Not Baskets, Not Shelves: The Clever Boot Storage Hack That Saves Closet Space

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If you have an abundant shoe collection, you're probably more than familiar with the struggle of trying to neatly organize the various styles. Finding appropriate footwear storage solutions becomes even more frustrating when you have a few pairs of tall boots. They never seem to fit anywhere in a closet. Thankfully, there are plenty of creative DIY solutions for keeping shoe clutter organized and off the floor of your closet. They don't involve bending your tall boots or stuffing them into a shelf, either. One such trick is to use pant hangers (the ones with clips) to hang your boots. Not only do your beloved boots have a home, but they keep their shape, and you free up space in your closet for other apparel — including more shoes!

The tall boot conundrum is one that comes with as many problems as solutions. You could, for example, go all out and install pricey custom closet shelving for shoes and boots. However, you'll likely find that slouchy boots — think soft leather boots with large turned-down cuffs or boots that pull up over the knee — won't be able to hold themselves up without the aid of a boot shaper. Thankfully, there's a way to keep your closet organized without the expense of custom shelves or fancy inserts. Using pant hangers to hang boots is highly functional, keeps your boots off the floor, and, depending on what kind of hangers you choose, can even look stylish.

Consider the method used by TikToker willworkforfashion. To manage boot organization in her closet, she simply takes a pant hanger — something similar to these Topia Hanger Black Wooden Pants Hangers — and attaches the top of a boot to each clip. Then loop the hanger over a closet rail. To ensure the pair of boots hangs neatly (and to free up a little more space in your closet), arrange the boots so that the toes face in opposite directions. Different types of hooks can accommodate specific needs. For example, another TikTok creator, everythingwith_tiff, does something similar using purpose-made individual boot hanger clips. A 24-pack of stylish Amber Home Gold Boot Clips costs just $18.

Do you have a small closet? Perhaps you are running out of room to hang things on your closet rods. You can save space in your closet with this brilliant storage hack for tall boots by hanging them somewhere else entirely. Find a blank wall in your closet — it could even be the back of your closet door if it opens outwards. Hammer a series of nails into the wall, making sure to measure your longest and widest pairs of boots to determine spacing. Clip your boots onto the pants hangers or boot hanger clips as before, then hang each pair on a nail. You could implement this idea in a walk-in wardrobe, bedroom, or mudroom, too.