Alison Freer is a frequent Strategist contributor and author of the new book The Accessory Handbook, out today.
I have an entire bedroom in my house that I use as a closet, but I’ve never been able to store my 300-plus pairs of shoes in a way that wasn’t a total disaster. Part of the reason I wrote my books is because I needed to figure out which shoes to keep, which ones to toss, and where to find a storage solution that wasn’t crazy expensive — because a custom-built shoe closet is definitely not in my immediate future.
I researched a million shoe-storage solutions for the book, but nothing I found beat what my mother told me about: these miracle space-saving devices called Shoe Slots, which are like individual two-story condos for every single pair of footwear. As everyone on the island of Manhattan knows, the Golden Rule of creating more space is always to go up rather than out, and because the Shoe Slots allow me to stack two shoes on top of each other within the same footprint, I essentially halve the amount of space each pair takes up on my shoe racks.
Do not confuse this with the as-seen-on-TV version (Shoe Slotz with a “z”) or the multiple cheaper imitations you can find online — these slots by Harra Home are superior for the simple fact that they adjust to three sizes to fit every height of shoe you own: flip-flops, flats, heavy winter boots, and even 6-inch skyscraper heels. I can fit three Shoe Slots on a 13-inch wide shelf in my closet with room to spare, and they work for my ladies size 10 shoes and my boyfriend’s size 13 ones alike. The handy finger hole lets me easily pull the pair I want off the shelf, and they make getting dressed quicker and way less stressful. They also guarantee I never waste time in the morning frantically scavenging for a matching pair of shoes because I left one in the dark closet and one under the bed. The rest of your life could be a total mess, but opening up a closet of shoes perfectly organized in their own slots is a nice slice of sanity.
More Strat-approved closet organizers
Freer also found these Huggable Hangers that save space in the closet, too: “They take up half the space of those tubular plastic monstrosities from college, allowing me to store twice the clothes in the same amount of real estate. Their grippy, velvet surface also means a permanent end to things constantly falling on the floor. I’m so smitten with the way my closet looks now that I’m constantly inviting guests in to take a peek.”
If you need an additional closet, a wall ladder is a great way to go, says writer Laura Perciasepe: “It leans on the wall next to my dresser and it holds shirts I wear a lot, the three black dresses I wear again and again to work (the tower is helpful for “uniform dressing”), and, well, bras. Everything gets its own rung. Stuff is off the ground, off the chair, and I can see it all. The bras aren’t hanging on the bedroom doorknob like I’m still in college.”
Storing bulky things on shelves can save space, but can lead to crowding. Organize your shelves better with dividers recommended by a professional closet organizer: “It’s tempting to throw bulky items in a drawer, but one sweater can take up a whole entire drawer. So I definitely recommend storing things that are bulky on shelves. What can help contain them are shelf dividers that clip on to the edge of a shelf, like a bookend, so that keeps things from toppling over.”
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