Forget The Closet: There's A Better Way To Store Shoes

When you were a kid, an adult likely had to remind you from time to time to put your shoes in their proper place — this might have been a closet in an entryway or your bedroom. But closets are no longer the only (or even the best) spots to store footwear. Before considering shoe storage ideas for small closets, you might also want to think about an entirely new place to house your collection. Rather than relying on a closet, you may be able to store certain pairs of shoes on a rack set up in your garage instead.

Storing shoes in a garage is a better solution for a number of different scenarios. For one, this helps to keep dirty and muddy shoes out of your home, so your floors stay clean and protected. It also makes more sense to store shoes here over an entryway if people primarily enter your home through the garage and not your front door. Shoe storage racks in your garage can also offer a landing place for running, gardening, and yard work shoes, as well as snow or rain boots, so they don't pile up in a corner and get damaged or grungy.

Before you create storage racks in your garage for household shoes, it's first important to determine how many pairs you plan on storing in the space. This can give you a good idea of how large of a rack you'll need to house the shoes, as well as how many shelves you might need. You can then determine what size of a rack can fit into a particular nook in your garage.

The next step is determining the style and materials. While some of the same shoe racks that will make your mudroom more organized may also be used in your garage, you might want to consider metal based racks for this space. Untreated wood cubbies or plastic shelves may not hold up as well in a garage that isn't climate controlled. Freestanding industrial shelving is often the best choice, but you can also install wall-mounted shelves to save garage space. If you do space to work with and want something a little less clinical looking, you can add built-in cubbies or cabinets to hold shoes.

While storing shoes in your garage can be a game changing solution (hello, extra indoor closet space!), know that there are some downsides to this option. You can technically keep any pair of shoes on a storage rack in your garage, but chances are you don't want to place any dress pairs here. Also, if you have pest issues in your garage, don't forget to check this unexpected spot for bugs before storing your shoes.