Question:

I have a hanging shoe rack, but only my shoes fit into it, not my boots. What’s the most space-efficient way to store or organize my boots in the fall and winter so that I can see them? Right now they are just in a pile on the floor.

Answer:

Giving boots a place is an important part of keeping an organized closet. To accomplish this task, you need to set up a system that you can stick to.

Creating a Place

Keep your boots within reach. Pick a place to store your boots so that they will be easy to grab and go. They should be in a spot that’s comfortable to reach, so you’ll be motivated to put them back at the end of the day.

Let your boots be seen. If you are able to see them, you won’t waste time trying to find which pair is where.

Categorize your boots. To make your mornings smoother, order each pair by height and color. This will make outfit-matching a breeze, and will save you time.

Making it Happen

Give your boots a lift. Put them on the top level of a shoe rack or any closet shelving. Or try an expandable shoe rack that can adapt to the space in your closet (available at www.bedbathandbeyond.com).

Keep your boots upright. Boots tend to topple over and not stay in place. Try putting a thin rubber band around each pair or clipping them together on the sides that face in (just be careful to avoid making a crease mark on leather boots). Or try using a boot shaper to keep your boots upright and crease-free (available at www.containerstore.com).

Contain your boots. You can buy a bin or a crate to put them in, but make sure it has on open front so you can see inside. Some organizers also stack, allowing you to make the most of a vertical space (Red Rattan Slanted Stacking Bin, available at www.homedepot.com; Shoe and Handbag Storage Cube, available at www.containerstore.com).

Put your boots in a box. If you have the box they came in, you can store them there; attach a Polaroid to the outside of the box so you know which pair it contains. Or you can buy a storage container with dimensions that will fit most boots (Medium Modulo Storage Box, available at www.containerstore.com; Crystal Clear Shirt Drawer, available at www.organize.com).

Jill Ramsey
Home Department