How to organize shoes in your entryway
What do I do with all the shoes?
Maybe I am the only one (I don’t think so), but shoes have always been a problem area in my home organization. Our house has two major points of entry, and we use both regularly. One is an open foyer with no hall closet at the front door, and one is an entry from the garage directly into the kitchen. Both regularly collected kicked off, sometimes muddy, wet, or snowy, piles of shoes. Both drove me crazy.
Recognizing the problem
I recently fixed the front entry by replacing a chest with a simple set of shoe racks. No one wanted to bother bending down to open the lid to a chest that was awkwardly stuffed sideways under a set of stairs. It also made it hard to retrieve shoes when rushing out the door (which, let’s be honest, we always are). It was pretty and minimalist, but useless because the shoes still always sat in piles right in front of it. Inexpensive, stackable wire racks solved both problems and now my front entryway is clear (usually!).
The garage landing still drove me crazy, though. We had an over-the-door shoe rack hanging on the wall with more than enough slots for all the shoes, but they still always ended up in piles. Not to mention that the plastic had seen better days. Often those shoe piles lived on the steps, which was not only disorganized, but a tripping hazard. We had another shoe rack against the landing wall, but it sat just far enough away that no one used it and narrow shelves meant the shoes fell off more than they stayed on. We also had random hooks for snowy winter gear, umbrellas just piled in a cobwebby corner, mops behind the door, crusty mats, and paint cans that needed to be disposed of. The whole thing needed a refresh and some new organizational ideas.
Organizing solutions
5-step no mess decluttering processing
The first step to any organization solution is always to declutter. This project was no different. I used Dana K White’s no-mess decluttering to make quick, easy progress. First, I got rid of all the garbage. Good-bye paint cans that had been sitting there for a year. Yes, a year – don’t judge, you have them too. The hanging shoe organizer also left, as did some of the ripped, unworn shoes and the welcome mats that we could no longer clean (or even bend!). Then I moved things that already had a home elsewhere to that place immediately. The mop that only gets used every few years when the basement gets water went to the basement laundry room (see my hot take on washing floors). The flower buckets and watering can went to the garden tools shelf (see the garage organization posts). Third, I put the “duh” donations in my donate bin to be taken to my favorite thrift store. This included some nice shoes that were just too small for anyone and the shoe rack that wasn’t serving us. Everything else belonged in this space, it just needed some better solutions.
Giving the space a face-lift
This isn’t strictly organization, but one of the goals of organization and decluttering is to make your space a place where your brain can relax a little more. A dirty-feeling space sends subconscious messages about things that need doing. Cobwebs are gross, but easily removed. Dirty, scuffed walls can send those messages even when there is no easy way to clean them. So the first thing I did was to clear out the cobwebs and then give the walls a quick fresh coat of paint. A quick touchup of the door and trim also made a big difference. This didn’t cost me anything as I used some leftover paint from a project I had done last year. It also only took a few hours and absolutely delivered on value for time.
Shoe solutions
The next step was to find a solution to the pain points of shoe storage. My kids are busy and always on the go. We needed a solution that didn’t take much time to either find shoes or put them away. Some of the family are also very visual organizers, so open containers serve those needs well. Our unique problems involved the space. Kicking shoes off inside never worked because the door leads directly into the kitchen. Kicking them off outside led to shoes blocking stairs and doors. My solution was to hang baskets on the wall at a low level for frequently used shoes. Work shoes that we only use more occasionally hang a little higher.
Umbrella storage
The umbrellas also presented another minor problem in our landing zone. Leaning them up in the corner worked, but it was messy-looking, attracted spiders, and they constantly fell over. A little creative DIY led to an elegant, functional solution. An inexpensive (read dollar store) lattice basket holds the nose of the umbrella while allowing water to drip onto the cement floor instead of collecting. Repurposed wall-hanging plant pot holders that I already had on hand serve to hold them upright. The umbrellas are both near the exterior door and on the way to the car. They stay contained and have room to unfurl a little to dry better when wet, but they don’t take up room, fall into people’s path, or live where they will attract bugs.
Final touches
A few decorative touches make the space complete. Some over-the-door hooks for wet winter gear, an inexpensive, but soft, outdoor rug, and a “Welcome Home” sign complete the look. What used to be an eye-sore and a problem area is now a cozy, organized, and welcoming landing zone for family members arriving home.
Sometimes organizing solutions just take some creative out-of-the box thinking. If you feel stuck and need someone to help you find the kind of solutions that make your space work for your family, contact me to see what we can accomplish together.
