Strategic Organization Vol. 3

Adventures on Shoe Mountain

This volume of Strategic Organization is brought to you by a reader request! A busy mom of 5 asked me how to conquer Shoe Mountain. You know it, the heap of shoes that’s always right in front of the door. My specific solutions for her depend on her actual space, but here’s where I’d start on the Adventure of Shoe Mountain.

1. Declutter shoes. I know, no one wants to hear this, but is it possible you have too many shoes? How many pairs does each person have? How often are they worn? Do they still fit? Are they in good shape?

I have all boys, and usually we don’t need to declutter shoes. They have a pair of tennis shoes, a pair of Crocs or sandals, and a pair of church shoes. The younger ones sometimes have an extra pair due to the wonder of hand-me-downs, but overall, I’m the only one in my house with more shoes than needed.

2. Keep everyday shoes by the door, others elsewhere. Can snow and rain boots go in the garage or on a boot tray somewhere else? Would church/dress shoes fit in bedroom closets? Have you considered storing cleats and sports shoes in the laundry room with uniforms? Yes, this adds another step to getting tidied up, but you get to decide which matters more: not doing an extra step to put shoes away or having less shoe clutter around the door. There’s no right or wrong here.

[Aside: I don’t have a laundry room a tip I absolutely love is storing all sports clothing (looking at you: special baseball and soccer socks, uniforms, underclothes, shoes) in the laundry room so that there isn’t a scramble to find them before practice and games.]

3. Think vertical. Using vertical space is something organizers will preach over and over. This organizing tactic is especially important when your square footage is limited. There are cabinet, open shelf, hanging, and over-the-door options. One of these might work in your space.

I have something similar to this directly behind our back door. Is it super sexy and stylish? Not in the least. Does it save me from lighting everyone’s shoes on fire the second I step through the door? YUP. We each get a couple shelves (fine, I get more than a couple but I’m the stuff manager so it’s fair).

Seasonal boots are on a boot tray nearby or inside our Ikea coat cabinet. Cleats and basketball shoes are in sports bags or in the garage. My extra/out of season shoes are in my closet. We definitely still kick off our shoes right when we come in, but I assign shoe tidying to a kid each day and it keeps the space manageable.

I also have this shoe rack in my basement storage room for cleats, boots, and upcoming sized hand-me-downs. Not gorgeous, works wonderfully.

I hope some of these tips will help you look at your family’s Shoe Mountain not as an insurmountable obstacle but as an opportunity for organizational creativity. I believe in you.

Oh hey there! I’m Ashley, and I love my job as a professional home organizer in Jamestown, ND. I help people clear clutter and get their homes organized. Judgement is not included in my services! No matter your starting point, we can declutter, organize and set you up in a space that works for you. We’ll work together and when I leave, you’ll have the systems to keep it up.

Click HERE to schedule a complimentary consultation to chat about how I can help you be the boss of your stuff.