A jumble of heels and loafers is no way to store a beautiful shoe collection, but keeping them consistently organized often throws people into a stress-induced panic. Well, implementing any system can be complicated, but I’ve simplified it so you can do it for yourself and keep it up. It’s called Organize & Create Discipline.
First, you need to assess the storage space and your collection of shoes. Are there any pairs that you haven’t worn in a long time? You can donate those to create more space. Do this twice a year, while also sending those shoes that are worn out but still worth keeping to a cobbler for repair. Once you’ve narrowed down the keepers, organize those shoes, first by size and weight, heels to sneakers, then by color. You’ll also want to keep the ones you wear most often, at least once every two weeks, in a more accessible place—your “special” shoes can be stored safely in a separate space.
Absolutely no shoeboxes! They only take up unnecessary space and hide the shoes when they need to be out in the open. A good tip for creating more space for your shoes is to place them with one toe facing out and one heel facing out, making it more compact and allowing you to see both sides of the shoe when making a decision of which to wear.
If you need to build shelves in your closet to store your shoes, by all means do it. Build them in eight-inch intervals to give them enough room. Generally seven pairs of sneakers fit on a five-foot shelf. If you are storing shoes in somewhere other than your closet, a wood or metal shoe rack is best, plastic ones break easily.
Discipline is the most important part of shoe organization. Always put shoes back exactly where you found them after each use, and have them dusted on a regular basis. Also, keep a digital inventory of all your shoes and save it to your phone so you can refer to it when making a decision of what to wear or what to buy.
For more expert tips from Justin Klosky, visit ocdexperience.com.
