Not Racks, Not Cabinets: The Completely Mobile Way To Organize Shoes

Organizing shoes can feel like a nightmare scenario, especially for people in charge of managing an entire household. With multiple individuals — each of whom possesses multiple pairs of shoes — your reality could become one in which you're tripping over shoes just to get out the door. While stationary storage options, such as racks and baskets, provide a reliable drop zone for footwear, they also can get in the way, pinching entryways and stealing square footage. If you're looking for a clever way to store shoes without a shoe cabinet, you can make use of a tiered utility cart for a completely mobile option.

The humble utility cart is truly a workhorse of a home resource. Loading it up with shoes is a simple but effective way to ensure your floors stay clear. Most utility carts come with three tiers, as well as casters and wheel locks — each aspect has immense value. The multiple tiers are handy in homes with numerous members and lots of shoes. Everyone should be able to stash at least one pair of shoes on a cart (or more if you have littles in the house).

Shoe racks can have very shallow edges or lips, which makes it nearly impossible to move the unit without spilling shoes everywhere. The tiers of a utility cart, however, are designed with substantial height on each side. This design feature securely holds the shoes in place while the roll-away design of the cart ensures it can be moved with minimal effort. Finally, utility carts are often made from durable, powder-coated metal, which is an asset when dealing with messy shoes that may be muddy or wet.

This idea is easy to implement in your home and requires only a little bit of planning. First, consider where you can place a utility cart without it being in the way. Even though it can be moved easily, rolling it multiple times a day just to open the door isn't sustainable. If you wish to place it near an entryway, such as a foyer or utility room by the garage, see if you can carve out space for it that will still allow for the door's swinging radius. An entryway closet can be another viable location for the utility-cart-turned-shoe-storage solution. If prior to company arriving you need to create an entryway space when you have limited room, simply wheel the cart to a bedroom closet to eliminate the clutter. A utility cart can also serve as a stationary shoe storage solution in bedrooms, which guarantees that floors stay clear.

This versatile shoe storage method is pretty foolproof, but it does come with a couple of logistical concerns. Dirt can easily fall through the bottoms of each tier, leading to dirt cascading into shoes on lower levels, and eventually the floor underneath the cart. To get ahead of the mess, line each tier with brown paper or even plastic placemats. It might be in your best interest to place a small rug underneath the cart, too, to collect any dirt that does slip through.

Lastly, if you need to acquire a utility cart for this storage solution, IKEA's RÅSKOG utility cart ($29.99) is a solid choice with a 4.6-star average rating from customers. While you're at it, check out these other genius ways an IKEA rolling cart can add extra storage around the house.