Shoe Storage Box Project

Do you ever forget about a pair of shoes because you have so many shoe boxes? “Out of site out of mind,” is not just an old saying… for me it holds true!  Just the other day I found a new pair of black suede cozy moccasins I had purchased a couple weeks prior.  This got me thinking about all the other shoes I have temporarily forgotten about in the past. I realized that this may be a good time for me to start a project I have been meaning to get to for the last year.

I decided to embark on my new shoe organization project last weekend. Starting with my boots and sneakers, I started using a picture labeling system that many professional organizers employ.  Wow…what a difference! I can find my shoes so quickly! I cannot wait to finish the project up this weekend!

If you are a shoe addict like me, I strongly suggest trying out the following steps. I love my shoes and have spent years collecting my boots and sneakers, now they are visually stunning!  I think there is something therapeutic about getting organized and this shoe storage project is actually pretty fun!

What you will need:

1. Shoes
2. Shoe boxes
3. Digital Camera
4. Scotch tape, gluestick or adhesive

Picture Time

1. Gather together all of your shoes.
2. Find a well lit location to take pictures of your shoes.  You can place a light piece of fabric on a small chair and drape the fabric over the chair to create a uniformed background for each picture. Another option is to put fabric on a table or the floor.
3. Take a picture for each pair of shoes. Some clients choose to position the shoes identically in each image for a uniformed appearance.
4. Upload the photos to your computer and print them on photo quality paper no larger than 5×7.
5. Match the shoe photos to the correct shoebox.
6. Adhere the photo on the front of the box using glue or tape.
7. Place the shoes back in their corresponding box.  Most designer shoes come with a travel bag and I highly recommend using them for year-round storage. Simply insert the designer shoes in the shoe bag and then place the shoes into their shoebox.
8. Finally, neatly stack your shoe boxes in your closet.

As I stated in my previous posting, the easiest way to organize your shoes is by color. Since I come from a high-end retail background I further sort my shoes by season, height of heal, and frequency of use.  Having pictures on the boxes only simplifies the shoe organization process. Now I can see the shoe I need right away…AND they are inside of the box!

By: Nicole L. Tate