By stealing some inspiration from Marie Kondo
The Decluttering Dynamo!
The Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has set off a
decluttering craze in the UK. Marie Kondo is a Japanese
organising guru with a simple twin-track approach tidying
approach:
- Gather everything you own: ask yourself if it sparks joy. If
not, thank it for its service and get rid of it.
- Put your remaining joy-sparking belongings in a place where
they’re visible, accessible, easy to grab and to put back.
Kondo says to tackle categories – like shoes – rather than
rooms. Once you've cleared your shoe clutter, you're rewarded by
feeling joy, pride and satisfaction, both when you’ve finished and
every time you open your shoe storage to get ready.
The bonus about doing this with shoes is that Kondo loves to use
leftover shoeboxes as organisers e.g. for drawer dividers for
folded clothes etc.
Embracing Kondo’s know-how, here’s our take on top shoe storage...
They're in here somewhere, I know it...
If you're like me, you’ll love shoes. The trouble is they need a
place to be stored. We've tested the best shoe storage from
smallest to biggest, cheapest to dearest, smartest to most
stylish.
Shoe storage keeps all your shoes in one place, so they're easy
to find: no more being an intrepid explorer delving into the back
of your cupboard or wardrobe on a search and rescue mission.
Top Tip: No more nasty niffs: try bags of pot
pourri, lavender or even some special carbon neutralizing pads
which can absorb amazing amounts of odour particles to create
cleaner, fresher air.
Where's best for your shoe storage?
Closest to your clothes in your bedroom is logical: it's easy to
check how they co-ordinate or contrast with your outfits.
Don't forget all the kids' shoes too – for school, sport, play,
plus wellies and more. Now you can tidy them neatly away – and in
pairs too: none of the singular sock syndrome.
How about in your hallway or porch? Swap your work or leisure
shoes for slippers, so you're not bringing outdoor dirt into your
home, not causing extra cleaning and not damaging your floor.
Plus, you relax straightaway: taking off your shoes symbolically
leaves behind the day's stresses and strains.
Shoe Racks
Usually the cheapest option. Your shoes are close to hand, but on
show so they'll need more dusting. Just like Shoe Cupboards, they
take up little floorspace, so you've more room to move
around.
Who says that shoe storage has to be on the
floor?
Our über-cool Wall Mounted Shoe Rack gives storage a
different dimension. It's literally an off-the-wall idea: your
footwear floats in mid-air. You can proudly display them to
admire their alluring beauty.
The small rack holds 4-5 pairs, the large size holds 8.
Can't find the right rack for your gap?
For anywhere, even inside your wardrobe, our £22 double-layered
Stacking and Extending Shoe Rack
s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s to fill a space from 63-113cm wide – holding 6
to 10 pairs of shoes: that's from just £2.20 to store each pair.
Stack 2 of them for 4-tier storage and save more floorspace.
Looking for more style?
Try our Ashwood Shoe Bench, designed by Sebastian
Conran – the son of Sir Terence and brother of Jasper. Oozing
effortless style, its top shelf is for slippers and flats;
underneath for high heels and ankle boots.
Crafted from ash veneer and steel, it’s halfway between a shoe
rack and a shoe bench – which could be handy when putting on and
taking off your shoes.
Better on the eye – and the nose – plus they need less dusting.
They give your home a streamlined look: less clutter to distract
the eye and depress the heart.
They close away odours too, but usually have vented slats or open
backs so air can circulate.
Size matters. Some only store up to size 10. If you've bigger
shoes, a Shoe Bench may give you more room – some have basket
storage too.
Store more vertically
Our Slatted Shoe Storage Cabinet – shown here in
Mahogany-effect, but also available in White – beautifully hides away up to 9
pairs.
Designer Style
These two vertical opening cabinets by renowned Finnish designer
Ristomatti Ratia have style, superb build quality, two pull-down
drawers and open backs for ventilation. Our Merton Shoe Cabinet in White with Oak or
Walnut holds up to 9 pairs.
Our NewEst
Shoe Storage Cabinet in Oak or Walnut holds up to 20
pairs.
Generally bigger and more substantial, you can sit down to take
off and put on your shoes. But they don't maximise your vertical
space. They're smart enough for your bedroom, porchway, hallway
or at the top of the stairs.
Shoe Benches needn't be fixed
Our Handbridge Storage Cube Hallway Bench in White
or Oak finish has 3 separate cubes that can fix together. Plus, you
can have them as open shelves or with lidded canvas storage
boxes.
No more abandoning shoes on the floor
Our top quality 3-in-1 Wooden Hallway Bench and Shoe Store has a
bench, 3 shoe baskets for shoes, plus 3 drawers for hats, gloves,
dog leads and more.
Looking for a more traditional Shoe bench?
Our Farnworth Shoe Storage Locker and Bench in fir
wood has classic cubby holes and metal name holders. It's like
walking back in time to a country house or old school boot room.
But no more hopping around with one shoe on trying to get out the
door so you're not late for class.
Not the right size? Don't worry, we have a range of Farnworth and Chedworth shoe lockers to suit pretty
much any space
Over to you!
There we have it, a fresh look at sorting, storing and stacking
your shoes. Everything we've shown above is part of the extensive
collection of shoe storage. If you have a specific
requirement - please call to speak with one of our storage
experts.
