Shoes, shoes everywhere! In our house, we tend to take off our shoes when we come home. Alas, that means a big ole' pile tends to stack up near the front door. Sneakers, dress shoes, rain boots, sandals...all on the floor. Our coat closet off the foyer is very small. I am not a fan of throwing them all in a wicker basket. Any clues? How do you keep shoes neat and organized without imposing unrealistic expectations on the family?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Kathryn,
I was going to tell you to get a deep basket, but maybe a shelf placed in the foyer would help instead? My wife and I keep our shoes in a wicker basket, but they are neatly placed in there and it's only two pairs each. Either way, there is a solution for your home.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We always kick off our shoes first thing, too, we just carry them to the bedroom to put away. :-)
If it really works better for your family to actually store the shoes by the front door, why not draw a floor plan of your foyer and see if there is room to place some sort of storage cabinet there?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I put mine away before I go to bed. I have a big jumbly pile in the closet. :)
I've been trying to teach the Border Collie to keep them put away for me. Yesterday I found three of his frisbees among the shoes, so I guess that is not working out very well yet.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We always take off shoes when we come in the house. When we added on to the front of our house we gained a good sized coat closet and room for somewhere to sit down and put on/take off shoes, boots, etc. We keep outdoor shoes (rubber boots, hiking boots, garden shoes, athletic shoes) in the coat closet. This is a large enough space for 3-4 pairs each (mine are small enough to be 2 pair deep). My husband added a shelf to the bottom of the closet, about 18" off the floor, which holds our gym bags and plastic boxes for gloves, mittens, hats (we live in Alaska, we have lots of these!). The shoes live underneath. What we usually do is to come inside, take off our shoes, boots, whatever, and put on house shoes which were left there when we went out. If we didn't wear designated outdoor shoes when we left, like in the summer, those shoes usually get carried up/down to the bedroom closet. So, in winter I come downstairs in my slippers, put on my boots and leave, carrying my work/gym/other indoor shoes in a bag (not necessary if you're going say grocery shopping). Reverse the process on return. In the summer, I usually just carry my shoes downstairs, though my gardening shoes stay in the coat closet. We do put winter boots away (in a shed) once they're not needed.
Posted 1 year ago # -
We do the 'basket o' shoes' thing...but a friend of mine made a "shoe chandelier" for her family. Basically they installed a plant hook in the ceiling by the door. Hung from that was a length of chain about 4 ft. long. Attached to the chain were "S" hooks to hang shoes on (all the way down the length of the chain.) Underneath, she placed a coconut-husk mat to absorb water and dirt. I know this may be excessive, but her kids really enjoyed the "shoe sculpture" and never failed to hang them up when they came in the door! :)
Posted 1 year ago # -
You buy a shoe rack, or a getabako. Here in Hawai'i, where EVERYONE follows the Japanese custom of removing shoes when you enter the house, getabakos are common. When my kitchen was remodeled, years ago, we installed a custom getabako right by the door.
A low, shallow bookshelf makes a good getabako if there's room for it.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ta daaa! ;)
Posted 1 year ago # -
ArtGal, I love the "shoe chandelier" idea. If she's willing, if you take a picture, I'd love to put it on my blog.
Speaking of which, I did a post on ways to store shoes by the door:
http://jdorganizer.blogspot.com/2007/10/leaving-your-shoes-at-door.htmlPosted 1 year ago # -
At our home it's a matter of getting the kids to actually put the shoes on the shoe rack I have at the garage door! I know, I know, tell them to put their shoes away..... easier said than done.
Posted 1 year ago # -
is there room for a small basket for each family member?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks for the great suggestions! Much appreciated!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Kathrynk- I want to second MrsMack's suggestion. IKEA has great products for storing shoes. The Bessa and Hemnes cabinets look attractive, don't take up much room and the backs are even cut away to allow for baseboards - so the cabinet sits snugly against the wall.
You might also consider seasonal sorting through so boots are not mixed with sandals and also making sure that shoes that are beyond wearing have not made their way to the bottom of the pile.
Posted 1 year ago # -
@ Jeri Dansky...it was similar to this, but without the bars (so it was linear and fit in the corner)...
http://www.teamcreative.net/catalog.htmlPosted 1 year ago # -
We had the same problem. I hung a closet shoe organizer (plastic with little pockets for the shoes) on the inside of the hall closet door, and the kids keep their shoes in the lower spaces. In the winter we keep gloves and scarves in the higher up spaces.
Posted 1 year ago #
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