35 Shoe Storage Cabinet Ideas That Are Both Functional and Stylish
Today we’re showing off some beautiful ways to organize your shoe collection and stylize the nook they already live in.
From mudrooms to bedrooms, there are a variety of places around the house they can and will get cluttered with the family’s shoes, so why not find a piece to keep them stored and ready for the day’s events?
Types of Shoe Storage Cabinets
Cubby holes
Cubby holes are rectangular or square storage slots that are ideal for organizing shoes and providing a clear view of each pair you own. However, because most cabinets include identical cubbies that are typically relatively small in order to maximize space, it might be difficult to store boots or larger types of shoes unless the cabinet includes a row of larger cubbies.
Shelves
Shelves, which are frequently concealed behind cabinet doors, are essentially a more modern version of classic shoe racks. They have the ability to fit more pairs because they are not constrained by a finite number of cubby holes and can thus reorganize them to maximize space.
Shelves may be a preferable alternative if you have a variety of styles of different types of shoes, particularly because the lower shelf typically provides more height. Additionally, they will be a better fit for stylish corridors, where a collection of trainers is clearly not the most appealing adornment.
Drop-down shelves
Drop down inclined shelves have a shallow depth and may be easily hidden behind doors to maximize space. Additionally, they are experts at fitting many sorts of shoes.
A popular option is to stack many smaller drop-down cabinets next to one another and cover the connection points with a long, treated board that also serves as a display area.
Open cabinets
Without anything to conceal its shelves or cubby holes, open cabinets are unquestionably the most convenient and instant to use, as it only takes a fast glance to get the perfect pair for your outfit.
While we cannot complain about the ventilation, they are not well-protected against dust and, depending on the location of this cabinet, sunlight. They’re better suited for storing shoes that people in your household wear on a nearly daily basis.
An open cubby design is also a practical solution if your shoe storage cabinet will be installed in a walk-in closet.
Closed cupboards
These cabinets, which resemble other old pieces of furniture, are the most stylish. They conceal your shoes and make your home appear more organized.
While they do shield your shoes from the sun, they do not allow for adequate ventilation, which means that you may wind up with moldy shoes if they are not entirely dry before storing them.
Cupboards with louvered doors
For those of you who own pricey pairs of shoes, this might just be the best shoe storage solution available. It features slatted doors which grant more control over the temperature, but they also keep the interior of the closet pretty dark too.
How to Build a Shoe Storage
If you want to make your own shoe storage cabinet, you should know that the process is fairly easy. For a 45 x 30 x 18 shoe rack, you are going to need the following:
- 2 plywood sheets
- Wood glue
- Clamps
- Pine board
- Router
- Stain or paint of choice
- Circular saw
Step One: Determining the size
To begin, you must estimate the size of the storage unit you require, taking into account not only the quantity of shoes you wish to keep, but also the available space. Before building a shoe storage cabinet, you will also have to measure the height of the shoes you want to store inside it.
Step Two: Cutting the plywood
You are going to have to cut your plywood boards down to size. To begin, measure and record the locations of the lines that need to be cut. Then, using a circular saw, cut along the line.
Step Three: Making the grooves
If you have thinner boards, attaching them with a regular nail or screw will be problematic due to the tendency of wood this thin to split. Grooves are a workaround to this problem.
To make the grooves, you can use a router. To begin, make a note of the shelf locations on each side of the rack frame. If you want the first two shelves to be higher than the rest, in order to accommodate shoes with higher heels, you can adjust the router to a setting that allows it to cut into the wood but not completely through it.
Slowly move the router down the line, cutting the groove in the wood. The top and bottom edges of the side pieces must also be routed. This will allow the components to fit snugly against the frame’s sides.
It is vital to ensure that all of the pieces fit snugly together. Shoes can be quite heavy, and if your rack is unable to support the weight, your efforts will be in vain.
Step Four: Adjusting the shelves
After cutting all of the grooves, it’s time to install the shelf for your shoe storage cabinet. Place one side down on the ground, grooved side facing up. Within each groove, apply a generous amount of wood glue. Insert each shelf piece individually.
Apply glue to the other side piece and then slide it into the grooves on top of the shelf. Gently reposition the project. Glue the top and bottom together and clamp the sides tightly.
Clamps assist the glue in adhering to each individual piece of wood. Allow the rack to rest overnight. This provides ample time for the glue to dry and ensures the joints are secure.
Step Five: Prepping the top
Cut the pinewood piece down to size and stain it. After that, you can paint the rest of the shoe rack in the color of your choice. You are likely not going to need more than a coat of wood stain.
Step Six: Painting the shoe rack
Ascertain that the DIY shoe storage cabinet and glue are completely dry. You can check this by wriggling and shaking it slightly to see if everything stays in place. If you feel that the plywood edges are not smooth, you can sand them down. Once you get that out of the way, you can start painting.
Prepare your painting area with a drop cloth and paint in the direction of the wood grain using a brush. You will likely need two coats of paint for the do-it-yourself shoe storage cabinet.
Step Seven: Attaching the top
Apply a substantial amount of the same wood glue you used the routed grooves to the top of the shoe rack. Ensure that you use an adequate amount of wood glue, as this is the only thing that will secure the top to the main body of the shoe rack.
Following that, arrange some scrap pieces of wood on top of the pine board and fasten everything together. This helps safeguard the stained board against harm caused by the clamps. Allow to sit overnight.
How to Choose the Best Shoe Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood is literally the greatest material for shoe storage cabinets. It does an excellent job of keeping your shoes dry and appears just like any other piece of furniture.
Additionally, wooden cabinets can be left natural, but you can also paint them to achieve a different type of décor. Alternatively, you can opt for a wooden cabinet that uses metal mesh wires if you’re looking for a more industrial-style furniture piece.
Metal is prominent in modern and industrial forms, particularly in fold-down shapes.
Fabric is typically used to cover the sides of metal shelf systems and does an excellent job of ventilating them.
Plastic is another common material for fold-down models, but because it can appear somewhat cheap, it’s not really recommended unless cost is a primary consideration.
Placement
Where are you going to put your shoe cabinet? Calculate the available space; if it is not very wide, keep in mind that shoe storage cabinets come in a variety of designs, so you can opt for a tall and thin model.
Cubbies and shelves typically exceed 12 inches in depth due to the horizontal shoe storage, while cabinets with inclined shelves can be as little as ten inches deep.
Size
One of the main factors that determine what size shoe cabinet you need is based on how many pairs of shoes you want to store inside. If you have approximately ten pairs, a compact cupboard-style cabinet will suffice, as long as it has two cubby rows or two shelves.
If you own between ten and twenty pairs, you can consider inclined shelves, cabinets that maximize space by utilizing a greater number of closely spaced shelves, or cubbies.
Cubbies become inconvenient when you have more than 30 pairs of shoes. In this case, you’ll need wider cabinets that have at least five shelves. You can also opt for extra tall cabinets.
Assembly
When you’re ready to purchase the greatest shoe storage cabinet online, you should consider the following. Should you have the cabinet assembled when it arrives at your home? If so, you should consider how much easier assembly will be.
If you can’t or don’t want to put the cabinet together yourself, you should check to see if pre-assembled cabinets are available. This is entirely dependent on your own preferences and requirements.
Ventilation
Even when shopping for a closed shoe storage cabinet, it doesn’t always have to be entirely closed. Some cabinets now include ventilation in the front and even the sides to ensure that airflow occurs inside, preventing mold growth on your shoes.
Shoe Storage Cabinets to Keep your Home Tidy and Organized
Let’s take a look at 35 shoe storage cabinets that are both functional and stylish for your own space!
1. Modern & Wooden Shoe Cabinet
This modern piece would look great sitting in the mudroom or even in the bonus room. You’ll hide your shoes away without anyone knowing what’s inside its clean and chic style.
2. Hidden Shoe Storage Compartment
A chest of drawers with a hidden compartment built just for your shoes. This could be exactly what you need to store your guests’ sneakers or your favorite pairs that you wear multiple times a week. It’s clean, easy, and versatile!
3. Entryway Organization Cabinet
We love this little piece for your back or front entryway. You can drop off your keys and drop off your favorite patent leather heels you wear for work or even your tennis shoes you run in every morning.
4. Vintage & Feminine Shoe Cabinet
Take a vintage and femininely touched China cabinet and display your best pumps right inside. You’ll have great room for organization but also to show off your favorite parts of the shoe collection.
5. Walk-in Luxury Shoe Cabinet
Whether it’s your walk-in closet or this cabinet piece was installed in your home office, it’s the perfect way to organize your giant shoe collection, especially if there are two of you! We love the hidden and posh factor of cabinets such as these, super modern and functional.
6. Contemporary & Mysterious Shoe Storage for a Bachelor Pad
This space has bachelor pad written all over it. But it’s also a very sleek and sophisticated space. Instead of shoes being piled in the corner in a messy clutter, they’re tucked away in a cabinet on the wall.
7. Miniature Closet Just for Your Shoes
You may refer to this as a shoe cabinet, but we like to refer to it as a miniature closet just for your shoes! We love the uniqueness and surprise element of this fascinating addition to your master bedroom!
8. Masculine & Edgy Shoe Cabinet
For something a bit more masculine, edgy, and hipster in style, why not take a vintage cabinet and use it for something other than the usual suspects. If your bedroom is larger, this is such a great way to utilize, organize and create the right kind of ethos.
9. Mudroom Clutter Organizer
Tone down the clutter in your mudroom and make a shelf for every member of the family. Label and organize, and every morning and afternoon everyone in the family will have an easy time when they’re on the go.
10. Shoe Cabinet with Glass Doors
Install something really luxurious in your walk-in closet like these glass door shoe cabinets. You’ll have an easier time finding exactly what you need and none of your shoes will go unworn with its easy access.
11. Chalkboard Shoe Cabinet
It could be a chalkboard or dry erase, make the outside of your shoe cabinet a bit more hidden by making that part of the piece functional too. A giant chalkboard can serve as your memo board and the doors to your organizational needs.
12. Vertical Shoe Storage Cabinet
Not all cabinets have to be wide, instead, they can be slender and lengthy. We love how this cabinet pulls out in a slim and tidy way while still having ample room for storage.
13. Neat & Tidy Shoe Cabinet
This mudroom and laundry area is the perfect place to take your shoes off after a long day out in the yard or at work. And those shoe shelves are the perfect way to keep neat and tidy.
14. Classic Mudroom Shoe Storage
This backdoor entrance is nicely laid out and utilized at a mudroom and quick home office. Notice the lower shelves, where family and guests can slide their shoes while inside the house. It’s a classic and elegant way to organize.
15. Posh Shoe Storage for a Walk-In Closet
An entire, stand-alone shoe cabinet can be made for your extra-large walk-in closet. It’s got a very posh and contemporary feel while the white foundation and glass windows give it a whimsy and fun essence.
16. Hallway Cabinet Storage
This hallway cabinet storage is a genius idea for large families. And the shoes go right underneath in those roomy, square cubbies. Think of everything you can organize right inside those spaces!
17. Small Slide-out Shoe Storage Cabinets
These simple slide-out shelves completely utilize smaller spaces, absolutely every inch. They’ll work in mudrooms, closets, and even in bonus room nooks that have the extra space for organizing.
18. Chic & Shiny Shoe Storage Cabinet
You couldn’t get any more modern and fashion-forward than this beautiful piece. You’ll never know it would be used for shoe storage and that’s the best part of the design!
19. Shoe Storage Cabinet for Men’s Shoes
These shoe cabinets were definitely made for the working man. There’s a traditional style mixed into its functionality and his work shoes can slide right inside.
20. IKEA Shoe Cabinet for Your Hallway
You’d never know this giant piece from IKEA was a shoe cabinet. Place it anywhere in the house for organizational capabilities and chic style. And never lose your shoes again!
21. Shoe Storage Cabinet for Small Hallways
The Blio shoe cabinet designed by Neuland Industriaedesign is perfect for small hallways. It stores your shoes vertically on slanted shelves which makes it easy to identify and grab the pair you want to wear. {found on kristalia}.
22. Compact but Extra Roomy Shoe Storage Cabinet
Ever wondered how Cinderella kept all her shoes organized when she became a princess? Probably not like this but she would have definitely loved this design. It’s simple and compact as well as really roomy and well organized. {found on yomei}.
23. Sleek & Wall-Mounted Shoe Storage
The shoe cabinet designed by Sebastian Desch is interesting for a variety of reasons. First of all, it’s wall-mounted, a detail that could easily go overlooked. Also, it’s framed by colored glass and which offers a particularly stylish look.
24. Shoe Storage Cabinet with Louvered Doors
The louvered doors are a classy feature in the case of this shoe cabinet. It gives the piece an elegant allure while also bringing a little bit of rustic charm to the mix. The dark finish, however, keeps it simple and modern.
25. Simple and Graphic Shoe Storage Cabinet
A design such as this one makes it difficult for the cabinet to be integrated into any particular style. It’s the type of accessory furniture that would fit great in pretty much any type of setting or décor.
26. Closet Shoe Rack
This closet shoe rack is a simple DIY project that even beginners will enjoy making. It’s perfect for fitting into your closet, or it could sit at the entry to your home. For ladies with a large collection of shoes, it’s ideal for adding into a walk-in wardrobe and will keep all of your shoes in one cabinet. For improved organization, you could use a label maker to organize everything perfectly. This is an excellent option for storing all of your family’s shoes in the entryway to your house.
27. DIY Industrial Shoe Rack
For a more open-plan shoe cabinet for the entry to your home, try out this DIY industrial shoe rack project. It will keep your home entryway looking much neater, and you won’t have to worry about putting muddy shoes into a cabinet upon returning home. The dark color of the wood is ideal for putting shoes on top of, and marks and scuffs won’t easily appear.
28. DIY Entryway Shoe Storage Bench
This walk-in wardrobe, this would also look great in there and would give you somewhere to sit when you are getting ready to walk out the door each morning.
29. Handmade Reclaimed Cubbies Wood Shoe Stand
This handmade reclaimed cubbies wood shoe stand will look fantastic in any home and offers a rustic yet practical piece of furniture. Over the four different levels, you’ll be able to hold twelve pairs of men’s shoes or even more ladies’ shoes. It can be customized to your needs by adding extra levels. This storage cabinet would look fantastic in your hallway or closet and makes it easy to select a pair of shoes when you are in a rush to leave for work or school.
30. Crate Shoe Rack
If you are looking for a fun addition to your bedroom or home entryway, you’ll enjoy creating this crate shoe rack. It’s a little different from regular shoe storage cabinets and can also be used to hold other items, such as bags or books. This is an ideal option for anyone with boots or winter shoes that don’t easily fit into your regular-sized shoe storage cabinet. The fun thing about this project is that you can customize it to fit your home decor. Simply pick the number of crates and the color of paint you like, and you’ll enjoy adding this new piece of storage to your home.
31. Hidden Doorway Shoe Storage Cabinet
For anyone who is short on space in their home yet is desperate to eliminate clutter, you’ll love this hidden doorway shoe storage. You’ll save so much space with this project, which is easy to install onto almost any doorway. As long as you have a few inches of depth on the other side of the door, you’ll have no issue adding this handy storage cabinet into your wardrobe or bedroom. It’s ideal for shoes but could also be used to store belts and other accessories you use every day. The project uses simple wooden boards, and you can paint them any color you like to add a little more personality to the project.
32. Plywood DIY Shoe Storage Cabinet
Your friends and family won’t believe you made this shoe storage cabinet from scratch. It looks just like something you would buy in a store but without the hefty price tag. The instructions recommend using plywood, and it’s a fun project to complete over a weekend or two. The great thing about this cabinet is that it is designed to store shoes and boots of different sizes and heights. If you have tall boots, you’ll love having a space to store them without damaging the shoes by folding them over.
33. DIY Lazy Susan Shoe Rack
If you are looking to transform your bedroom or walk-in wardrobe into a showroom for your clothes and shoes, you’ll love this lazy Susan shoe rack. This looks just like a cabinet you would find in a fancy clothes store and will spruce up even the dullest of spaces. You’ll love how many pairs of shoes you can fit onto this rack, and you’ll never run out of space to put the newest addition to your collection.
34. Under the Staircase Shoe Cabinet
This is one of the most exciting projects on our list today and can easily take an unused space and transform it into an incredible shoe storage cabinet. This under the staircase shoe cabinet offers plenty of storage for your whole family’s shoe collection, without taking up any extra space in your home.
35. Expandable Shoe Cabinet
If you keep adding to your shoe collection, you’ll never run out of space with this large bedroom or walk-in wardrobe.
Shoe Storage Cabinets – Conclusion
All of these projects and ideas are great for keeping your shoes off the floor and neatly stored away in your home. You’ll find a project here today to fit any size entryway or closet. A shoe storage cabinet is perfect for adding to any home and will usually create more space rather than take it away. We hope these projects have given you some inspiration for your home and will help to keep you and your family’s shoe collection well organized in the future.
FAQ
How Much Space Do You Need for Shoe Storage?
As a general guideline, the shoe rack should have a depth of at least 13 inches in order to accommodate the majority of shoe kinds. Generally, most shoes will fit in areas of 18, 24, and 30 inches. The height will vary according to the number of shelves you wish to stack.
How Many Shoes Does a Shoe Cabinet Hold?
As you can imagine, it depends on the size and type of the shoe storage cabinet in question. For example, you can find IKEA shoe organizers that hold up to 12 pairs of shoes, while a Hemnes unit will typically hold around eight pairs of shoes.