The 20 Very Best Shoe Organizers

Storage space: 36 pairs | Form and functionality: 12 tiers with angled bars | Ease of incorporation: Medium

If you dream of a Devil Wears Prada–esque shoe closet, this over-the-door solution is a good place to start. Home organizer Caroline Solomon recommends it for those with lots of footwear and nowhere to put it. “The beauty of this setup is that it allows your clothes to be on full display in your closet, while the door becomes a shoe closet in itself,” she says. Former Strategist senior writer Lauren Levy is a Whitmor convert, since the organizer combines the best parts of an over-the-door option with those of a standard shoe rack. “When similarly tilted racks sit on the floor, shoes without heels will often slide off, but here, your door will prop up anything (like ballet flats) that can’t grip onto the coated metal bars,” she says. And unlike other over-the-door solutions, it’s a “rare hanging option that doesn’t involve any pockets.” The organizer does take more assembly, according to Levy, “though not more than ten minutes; no tools required.” And Strategist writer Dominique Pariso actually bought her own Whitmor after Levy evangelized about the rack, praising it for freeing up floor space and making getting dressed in the morning much easier as her shoes are all on display for her to choose from.

Storage space: Up to 8 pairs | Form and functionality: Stackable, two-tier design | Ease of incorporation: Easy

This two-shelf shoe stacker is decidedly minimalist — and that’s precisely why professional organizer Britnee Tanner thinks so highly of it. You can choose between a white or bamboo-esque “natural” finish, which will help spotlight your shoes rather than the shelf. The utilitarian design makes it ideal for stacking, as you can keep building it up vertically to get the most out of any unused space, Tanner says. And even as you stack, it’s easy to clean. That’s because of the clean lines — the solid, flat surface of each tier can be wiped down effortlessly, she explains, as can the stacker’s “feet,” which are likely to get dusty on the floor. If you don’t have the vertical space to stack, you can place multiples side by side, especially if you’re planning on using this option in a closet, where its relatively low profile can fit under hanging clothes. To maximize the stacker’s storage power, Tanner advises placing each pair of shoes with the toe of the right shoe pointing forward and the toe of the left shoe pointing backward so they can sit closer together and free up space for more.

The Container Store also makes a stackable mesh shoe shelf that’s quite similar to this organizer, which Anna Bauer of Sorted by Anna uses herself. It’s a bit narrower, deeper, taller, and with more vertical space between shelves and comes in two colors — white and platinum. Bauer uses a similar trick to maximize space on the shelves by facing pairs of shoes in the opposite directions and notes that you can even store boots on the topmost shelf — she recommends rolling an old magazine into the shaft of each boot to help them stand upright.

Storage space: One pair per box | Form and functionality: Drop-front to make stacking easier | Ease of incorporation: Easy

This was probably the single most mentioned solution — particularly for passionate sneakerheads. Although it’s not as practical for those with bigger collections — the boxes aren’t especially space-efficient, and you’ll have to buy them in bulk — they are useful for the pairs you do want to show off. “These create an exact home for every shoe with super-easy access and give your closet a beautiful yet functional aesthetic,” explains Jamie Hord of Horderly Professional Organizing.

On the more practical side, each box’s “closed drawers keep shoes protected from dust, while small ventilation holes allow shoes to breathe,” says Jessica Decker of Become Organized. Naeemah Ford Goldson of Restore Order Professional Organizing points out how versatile these boxes are — you can keep them under your bed or stacked on shelves. Emily Matles of Emagine Simplicity appreciates that “you don’t have to unstack them to get the pair of shoes you want.”

The boxes are available in three different sizes, so they can even be high-top friendly. Each size is also available in a set of six (which will save you a little money by bringing down the price of each box). Sara Losonci, founder of Shelfie, likes organizing pairs by color for a coordinated look. Or you could go for this version that’s meant to showcase the side profile of the shoes inside — as professional organizer Carrie Powell says, they will flaunt what you have “whether they’re on your feet or not.”

Storage space: 12 pairs | Form and functionality: Made from steel, three-tier design | Ease of incorporation: Medium

The Open Spaces Entryway Rack stands out in the realm of shoe-storage solutions for its clean lines and unexpected colors (like baby blue and blush). It’s meant to be displayed and walks the line toward full-on furniture. Elsa Elbert, founder of Composed Living, describes it as “beautiful enough to be out in the open, and the solid shelves ensure your heels won’t fall through the cracks.” Powell likes that it’s low-profile enough for those entries to “shoes-off households.” Losonci mentions that you can use it for more than just shoes. (You can perch a plant on it — no problem!) I’ll add that it surprisingly didn’t take much time to put together. All of the tools are included, and the thoughtful packaging is designed to serve as another set of hands, holding the shelves in place as you build. The piece can get a little dusty, but a wipe down with a dry cloth is an easy fix. Although it’s close to $200, it’s well worth the money. Occasionally, it goes on sale for less than $150, so keep an eye out, deal hunters.

Storage space: Up to 12 pairs | Form and functionality: Expandable, three-tier design | Ease of incorporation: Medium

Japanese homeware company Yamazaki is known for its thoughtful, understated designs — it’s topped our lists of the best laundry baskets and dish racks. This expandable shoe rack — one of only two we heard about — is Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo’s favorite buy of 2022. You can expand it width-wise to hold between two to four pairs of shoes across, she explains, “giving the illusion that our shoes are kind of elegantly floating in space.” Like we’ve come to expect from the brand, the rack is “calming to look at, like the décor you’d see in a boutique hotel upstate,” Corsillo explains, adding that it’s “surprisingly slim and unobtrusive for how strong it is.” She likes how she can easily pick it up — the rack is currently one of the first things you see when you walk into her apartment — she can clean it up underneath without making a fuss.

Storage space: 15 to 21 pairs | Form and functionality: Expandable, three-tier design | Ease of incorporation: Medium

Three of our organizing pros recommended this expandable rack: Schrier, Bauer, and certified KonMari consultant Kelley Jonkoff all swear by it for its grippy bars. “The foam coating is key,” says Schrier. “It keeps the shoes from slipping off the rack.” So if you’re a flats fanatic, this is your best bet. Jonkoff singles out its adjustable width, which she says is nice if you move often. “Moving is expensive enough without having to replace your things to fit your new smaller or larger space,” she says. “I’ve had a similar design to this for over ten years, and it’s still going strong.”

Storage space: Up to 12 pairs | Form and functionality: Expandable, with single or double shelves | Ease of incorporation: Medium

Another adjustable rack from Yamazaki is the Line, which has an even cleaner look than the one above. You have a choice between a single-shelf model or a double-decker. Solomon introduced me to it in our guide to the best closet organizers, promising that it holds “more shoes on it than you might think at first glance.” Width-wise, the rack expands from 15 to a little more than 27 inches, with a low-enough profile to sit at the bottom of a closet underneath hanging clothes. Solomon suggests putting shoes like flats and loafers on top and storing heavier sneakers beneath to give the architectural design some visual balance. Her recommendation was so convincing that I now have one sitting in my online cart, and I’m just waiting for a sale to check out. I think it’s an excellent option for an entryway since it practically disappears into the background.

Storage space: Up to ten pairs | Form and functionality: Cushion, adjustable side shelves | Ease of incorporation: Hard

For a piece that combines seating with shoe storage, Lokey recommends this cushioned bench with cubbies. She calls it “functional storage that is great for kids, the elderly, or anyone who would like the practicality of having built-in seating adjacent to their most frequently worn shoes.” The bench comes with a removable cushion, and the side shelves can be adjusted for taller boots.

Storage space: Starting at up to 6 pairs | Form and functionality: Three or five shelves | Ease of incorporation: Hard

It was almost impossible for Ann Lightfoot, co-founder of Done & Done Home, to name her all-time favorite shoe-storage solution. But the one she always comes back to is this bench. Since shoes are out in the open, there’s no wondering about where a pair is. It’s “a win if everyone can find their shoes at a moment’s notice and no one is tripping over errant footwear when they walk in the door,” she says. Although it’s on the industrial side in appearance, Lightfoot likes that it’s classic enough for almost any entryway. You can choose between a three-tiered design and a five-tiered one with a stepped configuration to hold more pairs. And the top of the bench can act as another shelf for grab-and-go items like keys.

Storage space: Up to four pairs | Form and functionality: Two cabinets, must be wall-mounted | Ease of incorporation: Hard

Ikea’s top-selling Trones are a favorite of Bauer, Matles, and Losonci along with Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa. Bauer likes the compactness of the mounted cabinets — which can be installed in multiples (like so) — a sentiment seconded by Matles, who adds that they help keep shoes off the floor. Losonci originally bought them for a small Hell’s Kitchen walk-up — and still has them three apartments later. Because these are “super-narrow, you don’t even notice they are there,” she says. (A tip from Losonci: If you lay your shoes on their sides, you can get another pair or two in there.) Rellosa has a set of Trones side by side in a hallway that’s “maybe two to three feet max” width-wise. The running shoes he has in rotation live in one, while the other holds his going-out footwear. He makes sure the bottoms of his shoes aren’t too dirty before putting them in the cabinets, since they are white inside and out. “I wish I didn’t have to drill to hang them up, but for $40, it felt like such a deal for clean, simple, decluttered storage,” he says.

If you prefer something that won’t put holes in your drywall, check out the Swedish store’s bookcases. Elbert recommends the Billy/Oxberg bookcase for shoe storage, as it “offers a glass display to show off shoes on top, and you can leave those ‘less attractive’ options behind the solid door.” Solomon is into the original Billy bookcase, suggesting that more-frequently-worn shoes should be put at eye level, less-frequently-worn pairs up high, and slippers on the lowest shelf for the easiest access.

Storage space: One pair per slot, six-piece set | Form and functionality: Saves space on shelves | Ease of incorporation: Easy

To squeeze even more space out of whatever solution you choose, Decker suggests trying these Shoe Slotz, which “increase storage space and prevent shoes from getting damaged sitting on top of each other.” These are almost identical to the ones Strategist contributor Alison Freer likens to “individual two-story condos for every single pair of footwear.” Schrier uses something similar, agreeing that these “literally double the amount of shoes you can store on a flat rack or on the floor.”