Best Shoe Organizer of 2021
This 5-tiered shoe organizer from Simple Trending is our top recommendation for its versatility and quality design. It holds the most shoes of any product we tested and can accommodate nearly every size and style of footwear. This unit's minimum capacity is 15-18 pairs, by storing 3 pairs per shelf, and another 3 pairs divided amongst the six side pockets. However, by stacking the thinner shoes together in one side pocket and sliding a few more pairs underneath the bottom shelf, we could fit up to 24 pairs. The metal frame is durable and the canvas fabric of the shelves keeps the unit lightweight and easy to move, even when loaded with shoes. The shelves are deep enough to hold most sizes and the bars on the sides keep smaller shoes from falling out. The shelves can be hung at various levels to better accommodate heels or ankle-height boots, but the only way to fit taller boots anywhere but on top is by removing one of the shelves. Fortunately, even after removing a shelf, this rack can still hold more shoes than most of the standing racks we tested. The removable side pockets provide additional storage and work great for slippers and sandals, but they are also useful for storing gloves, hats, or other items. This rack is stackable, so if you purchase more than one of these shoe organizers, you easily double the storage capacity.
Assembly of the Simple Trending 5-Tiered Shoe Rack is easy for one person and a breeze with two people. Most of the pieces slide together easily, but a Phillips head screwdriver is needed to attach the shelves, which is not provided. The most challenging part of the assembly is attaching the shelves since the fabric has to be stretched to get the rods to line up with the screws. While relatively simple, this rack takes around 30-45 minutes to put together. The fabric shelves look and feel pretty nice, but they're not easy to clean if they get dirty or muddy, as you have to disassemble the entire rack to wash them. Men's shoes sized 11 or larger stick out slightly, but they fit better and more securely on this rack than most of the others we tested. The design is quite versatile — this rack could also be used as a dresser to hold clothes, in the kitchen for cookware, or to store other small items in virtually any room of the house. It's a bit larger than other options, but its greater capacity and versatility makes this our top choice for organizing shoes or tidying up any space.
The Amazon Basics 20-Pocket Door Hanging Organizer is the best of the over-the-door shoe organizers that we tested, ringing in at a great price, too. Unlike some types of organizers, this hanging organizer doesn't take up any floor space. For those who live in small apartments or just need help decluttering, this hanging set of pockets can easily help maximize your space. The large pockets grant the ability to store shoes other than just slippers and sandals in a single pocket, as long as they're not too bulky. This product can accommodate up to a men's size 14 or 15 (stored as an individual shoe per pocket). These larger sizes may stick out of the pockets more, but they do fit pretty securely. Even when we opened and closed the door violently, no shoes fell out of this model in our testing. These hanging pockets are also quite versatile and can be a great option for holding shower products and toiletries in a bathroom, providing additional storage in a pantry, or tidying up a kid's room.
The setup for Amazon Basics Door Hanging Shoe Organizer is extremely easy. It comes with a set of three hooks, which attach to the top of a door, and you simply hang the pockets from the hooks. A step stool may be needed to accomplish this depending on your height, but the entire process of hanging and filling the pockets can be done in about 5 minutes. Once hung, the 20 pockets hold around 10 to 15 pairs, depending on the size and thickness of the shoes. The maximum capacity could go up to 20 pairs for someone who has smaller feet and can fit a pair in each pocket. The materials and construction are of decent quality — the stitching appears strong, making it less likely to rip, and the mesh pockets allow your shoes to air out after a day on your feet. The main downside to this type of organizer is that the hooks can keep your door from being able to fully close. Even though the hooks are flat on top, they require a small gap above the door, and if the gap isn't big enough, they can end up damaging both your door and doorframe. If possible, it's best to hang this type of shoe organizer on a door that's used less frequently, but wherever one chooses to hang this set of pockets, it will surely help with organization and saving valuable floor space at a great price.
These storage cubes from SONGMICS are a set of cubbies that are more display-oriented than the average shoe rack. These cubes are made of a semi-flexible plastic framed by metal rods, making them durable and easy to assemble. The directions are clearly outlined, and all of the pieces simply snap together, so one person can handle construction with minimal effort. The slightly translucent walls are easily pushed into the connecting pieces at each corner, and a rubber mallet is included to ensure that each piece is securely in its place. Despite the flexibility of the plastic walls, the metal framing keeps the cubes very stable, and they won't shift or tip over once assembled. The assembly process altogether takes about an hour to complete and fill the cubes with shoes. Each cube measures 8.7"L x 13.8"W x 6.7"H, enabling them to fit most styles and sizes of footwear, although anything larger than men's size 13 may stick out a little bit.
The SONGMICS Cubes are quite versatile, as they can be assembled to fit a range of spaces to store shoes, office supplies, clothes, toys, and more. The durable materials make them easy to clean, and the lack of sharp corners also makes these cubes a great option for kids. Each cube can hold up to 22 lbs, and they can be split into groups to fit smaller spaces or used all together. It is best to put these cubes together in the space where they will be kept, as the completed structure is somewhat difficult to move. While the set that we tested were the "translucent white" cubes, this organizer comes in a variety of different colors, including black, brown, and gray, all of which are more opaque. The SONGMICS cubes can also be stacked in different configurations. Additional sets may need to be purchased to build out the more elaborate configurations, but the colors and organizational options allow for some customization in how they're set up. With their innovative design and display-forward look, the SONGMICS cubes are a great option to help with the organization of shoes or other household items.
The AQUAPRO Adjustable Shoe Slots is a unique and innovative design that saves the greatest amount of space of any option we tested. One can fit twice as many shoes on a single shelf by using these shoe stackers, helping to maximize closet space. Each slot is made of two flat plastic plaques, which snap together in a matter of seconds. These shoe stackers have a bumpy tread on them to keep shoes from slipping or falling off. They are also adjustable to four different height levels to fit kid's shoes, flats, dress shoes, sneakers, or even some heels. Once put in place, these stacked shoe slots increase the storage capacity of any space by 50%, making that space better utilized and more pleasing to look at. Their ability to be used as a display also increases their appeal for shoe stores, collectors, or anyone who wants to show off a special pair, but if they're not stacked up against each other on a shelf, they are not as stable.
This model is specifically designed for organizing shoes, so the ability to adjust the height is the extent of their versatility. These shoe slots are rather thin and skinny, so they don't work with all styles or sizes. Our tests showed that high-tops, boots, or sizes bigger than a men's size 10 were too big or too heavy to be supported by these shoe slots. Aside from not accommodating bigger sizes well, the main issue with these shoe stackers is that you need shelf space to arrange them. So, if you don't have a closet with shelves or some kind of rack or cabinet, you wouldn't really be using them to their full potential. Also, the shelves need to be at least 10" deep and 7" tall to fit the lowest height setting, and at least 10" tall for the highest setting (also dependent on how tall the shoe itself is). These shoe slots can help you store a lot of shoes in a smaller area, but make sure that you have shelves that are big enough to accommodate them first. As long as your shoes aren't bigger than a men's size 10 and you have some available shelf space, these shoe stackers can help make all of your shoe organizing dreams come true.
The Mr IRONSTONE Shoe & Boot Organizing Bench is a nice multifunctional standing unit. The padded bench on the top makes this rack unique, providing a place to sit while taking your shoes on or off. Putting this bench together takes the most time and effort out of all of the shoe organizers that we tested, but the directions are clear, and the overall quality of the completed unit is good. All of the necessary tools are provided, but the screwdriver is quite small, and some of the pegs were difficult to tighten. The majority of the construction can be done by a single person, but having a second set of hands to help attach the hinges for the bench can help make assembly much easier. Even though the assembly process takes about an hour, the quality of the materials is quite nice, and the unit is very stable, making it seem worth the work.
The MR IRONSTONE bench doesn't hold very many pairs of shoes. The shelves are small, so the entire unit can only hold about 5 pairs, but there's enough room to stack a pair of slip-on's or sandals on each shelf, making the maximum capacity 7 pairs. The lower shelf is about 5.5" tall, so it can only accommodate 2-3 pairs of flats or thin-soled low tops. The upper shelf is 7" tall, allowing it to hold 2-3 more pairs, but most high-tops or ankle height shoes are still too tall to fit here. The boot cubby is 12.75" tall but is only wide enough to hold one pair of boots or high-tops. Although the shelves are quite small, this organizing bench has a few storage options, especially for how compact it is. The best feature may be the additional storage underneath the bench which provides a great spot to keep small items like gloves, hats, masks, small bags, slippers, or flip-flops. This storage area is pretty shallow, so it can't be used to hold anything large, but it's a nice and useful feature nonetheless. This is one of the more expensive options in our test group with the lowest storage capacity, so it's not ideal for anyone on a budget or who is looking to store a lot of shoes. But, if you'd like a bench in your entryway that can store your weekly rotation of kicks, this model gets our recommendation.
The Seville Classics 3-Tier Shoe Rack is one of the most highly rated shoe organizers on the market, and our tests proved why it is so popular among consumers. For starters, this was by far the easiest standing rack to assemble. Each of the shelves simply snaps into place on the frame, so no tools are required, taking you from unboxing to organizing in just a few minutes. Once assembled, this rack is a very stable structure. The shelves are constructed of a wood grain resin edged in metal and supported by an iron frame. When bumped, it won't shift or move much, and its compact size can fit into many closets, nooks, or entryways. The top bar of the frame also makes it easy to pick up and move if needed, although the materials make this rack heavier than most of the similar options. This 3-tiered shoe organizer holds 3 pairs of shoes on each shelf, with room for an additional 3 pairs underneath the bottom rack. However, depending on the size of your shoes, there might be enough room for another pair on each shelf. If slip-ons or sandals are stacked on top of one another, the maximum load can be increased slightly.
Like the majority of the standing racks in our test group, the Seville Classics shoe organizer also has the option of connecting additional units on top of each other with the provided pegs. In fact, Seville Classics offers these 3-tiered racks in sets of two or three, if an increased capacity is needed from the start. Unless a lower shelf is removed, boots and taller heels will only fit on the top shelf, potentially getting in the way of hanging clothes if placed inside a closet. If you need to store stilettos, we wouldn't recommend the slatted model, as skinny heels could fall through the space between the slats. However, the manufacturer also offers this rack with wire mesh shelves, which would allow skinnier heels to be stored more securely. Not only are these racks available with different types of shelves, but they also come in a few different colors, and there's even a model with adjustable shelves. So, depending on your taste and needs, there should be a version of this sleek and modern 3-tiered shoe organizer to suit you and your space.
The Honey-Can-Do Bamboo Shoe Shelf is a nice stand-alone shoe organizer that is modestly priced and very easy to assemble. The process of assembly for this rack is easy enough to tackle alone. An Allen wrench, the only tool needed for assembly, is included to attach the shelves. The shelves can be attached in a few different ways: flat, angled, or a mix of both, which can make it slightly confusing at first. However, once a design is selected, the building process doesn't take much time. This shoe organizer has an average capacity for a 3-tiered rack, as it is capable of holding 9-12 pairs of shoes between the 3 shelves. Three pairs can fit side by side on each shelf, and depending on the size of shoes, there may be enough room to fit another pair (though that pair either needs to be stacked on top of each other or split between two shelves). If the lowest shelf is angled, it allows for a few more pairs to fit on the floor beneath, but this isn't possible when the bottom shelf is flat. Like many of the standing racks we tested, this one can also be connected to additional units to double its storage capacity. But, unlike the others, this one doesn't require any extra pieces to do so; the pegs that act as the feet are simply inserted into the pre-drilled holes on the top of an identical unit.
Even though the Honey-Can-Do shoe shelf is lightweight and easy to build, the quality doesn't strike us as the greatest. It didn't sit level on the floor, and there were a couple of spots where the excess glue was showing. Since the shelves are slats of bamboo, this rack isn't ideal for shoes with a skinny heel that could fall through. This shoe organizer has slightly deeper shelves that can accommodate larger shoes (up to a men's size 13) without too much overhang. However, the middle shelf must be removed to accommodate taller boots or high-tops anywhere other than the very top shelf. This bamboo rack has a unique and natural aesthetic, which depending on your taste, can either add or detract from its appeal. The bamboo is very lightweight, making it easy to move even when fully loaded, but this also decreases the overall stability of the unit. Although bamboo is flexible and quite strong, it's not recommended that anything over 10 pounds is set on the shelves for fear of them breaking. For folks who enjoy the aesthetic that bamboo provides, these drawbacks might easily be overlooked.
The Simple Houseware 24 Pockets Over-the-Door Hanging Organizer is one of the least expensive shoe organizers on the market. Like other over-the-door organizers, this set of pockets is great for its ability to clear up floor space and can be used in many areas of the home. Set up time is minimal; simply hang the hooks on top of a door, hang the sheet of pockets on the hooks, and get to organizing. The 24 pockets are designed to hold 12 pairs of shoes, but the capacity can be increased slightly by fitting pairs of slippers or flats into one pocket. This organizer also has some versatility and can be used to hold a wide variety of small items. Using it to store supplies in an art studio or toys in a kid's room may be just as useful as shoe storage, as the clear pockets allow one to view the contents inside. This product comes in three color options: white, pink, and brown, all of which have clear pockets.
While this door hanging organizer by Simple Houseware can hold shoes up to a men's size 13, shoes larger than a men's size 10 don't fit as securely and can block the pocket above. When opening or closing the door, larger sized shoes are also more likely to fall out, as the pockets bounce around a bit. The clear plastic pockets are sewn to a thin fabric, so we don't have great expectations for this product's long-term durability. The stitching on the pockets seems susceptible to ripping if bigger or heavier shoes are put in them, which is not recommended. Like the other over-the-door organizer we tested, the hooks that attach to the door can keep the door from shutting completely and can damage both the door and the doorframe. The four hooks used for this model are slightly thicker, making it more prone to cause damage. While this model's low price may be enticing, there are nearly identical products that are constructed better and in the same price range.
Why You Should Trust Us
As an avid shoe collector and dedicated "sneakerhead" for more than 20 years, our lead tester Adam Yee owns over one hundred pairs of shoes and has tried nearly every style of shoe organizer available. Over the years, he has lived in numerous apartments and homes of varying sizes, so the organization and storage of shoes have always been an important aspect of maximizing any living space. As sneaker culture grows and collecting shoes becomes more common for people of all ages and genders, there will continue to be new and innovative ways for collectors and general consumers to store and display their shoes. There is no question that our lead expert will continue to keep collecting and needing more storage as his collection grows, so who better to test out shoe organizers?
Our footwear expert spent hours building and testing various standing racks, stackable cubes, door hanging organizers, and display units to determine the most efficient shoe organizers and best model of each category. We researched over 50 shoe organizers, considered 22 potential styles, then purchased 8 of the most popular models to review. We bought each of them at their current retail price and kept our testing methods objective and consistent across the board in an effort to eliminate bias from the testing process. Each unit was tested with a mix of men's and women's boots, slippers, sandals, and athletic shoes. We also purchased a pair of tennis shoes in a US men's size 13 to test each model's capability to accommodate larger sizes. After all of the research and rigorous testing, we are confident in our recommendations.
Analysis and Test Results
The best shoe organizers are stable, durable, and can hold a decent amount of shoes so that they can accommodate one's needs. It's also helpful for them to be stylish, versatile, and easy to put together for added convenience. We based our tests on these select attributes and spent hours comparing and contrasting these features to determine the top performers for each style and give you our best recommendations.
Ease of Assembly
The first metric we considered while building each type of shoe holder was the ease of assembly. We measured this by timing how long the full process of the assembly took, from unboxing to completion. We also evaluated the amount the effort involved by considering the number of steps required, assessed the quality of the provided instructions, and whether or not all of the necessary tools were included. The amount of time and difficulty varied greatly between models.
Some models, like the Amazon Basics Hanging Organizer, can be assembled and ready to start organizing in a couple of minutes. The Seville Classics Rack also has minimal parts and doesn't require any tools, making it very easy to construct by snapping it together. These models can be assembled comfortably by a single person. By contrast, the Mr IRONSTONE Bench took about an hour or so to build as it involves numerous steps and more effort. With two sets of hands, our testers found the assembly to be much more manageable.
Durability & Stability
Our next test metric was the stability, durability, and overall quality of construction for each shoe organizer. After assembling each model, we gave them an "earthquake test" to judge construction quality and to see if any shoes would fall off when bumped or shaken. We also test how difficult each one is to move when filled with shoes. It's rare for any model to check all of these boxes, as the more stable shoe racks are usually heavier and therefore harder to move.
Some models, like the SONGMICS Plastic Cube Organizer, utilize materials that seem somewhat flimsy, but its structure (reinforced by stabilizing metal rods) is very stable and slightly hard to move once assembled. Others like the Honey-Can-Do Bamboo Shelf aren't as stable, but passed the "earthquake test" without losing any shoes and could be easily relocated if needed. The Seville Classics Rack is one of the only organizers that was durable, stable, and easy to move.
Versatility
Another metric that varied greatly between different shoe organizers is versatility. We assessed this by trying the different ways each rack could be used and considering what items other than shoes it could hold. Even though they are designed specifically for shoes, we discovered that some of these organizers could be used to store other types of household products.
Two models came with multiple storage options, making them the most versatile. The Simple Trending 5-Tier Stackable Shoe Rack excelled in this area, with its mix of shelves and pockets, which can be arranged and used in many ways to accommodate even large boots and tall heels. This model also holds the greatest number of shoes of all models tested, making it a great option for families or shoe-loving individuals. The Mr. IRONSTONE Shoe/Boot Bench also received high marks for holding several pairs of shoes while providing a comfortable place to sit when putting them on, and offering additional storage under the seat. The door hanging models proved useful in serving double duty, suitable for storing cleaning, art, or toy supplies well in their pockets, not just shoes.
Capacity
For anyone with large quantities of shoes to store, capacity will be an important variable. The different options that we tested were capable of holding anywhere from 5 to over 20 pairs of shoes. Most of the products were listed as having a set capacity in the 10-12 range, but we were able to increase the maximum capacity of most by fitting thinner pairs of shoes into a single pocket or by stacking them on top of each other while on a shelf. While most have room to fit a few more pairs here or there, some of the organizers could only handle a certain number of shoes.
At 24 pairs, the Simple Trending 5-Tier Stackable Shoe Rack has the highest capacity of all due to its shelves and pockets. However, the AQUAPRO Adjustable Shoe Slots enabled any shelf to double its storing capability, so using these together enabled us to fit much more on the same rack for ultimate space-saving and organization.
Style
Although the style of each product is a matter of opinion and the most subjective of our metrics, it's still an important aspect for most consumers to consider. We attempted to measure the aesthetic appeal of each shoe organizer objectively, but this metric doesn't carry nearly as much weight as the others due to its inherent subjectivity. Overall, the style is judged on the look and quality of the materials, but we also considered how much room each takes up and how adaptable it would be in different spaces.
With its futuristic look, the SONGMICS Plastic Shoe Cubes was one of the most eye-catching options, and it can be arranged in different configurations. For those looking to show off their stylish shoe collection, this model will display your proud collection quite nicely. Another innovative design was the AQUAPRO Adjustable Shoe Slots, which also displays shoes in a unique way. The Honey-Can-Do 3-Tier Shoe Shelf stands out from the pack with its slatted bamboo construction, giving it a more natural look and feel with a touch of island vibes.
Conclusion
Shoes are a necessity of life that can be purely functional, fashionable, or anywhere in between. Keeping them tidy at home can be quite challenging since most of us have more pairs than we really need and continually find reasons to acquire more. With so many options on the market for storing and organizing shoes, we hope that our recommendations gave you the knowledge and insights to help you find the best one for your shoes, space, and budget.
— Adam Yee