your heeled shoes on the molding with the toes facing the floor.^{[10]XResearch source}
- As an example, you might hang one piece of crown molding that’s 3 feet (0.91 m) long, 7 feet (2.1 m) up the wall, then place a second piece of the same length, 5.5 feet (1.7 m) up the wall.
2
Install tension rods to hang your heels. Tension rods, which are the type of rods you’d use for shower curtains, are rods that are spring-loaded and can be placed between flat surfaces. Once hung between these two flat surfaces, you can hang the heels of your shoes over the rods. Ideally, you’ll have enough space to install more than one rod vertically in this space, which would create more shoe storage. ^{[11]XResearch source}
- If you have a space that is 3 feet (0.91 m) wide, you’ll need to purchase a tension rod with a minimum length less than 3 feet (0.91 m).
3
Place curtain rods on empty walls in your closet. As opposed to tension rods, which need two flat surfaces on either side to push against, curtain rods are designed to be used on a completely flat wall. Mount each end of the curtain rod to the wall with screws. Then, slide your shoes between the wall and the curtain rod for storage. The toes of your shoes will point towards the floor and the ankle portions of your shoes will rest on the curtain rod.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Most of these types of curtain rods are metal and can be painted using spray paint if you don’t like their colour.
- The rods should stick out far enough to allow the toes of your shoes to slide through, but not too far as to allow you shoes to fall right through.
4
Put your cool shoes on display. Sure, you can store all your shoes in a closet where no one can see them, which is probably a good idea for your muddy boots, but some shoes could also be considered works of art. Instead of storing those shoes in your closet, hang small shelves on your wall, in various strategic places, and put your shoes on these wall shelves.^{[13]XResearch source}
- To make this concept stylish, use shelves that would only hold 1 or 2 pairs of shoes and stagger them on the wall in various places.
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Expert Q&A

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Question
Is it better to keep shoes in boxes or out?
Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Keith Bartolomei is a Professional Organizer who runs his own consulting business called Zen Habitat based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keith is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and is a Certified KonMari Consultant. He has over six years of organizational experience and has been trained in the art of tidying, including being trained by author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo, and her team. He has been voted as one of the Best Home Organizers in San Francisco by Expertise in 2018 and 2019.
Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Expert Answer
Make your shoes as easy to access and put away as possible. That way, you'll be more likely to keep your shoes organized
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Question
What is the best shoe organizer?
Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Keith Bartolomei is a Professional Organizer who runs his own consulting business called Zen Habitat based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keith is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and is a Certified KonMari Consultant. He has over six years of organizational experience and has been trained in the art of tidying, including being trained by author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo, and her team. He has been voted as one of the Best Home Organizers in San Francisco by Expertise in 2018 and 2019.
Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Expert Answer
Shelves are more efficient than stackable containers since they make accessing your belongings easier.
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Tips

If you need to store your shoes in a box or bin that is not clear, take photos of the shoes before putting them in the box and then tape the photo to the outside of the box. This way, you can find what you’re looking for without actually having to open and look instead each and every box in your closet.
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