Who doesn’t love a good pair of shoes to complete an outfit? These small elements have an immense ability to transform a look, boost confidence, and add some personal flair. When it comes to storing and keeping these items organized and tidy that would be a different story. Without a proper system (you know how we feel about organizational systems here at tmm!) these items will surely fall into disarray quickly. Here’s a round up our favorite organizing solutions to take on the task.

shoe solutions

The classic shoe shelf organizers

Tried and true, here are our favorite shoe organizers/riser shelves. Using shoe shelves allows you to maximize space and storage capacity. It offers the ability to tuck them away in a closet or have them aesthetically staged for guests by your front door, or even use them in a garage or mudroom to separate the work and garden shoes from the rest of your everyday shoes.

Shoe boxes

Okay, so hear us out. We aren’t talking about saving the random array of cardboard boxes that your shoes come in after purchase, that wouldn’t be aesthetically pleasing and you can’t see them. We are talking about intentional storage pieces that work for your space, fit your shoes, and can be appropriately configured based on your needs. Do you have a section of vertical space that you would like to utilize? Do you want to create a section for stacking these shoe boxes on the floor? Are there shelves you have that have a significant height and boxes that would allow you to maximize that space? Shoe storage boxes allow you to be more flexible with your organization and really make the structure of your closet work for you, they also help keep your shoes free from dust if they aren’t worn frequently.

Over-the-door shoe storage

Another great space-saving option is shoe racks that hook over the top of the closet door and vertically store your shoes on the backside of the closet door. For this method, we definitely prefer the metal racks as they have more structure to them feel more secure, and give a more uniform appearance. The thing to consider with this storage solution is that only shoes with a flatter profile such as sneakers flats or slides are a good fit for these racks. Anything too tall will end up getting pressed against the contents of the closet and potentially damaging the shoes.

Alondo 30" wide hall tree with bench and shoe storage

Best Value Case of 6 Large Drop Front Shoe Box

Cotaco 31.49" Wide hall tree with bench and shoe storage

Marie Kondo Large Shoji Stacking Slatted Wood Shoe Shelf

Accessories

Jewelry and belts

boxes, trays, hangers, holders, there are so many potential jewelry organizational options out there for you. When it comes to keeping these little pieces tidy, we like every item to have a space that keeps it secure, and free from getting entangled with something else. This means using drawer inserts that have individual cubby spaces, and ring trays that allow you to securely tuck the ring in place rather than tossing it into a dish with all of the other pieces. When these items are neatly presented, easily accessible, and tidy, it encourages us to see the full spectrum of options and actually use all of the pieces we own. If all of our jewelry except for the pieces we have been regularly wearing were in a big messy dish or two, we are way less likely to actually use those pieces because of the perceived work required to access them.

Now that being said, we definitely don’t object to your everyday wear pieces having their own space that is easily accessible, such as one of the accessory trays from Sortjoy. A reminder to use code TMM for a 10% discount at SortJoy. By your bedside, on your vanity, or in your bathroom, wherever you find yourself getting ready at the start and end of the day these trays make a great option for your space.

For belts, we find that the coil method of storage is typically the best. If you lightly coil and place the belt in an organizing tray the cubbies will prevent the belt from uncoiling and leaving a messy heap that is difficult to find things in.

Cambridge 8-Section Drawer Organizer Linen

Stackers Medium Expandable Necklace Tray

Stackers supersize jewelry box collection taupe

bags and purses

The organizational storage needs for bags always strikes us as a little amusing, we need a place to put something that we use to store little things we take with us places. Without storage for them though, a closet can become a bit of a nightmare. The first thought for bag storage is generally hanging them up on hooks. If you only have a couple of items and have the space for hooks within a closet this is a great and easy solution. Hooks can be placed on the back of doors or on the interior walls of a closet. If there is a bag you use as more of an everyday piece, another option would be to store it on an entryway organizer or hook.

If you're someone who really likes to switch it up and accessorize with a wide variety of bags and purses, then shelving or storage containers might be the better fit for you. When you get past just a couple of purses hanging, things begin to layer up and become bulky, cumbersome, and less visually pleasing. If you have the space, closely stacked shelves or implementing the use of cubby shelves that maximize the storage potential are great options. If you have some pieces that are of a higher value, either monetarily or sentimentally, the use of storage boxes (similar to shoe boxes) is a great resource. It keeps the items clean, and free from dust, and also offers additional options for maximizing storage. Depending on the style of the container you get utilizing this organizational method can provide a more visually calming and uniform space in the case of opaque containers, or transform the space to more of a showcase feel in the case of clear containers or containers that have windows.