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With spring cleaning season just around the corner, you may have decided it’s finally time to wade through that muddled mess of footwear lying in your closet. After all, there’s no better way to make room for new spring styles than by doing a deep clean and getting organized. To help make the experience a breeze, we’ve rounded up a range of handy tips for tidying up your closet — some of which you may not have heard of before. Read on to discover them all.
Depending on your personality, time allotment, and the amount of
shoes you own, giving your shoe collection a good spring-cleaning
can be a quick process or can take a bit longer.
(How many shoes are in your closet??)
THE GAME PLAN…
Here’s the game plan I followed in deciding what to keep and what to donate.
Taking Everything Out. I literally took every pair of shoes I own out of the closet and various other storage areas and put them in the middle of the floor. This way I knew exactly what I had. Seeing the mountain of sandals, flats, boots, and various other styles, I felt more motivated than overwhelmed. But if that does seem overwhelming, start small.
Group Like Items Together. I made piles according to what the styles were. All my dressy heels went in one pile, boots in another, flats, sneakers, sandals, flip flops, etc.
Evaluate. Looking at each section, I really evaluated each and every shoe. Was it damaged or stained? And if so, would I actually ever take it in for repairs? (Maybe? Was it overly trendy? Did it still fit my lifestyle? Did it pinch or cause blisters? Did I still love it?
Purge. Start by placing all your shoes in front of you and dividing them into three groups: toss, giveaway and keep.
Toss: Any shoes that are damaged beyond repair or too worn out to give away.
Give away: Pairs that are lightly worn. These
could be pairs you decide you don’t
like anymore or are simply out of style. You
can either donate them to charity or try
to sell them on resale sites.
Keep: Styles that you love and know you will continue to wear. Do they need to
repaired or cleaned. After all is said and done - now's the time. When it comes to
pairs you’re indecisive about, get rid of those you haven’t worn in the past 1 - 2
years.
5. Put Everything Away. You may or may not have plenty of storage space for your shoes but you still want to be “smart” with how you store them so they stay in good shape and are
easy to find.
6. Organize.
Organize by seasonality and frequency of use: Once you’ve decided which pairs to keep, organize further by segregating styles you know you won’t be wearing in the coming months. During spring and summer, winter boots can be stored in bins under your bed where you won’t need to access them. For styles like dressy heels you’ll probably only wear for special occasions, place them in clear, stackable shoe boxes at the top of your closet. Not only will this method keep prized pairs out of the way, but it’s also a great for showcasing them while keeping them protected.
If space isn’t an issue, try a shoe tree: These allow you to store and display multiple pairs — making it look (and feel) as if you live in your own personal shoe store.
Opt for adjustable shoe slots to maximize square footage: As a rule of thumb, it’s always best to go up rather than out to with your shoe storage to maximize space. Shoe slots are great for this; they allow you to stack two shoes on top of one another, significantly decreasing the amount of space each pair takes up in your closet.
Use an over-the-door organizer to free up floor space: Keep footwear off the floor with an over-the-door shoe organizer. They’re perfect for storing sandals, flats and low heel styles.
Invest in an under bed organizer:
Limited closet space can make storage tricky,
especially when the size of your shoe collection is comparable to Carrie Bradshaw’s. Thankfully, under bed organizers are a great solution. They feature separate compartments to prevent pairs from getting crushed. Plus, they can accommodate different shoes styles — from ankle and knee high boots to more compact ballet flats and sandals — and come with clear tops for easy visibility when you need to pull them out.
Well - that's just a few tips for cleaning out your shoe closet. Personally I keep a few things that I have collected over the years from the store that I don't wear that often but always get noticed. You just have to make sure you actually like wearing them still to justify the space.
Many of us have been "spring cleaning" non-stop since Covid started. Going thru the closets and the garage. Sometimes you forget about your shoes. Have fun!
