The Best Shoe Racks Are the Heroes of Any Messy Closet

Whether you have a large shoe collection or just want to stop digging around your closet to find the right pair, finding one of the best shoe organizers will help ease that frustration and help start your day on the right foot. Having a solid organization system can make your wardrobe feel like less of a Where’s Waldo? hunt. But a focus on functionality doesn’t have to mean you sacrifice aesthetics. Alongside a door mat, a shoe rack can be the one of the first things you see in an entryway, and the right one should complement a home’s existing style. Streamlined metal options speak to minimalist sensibilities like in this Beverly Hills home, where a rattan-paneled cabinet with hidden storage brings a breeziness to coastal or bohemian spaces. With a dash of good design, even an unassuming shoe rack can make a strong first impression.

Featured in this article

Best Freestanding Shoe Rack

Yamazaki 6-Tier Shoe Rack

Read more

$155

Nordstrom

Most Adaptable

Smiry Bamboo Shoe Rack

Read more

$24 $20 (17% off)

Amazon

Best Hanging Shoe Organizer

Misslo Hanging Shoe Organizer

Read more

$18

Amazon

To get the most out of shoe storage, take stock of what you need to organize—and you don’t have to be Marie Kondo to achieve it. Start out with the hard-hitting questions: How many shoes do you have, and what are your most loved pairs? Do you swap out footwear based on the seasons? Once you have the answers, it’s merely a matter of finding an organization system that ticks those boxes, and we’re here to help break all the possible options down. Below, our favorite organization systems, from hanging options to traditional racks to stackable bins. Prepare to bid that unorganized pile of shoes goodbye!

Save to wishlist

Yamazaki 6-Tier Shoe Rack

$155

Nordstrom

$155

Yamazaki

From pots and pans racks to a rolling bathroom organizer, Yamakazi excels in organization. Inspired by Japanese minimalism, all of the brand’s offerings provide thoughtful storage solutions with a serene design sensibility. “It's hard to find simple, organizational pieces designed with intention these days,” commerce writer Julia Harrison says of the brand. “Yamazaki maintains a gentle white throughout their designs, and a light birch-colored wood for a finish, like on this six-rack shoe storage unit that sits furtively in my hallway, barely noticed by anyone—but when it is, they've marveled at its simplicity and unobtrusiveness as a storage piece.” With room for up to 20 pairs, this tower-style best seller supplies a lot of space while still maintaining a relatively small footprint.

If your footwear collection is always in flux, an adaptable storage option can be a handy solution. These bamboo racks can securely stack into each other with an embedded groove at the legs, so you can add layers to the rack as needed. "Over the five-plus years I've had these shoe organizers, they've always been able to adapt to my ever-changing storage situations—whether in the bottom of my closet or in an entryway,” says commerce market editor Kate McGregor. She also notes that the shoe rack feels sturdy no matter the weight of the shoes placed on it. The simplistic design makes them an unassuming add to practically any aesthetic, but we think it would be exceedingly at home in a Japandi space.

The space-saving benefits of over-the-door organization are well trodden, from hanging towels in a bathroom to stashing raincoats in an entryway. A hanging shoe organizer is a great way to maximize your closet space and keep all elements of your wardrobe together. This six-slot organizer hangs simply over a door and adds a lot of storage in a compact package.

Unlike most over-the-door organizers that are fully constructed from fabric, commerce producer Lauren Arzbaecher appreciates the PVC on this option because she finds that it's easier to wipe clean. “When looking for a way to store shoes with a hanging organizer, I wanted a solid barrier to prevent any dirt that might get stuck in shoe treads from getting onto my wardrobe,” she said. “The clear plastic protects both my shoes and clothes, and is simple to clean with a damp cloth.” If you’re blessed with a big closet, deeper options like this one with different-size compartments easily fit purses, winter hats, toiletries, almost anything. With the help of your closet door, the world is your organizing oyster!

Swapping out your footwear based on the season is a strategic way to prevent clutter in your space. After all, no one needs sandals laying around during the wintertime! When the seasons change, your seasonal shoes will be easy to grab from under the bed with this handy plastic pull-out drawer. In contrast to most under-bed bins that have a removable lid, this is instead built as a drawer but maintains the same dust-free protection.

“As someone who plays a kind of storage Tetris under her bed, I love that I don’t have to lug this bin out to open it and can instead just pull the drawer open and grab what I need,” Arzbaecher notes. For lofted beds or bed frames with more open space underneath, these drawers are stackable and come in multipacks and wide sizes as well.

When sharing a space with roommates or a partner, shoes can pile up quickly. A multitiered option is a stress-free way to divide and conquer. “We all get a shelf, which prevents squabbles over not having enough room for each person,” Arzbaecher says. “Plus, sandals fit underneath the bottom level, even with it at the lowest setting, so you kind of get a bonus shelf.” If you’re super short on space, the wooden top allows this shoe rack to serve a dual purpose as other pieces of furniture. Arzbaecher previously used it as a console table, taking advantage of its lower height to set it behind her couch.

Clear storage makes it easy to see all your footwear at once, and no one does it quite like The Container Store. Arzbaecher has several of these shoe bins in her closet, in both the regular and tall sizes. “I used to shove the shoes I didn’t wear much in a box underneath my bed, which was fine storage-wise, but because I didn’t see them regularly, I often forgot I even owned them,”she says. “I have high ceilings in my closet, and these bins utilize the space well with great visibility.” They fall somewhere between a riser and a box, stackable with an open top and front but solid sides. Arzbaecher likes the “flexibility of the open top for tall boots or chunky heels that might not fit without squishing them,” but if you want to keep everything streamlined (and provide extra dust protection), add on a matching lid to polish off your stack.

Want stylish seating for your entryway? That’s exactly what Arzbaecher had in mind when she scooped up this eye-catching bench. “This curbed my aesthetic craving for a green velvet piece of furniture and helped to declutter my space,” she said. A storage bench provides a place to sit to take shoes on and off in addition to interior storage for your footwear. Unlike a typical entryway rack, storage benches also keep your shoes fully hidden. The hinged lid and cushioned seat of this green velvet option make it a comfortable place to land near your front door. For an even more luxe look, try bouclé or leather options.

Best Multipurpose Storage

Lockers aren’t just made for high school hallways. Colored metal can make a maximalist statement in a space, and this option comes in 12 eye-catching shades from trendy butter yellow to pistachio greens. If you’re looking for a more multipurpose storage solution, a metal locker-style cabinet can house shoes alongside other home decor items and essentials. Commerce director Rachel Fletcher uses this heavy duty locker to store extra bed sheets and linens, but its adjustable shelves accommodate just about anything. If you like the vibrant style but want even more space, Mustard Made offers their signature locker in tall sizes for a freestanding closet organizer, a wider TV stand-esque option, and a short version that would fit right in as a nightstand.

Save to wishlist

Pottery Barn Lucy Storage Bench

$399

Pottery Barn

To blend shoe storage more seamlessly in an entryway, this breezy Pottery Barn bench is just the ticket. With a light mango wood frame, it molds easily into coastal or farmhouse aesthetics. For a matchy-matchy mudroom transformation, the collection offers a coat rack and wall shelf with hooks to complement the shoe rack bench.

Save to wishlist

Tyto Design Rustic Entryway Bench

$1,716 $1,030 (40% off)

Etsy

While it could hold its own as an art piece, this wood shoe rack’s organic sculptural design looks straight out of a fairytale forest. Made from a single slab of solid wood, it showcases the natural grain and is finished with a live edge. It’s subtle enough to fit a minimalist home without being boring. With assorted lengths and six different wood types, this storage bench can be customized to fit a narrow entryway or make a grand statement in a foyer.

Save to wishlist

Songmics 12-Tier Shoe Rack

$90 $80 (11% off)

Amazon

$100

Songmics

For the Carrie Bradshaws of the world, this shoe storage rack holds an astounding 48 to 60 pairs. Songmics designed this behemoth to be able to split into two smaller shoe rack towers, but it can stay attached for some serious closet envy. Made of steel, each shoe shelf can hold up to 22 pounds, so it’ll do equally well as an organizer for bulky boots.

Save to wishlist

Tangier Boot Tray

$70

Amazon

When winter comes around, snow and slush are just waiting to be tracked into the house. With a raised lip to prevent any water or debris from spilling out, a boot tray helps to prevent your entryway or mud room from getting, well, muddy. Reminiscent of tin-tiled ceilings from the late 1800s to early 1900s, the pattern on this metal tray is a step above the boring black rubber options that flood store shelves. Outside of winter, this is a wonderful option for gardening tools, pet accessories, or rain boots.

Save to wishlist

Birch Lane Seagrass Storage Basket (Set of 2)

$320 $169 (47% off)

Wayfair

Storage baskets can get typecast as laundry hampers, but their usage is much more utilitarian. These big seagrass beauties provide nearly endless space to toss in shoes, and their included lids keep clutter out of sight. Handles on the side offer portability should you want to swap out your seasonal footwear when the weather changes. We admit storing shoes in a basket may result in some digging around for both sides of a pair, but is a neat way to house a lot of shoes without worrying about running out of space.

Save to wishlist

IKEA Ställ Shoe Cabinet

$150

Ikea

Odds are, if you’ve been searching for new shoe storage solutions, you’ve seen this best-selling IKEA shoe cabinet before. Popular in apartments for its narrow footprint and thoughtful tilt-out design, it’s incredibly functional for small spaces. A three-compartment version is also available for slimmer spots. The base unit is great on its own for minimalist decor, but if you want something more customized to your style, there are countless DIY hack TikToks focused on the Ställ to make it your own with new drawer pulls, added tabletops, and more.

Save to wishlist

USM Haller Credenza

$2,808

Design Within Reach

This credenza isn’t technically meant for shoes, but with the sharp design and candy-coated color, we couldn’t help but include it. Architect Fritz Haller’s work inspires USM’s modular furniture, whose chrome-coated frames play right into this years’ design trends. The steel pieces are built to last for generations, making them worth the splurge. The open bottom shelf is tall enough to accommodate even mid-calf height boots, and the two drawers are just as spacious. To achieve the same eye-catching look in a smaller size and lower price point, go for the P2 Bedside Table, which made our list for the best nightstands.

Save to wishlist

SSWBasics Wire Grid Panel

$55

Amazon

Pumps and platforms can be difficult to store with their tall profile, unless you think outside the (shoe) box. Using a metal grid is a shockingly effective alternative storage option to the typical shoe rack. Leaned up against a wall, you can slot heels into the holes of the grid and hang a large number of shoes with ease. Plus the geometric pattern blends effortlessly into many decor styles.

Save to wishlist

Drop-Front Shoe Box By The Container Store

$12

The Container Store

You might not have the idyllic walk-in sneaker closet of Lil Baby (at least yet), but these are a close second for any sneakerheads. Clear flip drawer fronts let you proudly display all your kicks without having to guess where your favorite pair is. The hinged door on each box allows easy access while keeping shoes protected from dust buildup. They also include ventilation holes to keep funky smells at bay. Endlessly stackable, you can keep adding more in the three available sizes as your shoe collection grows.

From metal shoe racks to stackable bins, our team tried out top shoe storage options and cataloged their favorites after several weeks of testing. We also rounded up storage benches, shoe storage cabinets, and other organization ideas that are effective for just about every type of shoe. During our review process, we analyzed ease of use, cleanliness, and how different pairs of shoes fit within them. Beyond functionality, we considered how these otherwise innocuous pieces of furniture can visually define an entryway, closet, or living room.