Shoe Storage

No matter how you plan out your shoe storage, try to store them in a warm, dry place as opposed to a cold or wet one. That especially goes for shoes that are seasonal, like boots and sandals--the ones that are put away for months at a time.

Racks, and Boxes and Drawers--Oh My!

Shoe racks offer quite a few options within just their own category. You can choose from:

• Expandable chrome racks that belong in the bottom of your closet
• Over-the-door racks for hanging your shoes from and keeping them out of the way
• Spinning racks that hold 12 to 24 pairs of shoes

Plastic boxes with Polaroids attached to the fronts are great for sliding under your bed or stacking up in your closet. Just take a picture of your shoes and tape them to the outsides of the boxes for easy access to the shoes you're looking for.

If you have the majority of your shoeboxes still intact, you can use these in place of the aforementioned plastic boxes. In most cases, they already have a name, picture and color of the shoe listed on them.

Drawers give you quite a bit of bang for your buck. For the amount of shoe storage space you get, drawers are actually a great option. If you buy an opaque set, you can put it outside your bedroom, set a vase on top and call it living room or spare room furniture. If you have a walk-in closet and don't need a lot of space on the floor of it, set it in there and keep all your shoes in one place.

Quantity Affects Your Options

If you're picky about storage and want all of your shoes stored in the same way, the number of shoes you have will most definitely affect the way you can store them. If you've got 100 pairs of heels and boots, they're not all going to fit under your bed in Tupperware containers. Nope, not even if you sleep on a king-sized bed! Try the drawer method in this case, or go through that 1980s shoe collection and give some to Goodwill!

Not too picky about keeping your shoes all in one spot? By spreading out your shoe storage, you'll be able to maintain a healthy footwear wardrobe without overwhelming your closet, your life or your significant other. Put a set of drawers for rarely used shoes in an extra bedroom. Slide open a chrome shoe rack at the bottom of your closet for casual shoes. Keep dress shoes in boxes under your bed or on a shelf in your closet. Shoe storage doesn't have to be overwhelming! Come up with a system to split your shoes into groups and have fun.

Married? Living with a Significant Other? How to Share the Space

If banishing your lover's footwear to another closet just won't cut it, don't despair. There are options for married couples, especially if you have a walk-in closet. No? That's okay. You still have a bed, corners, shelves and possibly extra closets.

Most shoe racks can handle both men's and women's shoes. Split a rack with your significant other. Or, you could take the closet door and your spouse could use the back of the bedroom door in the case of over-the-door shoe storage. Utilize the space under the bed. You already have his and hers sides; use the floor space underneath, as well. Just make sure your bedspread covers the boxes.