After watching an Asian influencer on TikTok, I copied her idea for my shoe storage. She bought two IKEA cupboards with doors for all her handbags and shoes. Although she probably has smaller feet than my husband and myself! The idea worked well.
The Shoe Problem
I have very wide feet. Sometimes I’ll buy the same shoe twice but in a different colour.
Generally, I don’t keep any of the original show boxes. But if I find a shoe very comfortable, perhaps I’ll cut up the box and just keep the sizing information.
I dislike the idea of placing shoes in clear plastic containers. If you don’t use and love your shoes, then perhaps you have too many!
As a result, our shoes are stored behind the dog gates on the floor. As I bought more shoes, it has become difficult to keep the space clean. It’s hard to walk behind the recliners. My husband likes to kick the shoes out of the way, as he complains about the clutter!
My fashion-forward friend has over 300 pairs of shoes. She keeps them in the original box and sometimes sells them online.
Fortunately, my shoe collection is smaller than Imelda Marcos’!!!
Solution: Order the IKEA Cupboard
I placed my order on the IKEA website. However, we had a small moment of miscommunication, and my husband refused to go pick them up at North Lakes. So, I tried to add delivery as an extra cost. Unfortunately, it was not possible to do this and I had to get my money refunded.
A full month after this experience, I attempted to order the cupboards again. We had to specify exactly what day and timeframe we would be home. Fortunately, we were both working from home on the day I selected.
The package arrived in three long boxes. I’m glad we got it delivered, as it would not have fitted in our small car.
Build the IKEA Cupboard
The IKEA cupboard took two nights to build. The instructions were confusing in parts. We both wanted to read some English instructions to explain the complex parts. The diagrams were often ambiguous.
Sort Your Shoes
Sort out your shoes. Throw out anything that you won’t wear again. Repair anything that may need a polish, a re-sole or a simple trip to your local shoe repairer.
Then anything you don’t love or use regularly can be donated to a charity.
Did you know that homeless people often develop foot issues from wearing the wrong shoes?
How to Store Your Shoes in a Cupboard
We placed the heavy boots on the bottom shelf. Think Dunlop Volleys, Doc Martens, Blundstones and Merry Boots.
We threw all of the thongs (flip-flops) into a basket. I stacked my summer sandals on their sides.
Shoe Accessories Box
I keep all of my shoe accessories in a white box with a lid from the Reject Shop. I’ve placed all of my shoe bibs and bobs inside this box.
My shoe accessories box stores:
- Heel guards and insoles
- Spare laces
- Shoe polish (black and brown)
- A cute pink shoehorn from Suna Shoes
Review of the IKEA Shoe Cupboard
Overall, the IKEA shoe cupboard is overpriced. My husband is warming up to the idea but thinks it wasn’t good value for money. We did pay extra for delivery and that was a huge hassle the first time we ordered it. We wondered if Freedom or another furniture company would have been a better option.
Pros: I like being able to see all of my shoes in one spot. It’s near the front door, so hopefully there will be less grass, dust and weed seeds to vacuum up!
Cons: It looks a bit much in our small two-bedroom house. Perhaps I’ll add some more baskets or a rainbow window glass film to hide the contents. Maybe when the shelves get dirty, I’ll add some inexpensive contact from Kmart to hide the marks.
For more from The Carousel on shoes, visit here.
