Don’t let your shoes walk all over you—get them in line with custom closet shoe storage and racks!

How many pairs of shoes does the average person own? You might think 10, 20, or even 30 pairs, but when you get down to counting, sometimes that number creeps all the way past 90. Some individuals we’ve designed closets for actually have over 500 pairs of shoes, from heels to boots and everything in between.The traditional walk-in closet simply cannot accommodate the storage, organization, and display of a significant collection of footwear.

One of the common problems that clients bring to us is that they have too many shoes. Their closet can’t handle the stress on space, and they’re looking for a way to increase their closet’s storage volume without making any structural changes to the walls. And if you’re notorious for buying one pair in every color, you’ll definitely want to consider investing in a custom luxury shoe closet with shoe storage that fits the needs of your particular wardrobe.

Tips for Shoe Storage in Your New Custom Closet

The following tips show how custom angled shoe shelves can be used to store and display even the most extensive of shoe collections—and that you can only get this kind of high-quality result from a custom shoe closet.

Start With the Perfect Custom Design(er)

The beauty of a custom-built closet is that the designer is playing a master-level Tetris puzzle with the organizational elements that you want and need. Using double-hanging rods and adding shelving up higher on the walls, the best custom closet designers can help you maximize the available storage space in your closet. From there, you can customize creative storage options to accommodate your (truly admirable) shoe obsession.

The most important thing to remember is that customizing storage for your prized possessions isn’t just about closet design—it’s also about organization. The right designer will work with you to build positive habits and systems that will keep your collection in check from here on out. When you invest in a custom closet, you’re also getting a mini-session with a professional organizer at the same time!

Store Shoe Boxes Up High

Here at Closet America, our designers pride themselves on preaching the gospel of mathematical reality. There is only so much physical space for shoes in their given walk-in closet. We help our clients prioritize their space and select 30 pairs of their most commonly worn shoes to display on angled shoe shelves, and then storing the rest of their collection in their boxes. The shoes are no longer in a heap on the floor for your spouse to trip over. It’s like magic. As Closet America designer Jennie Rinker explains,

“I’ve personally worked with this strategy many times. I help clients understand that having that many shoes on the floor leaves each pair getting dusty and dirty, especially if they’re suede or have decorative fur or feathers. Eventually, they come to realize that they’re not wearing them often enough to keep them well. We have often installed a designated top shelf around the uppermost perimeter of the closet space that can house shoe boxes as a solution to keep everything in its place, perfectly.”

Display Your Heels With Elegance

If you’re the best kind of shoe snob, and you love collecting unique or designer footwear, you’ll want to display your collection in the most elegant way possible. Your wardrobe has become a serious investment already, and it’s worth a little extra effort to store in a beautiful and functional way. With the right strategy, you can store the nicest pairs of shoes in a way that preserves their quality for years to come.

“I recently designed shelves for a client in the DC area who had a three-car garage. We installed a ten-shelf unit around the entire perimeter of the space for her to store incredibly expensive designer shoes. She had previously been tossing her heels right on the concrete floor! This project made such a big difference in her life.” -Jennie Rinker

Transition Seasonally

For those collections that are truly expansive, it might be in your best interest to rotate your shoes according to the seasons. It’s highly unlikely that we here in Virginia and Maryland will be sporting strappy sandals in the middle of wet and cold January, so why not take that opportunity to migrate your shoes to another closet or storage space? Too many shoes is a real challenge, but breaking a collection apart seasonally can make things much more manageable.

“I sometimes have to be honest and real with my clients about their shoe conundrum. Unless they’re willing to expand the closet’s square footage, their entire collection won’t always fit in such a small space. So we work together to form a viable plan for the rest of the shoes. We can store your favorite summer shoes in the master walk-in for now, and store your boots elsewhere until the weather changes. Switching out shoes seasonally is a really popular solution with my clients.” -Jennie Rinker

Storing Your Shoes Your Way

With a beautifully designed custom closet, helpful guidance from a master organizer, and a little bit of open-minded creativity, you can easily create the closet of your dreams. Custom closets with shoe storage that fit your exact needs are a significant improvement on the tangled pile of shoes you currently dig through on the floor each morning. Trust us. These tips will change your shoe life forever.

Want to jump in feet-first? Schedule your free design consultation with Closet America today. Jennie and our other expert organizers will help you make a plan for your collection and bring about a beautiful custom closet that you’ll cherish for a lifetime. We can’t wait to see what your collection looks like when it’s displayed in full glory on our sparkling custom shoe shelves and custom-built shoe racks.

Lead image source: Unsplash user Dương Trần Quốc