WFMW: Organizing shoes

In this edition of Works For Me Wednesday... organizing shoes! 

When I was a kid, my mom allowed us to have a place by the front door to keep our shoes. If we took our shoes off in the middle of the hallway, or left them in a spot where she would step on them or trip on them, she threw them out the front door! Then later, when we'd ask her where our shoes were, she'd say... "Hmm, I don't know..." and we'd look outside. There the pair of shoes would be, tossed out onto the front porch! (and cold too!)

My brother posted (on Facebook) last week that he always has a hard time finding his twins' shoes before school, and my response was, "Put them in the same place every time you take them off... this works in theory." And it does... but it does help organize our home when everyone knows where shoes "belong"!

When we moved into our new house, we tried to do without a basket for shoes, but it didn't work very long. There was no "place" to put shoes, so they were put anywhere and everywhere! I like having a basket or bin to corral some shoes that get worn daily. So, the basket came back to its place near the door again.

I like using wicker baskets. They hold up well, and they look nice. Now these baskets do not hold EVERY pair of shoes in the house. These baskets are to hold one or two pair of shoes per person. My kids' Sunday shoes do not go in this basket. Those go back into their closets to be worn once or twice a week. This is also not the place for sandals in the winter, or boots. Boots are just bigger, take up too much room, and are worn infrequently here, so they go in our coat closet or garage. (Especially Caleb's stinky boots-- off to the garage they go! Pee- you...) Summer shoes go in the closets until winter is over and sandal season returns. I like keeping a little rug under the basket too, makes for easy clean-up from the inevitable grass, sticks and dirt that come off the shoes' soles...

Our shoe basket in the front hallway, behind the front door...

In addition, each of the kids has a bin in their closet for their shoes. This is where their sandals, and Sunday shoes, or extra tennies can go. When you have four kids that each have to have 2 pair of Sunday shoes, sandals, tennies, crocs, or slippers, the pile can get HUGE! Six pairs X four children = 24 pair of shoes just for them! My hubby and I also have at least six pairs that we wear frequently! It can get overwhelming!

Mallory's shoe bin from her closet....

When they grow out of their shoes, we put them into a bin in the garage. (for the girls) Some shoes get passed on to others right away (my son's, and my youngest daughters'). But I have big girls that pass their shoes down, so we have a place to keep them in the garage- and the bin is ONLY shoes! (which is amazing to me, but there are lots of styles and sizes to choose from!)

I hope this post will help you get your shoes organized somewhat, so they are not overtaking your entry-ways and closets! It Works For Me!