7 Types of Shoe Racks for Your House

Written by Gavin Humphreys

Storing your shoes well is not only essential - but it can also engage your imagination.

There is no prescribed way to keep your footwear in order. Your shoe rack style depends on the layout of your house or apartment, on how you use your footwear, on how much of a shoe collection you have, and of course, on how much money you are willing to invest.

If you have a shoe rack that fits the design of your house, it can go beyond functional - it can be an attractive addition. It is worth taking your time to think about.

In terms of protecting your shoes, a good shoe rack is an essential piece of furniture. It will not only keep your shoes in order, but will stop them from gathering dust or getting crushed. This increases their lifespan and keeps them looking good for longer.

The question is not whether, but which! From the variety of shoe rack options, which one is right for me?

The traditional rack

This could be a small piece of furniture - or take up an entire wall - it depends on just how much you (or you and your other half) love shoes!!

It is a classic design that allows you to sit rows of shoes, one on top of the other, and keeps them tidy and on hand.

In an entranceway, or utility room, you might want to combine the rack with coat hooks or a coat stand. This keeps things handy for when you go in and out, and it looks attractive.

You would also keep a nice selection of indoor slippers here so that you keep all that dirt outside. It is good to have a chair nearby so that you can sit down and change your shoes.

In your bedroom, a traditional shoe rack is a good option to keep your shoe collection in order. There is nothing worse than keeping them higglety-pigglety, maybe in a cupboard or under the bed. I know - I’ve done both in the past! The shoes get dusty, crushed, and it makes cleaning the floor a nightmare.

The bench

This is a super shoe-rack for the entranceway. You can sit down and take your shoes off or put them on.

There might be a little cupboard in the bench for storing your shoe creams, or a shoehorn, so that you can give a quick brush before you head out.

Some have a cushion on top, and some are completely wooden in design. Why not ask a local artisan to create one that suits your house?

If you put doors on the front of the bench, or make it into a box that you open from above, then nobody need ever know it was a shoe rack.

This is an option for a kid’s bedroom, too - they keep their shoes tidied away plus have a seat to play on.

The ladder

The ladder shoe rack looks a bit like a lean-to and is a stand-out feature.

A design that looks like a wooden ladder from the floor toward the ceiling creates a vertical element that changes the scan of any room.

This one would be amazing in a kids’ bedroom, or perhaps to make the most of a room with limited space.

Some ladder shoe-racks hold the shoes in place by sticking the toeboxes between the rungs - avoid these designs if possible because this can damage the shoes. Remember to always store shoes and sneakers carefully, and insert a shoe tree so that they keep their shape.

The fold-away

Fold-away shoe racks might be built into your house, or they might be a piece of furniture. This is a great way to store a lot of shoes while keeping everything looking clean and tidy.

Once the doors of the shoe rack are closed, you will never know what is inside.

Be sure to choose a quality design that has ample space. This is ideal for a minimalistic household because it removes the stress of clutter and allows you to look after your possessions well.

The DIY

If you are handy, there are lots of things that you could use or upcycle to create your own shoe rack.

You could reuse your Beckett Simonon shoeboxes, for example.

Equally, you might use some old-fashioned wine crates, wooden palettes, some attractive driftwood…

A DIY rack is not only useful, but also a talking piece that you can be proud of!

Also, taking up a manual craft, such as woodwork, is a great hobby that engages the imagination and useful physical skills.

The built-in

This is an option to consider if you are remodeling or designing a new house.

A shoe rack can be discreetly built into, or below, a closet. Equally, it can dominate an entire wall in your bedroom!

If you have a walk-in wardrobe, this is definitely worth including in your plans. It will allow you to keep your footwear tidy and clean, and give you the chance to see your footwear in a single glance, alongside your clothes and accessories. This will help with coming to decisions about how to match your clothes, and also make it easier to keep rotating your footwear, which increases their longevity.

The hanging rack

Hanging racks can be convenient - especially if you want to maximize space. These can hang on a door or inside your cupboard.

Ok, let’s be honest - not the best option, but these are better than nothing. They keep the shoes in order and give a little bit of protection.

They are another one to be cautious of, however. Depending on the style, they can damage good leather footwear over extended usage because often the designs don’t give enough space for the shoes to sit properly.

A cloth hanging rack with a pocket for each shoe is a good choice because the material should protect the shoes from knocks.

They can be a superb option for travel. If you have to go from hotel to hotel because of your work, or going to conferences, then a cloth rack that you can roll up and take with you will be really handy. When you arrive in the hotel room at night, the easier and quicker you can get organized, the better.

On the rack

The shoe rack is a wonderful and diverse piece of furniture. At it’s best, it combines functional and aesthetic.

Take some time and consider which one will work for you.

It makes sense to take off your shoes and boots when you come into a house - an attractive shoe rack makes it easier for you and less awkward to make the request from guests.

In this case, keep one shoe rack in the entranceway - this is just for temporary storage - and another for storing away your footwear.

If you have a second entrance to a backyard (or larger terrain), it might be a good idea to have another rack there for dirty boots. If a rack lifts the shoes off the ground, it allows air to circulate and the footwear to dry properly.

Engage your imagination and choose the best shoe rack for your house, for your shoes, and for you!

Have I missed any types of rack? Leave me a comment to tell me how you like to store your shoes, boots, and sneakers.