10 Best Shoe Organizers and Racks in 2024: Reviews & Top Picks
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Many of us have a love/hate relationship with shoes. We love owning them, but we hate having to find convenient storage space. We love buying new pairs but hate not being able to find our old favorites in the closet pile or under the bed. Shoe organizers and racks, which come in a surprising array of styles and sizes, offer a convenient solution. They can be placed under the bed, in the closet, or by the door. They bring order to shoe-based chaos, and with some models capable of holding as many as 50 pairs, they can meet the needs of even the most eager footwear collector.
Below are reviews of 10 of the best shoe organizers and racks including over-the-door, under-the-bed, and free-standing organizers, as well as rolling, hanging, and stackable racks, and even expandable racks designed to perfectly fit shoe-sized nooks.
A Quick Look at Our Winners in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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Over The Door Shoe Organizer |
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Best Value
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Whitmor Hanging Shoe Shelves |
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Premium Choice
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Tangkula 7 Tiers Vertical Shoe Rack |
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CHECK PRICE |
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SimpleHouseware 24 Section Hanging Shoe Shelves Closet Organizer |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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3-Tier Expandable Shoe Rack |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 10 Best Shoe Organizers and Racks
1. Over The Door Shoe Organizer – Best Overall
| Rack Style: | Over-the-Door |
| Capacity: | 35 pockets |
| Dimensions: | 67.7 x 26.4 inches |
Over-the-door hangers are arguably the most convenient type of shoe organizer. They take up little room and are viable for most rooms as long as you have a little clearance behind the bedroom door. The over-the-door shoe organizer has 35 mesh pockets, each designed to hold a light pair or single shoe. The organizer hooks over the door, so there’s no need to fix it in place, although if you want to store heavier shoes, screwing it in place will provide greater stability and prevent the door hooks from being and preventing door closure.
The organizer is well-priced, has good capacity, and keeps your shoes out of the way while still making them easily accessible, which is why we’ve chosen it as the best shoe organizer and rack available. However, it is better suited to light shoes and slippers. If you try filling it with Doc Martens, you will need to screw it in place rather than use the included door hooks.
- 35 pockets hold a good amount of footwear
- Reasonable price
- Easily hooks over the door so no DIY is needed
- Heavier shoes may require the organizer to be screwed to the door
2. Whitmor Hanging Shoe Shelves – Best Value
| Rack Style: | Hanging Shelves |
| Capacity: | 8 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 11.5 x 5.5 x 41 inches |
If you don’t have room behind a bedroom door or you’ve already filled your over-the-door hanger, another space-saving organizational solution is that of the hanging shelf unit. The Whitmor Hanging Shoe Shelves have two hanging hooks that sit over the pole in your closet, while the eight sections can each house a pair of shoes. At just 11.5 inches wide, they take up minimal room in the closet but enable you to store multiple shoes so that they are out of sight but still easy to reach. The size of the compartments means that this hanger is suitable for shoes and ankle boots but won’t fit taller boots.
The Whitmor Hanging Shoe Shelves are cheap, and they take up minimal room in the closet while doing a good job of organizing shoes and minimizing clutter, making them the best shoe organizers and racks for the money.
- Really cheap
- Hangs in your closet, no DIY is needed
- Holds 8 pairs of shoes
- Not suitable for large shoes or tall boots
3. Tangkula 7 Tiers Vertical Shoe Rack – Premium Choice
| Rack Style: | Vertical Rack |
| Capacity: | 7 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 11 x 10.5 x 43.5 inches |
The bedroom closet isn’t the only place where shoes congregate and amass. The front door is another prime spot for a scandal of shoes. Having an attractive shoe organizer or shoe rack by the door means you have somewhere to put your footwear when you walk in. It not only keeps the floor clear and the house tidy, but it also makes it easy to locate your shoes when you’re heading out.
The Tangkula 7 Tiers Vertical Shoe Rack fits neatly next to the door, in most hallways, and it has seven tiers including larger tiers at the bottom for boots and smaller tiers at the top for lighter shoes. The rack is more expensive than most on the list, but its MDF construction means that it looks good in the house and is sturdy enough to hold your shoes.
- MDF construction is durable and attractive
- Includes larger shelves for larger shoes
- Freestanding so doesn’t need to be fixed to the wall
- Expensive
4. SimpleHouseware 24 Section Hanging Shoe Organizer
| Rack Style: | Hanging Shelves |
| Capacity: | 24 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 11.5 x 17.25 x 48.43 inches |
The SimpleHouseware 24 Section Hanging Shoe Shelves Closet Organizer is another set of hanging shelves. This set has 24 sections so it will hold a lot of shoes, but this also comes at the expense of a loss of closet space. It has three hanging hooks that mean you don’t have to drill or screw anything in place, but the 17.25-inch width of the shelves does take up around half a standard single closet, and the shoe sections are only big enough for small shoes and slip-ons.
If you do have a lot of wardrobe space and a lot of petite shoes, the SimpleHouseware 24 Section Hanging Shoe Shelves Closet Organizer offers a convenient way of storing footwear out of the way. It is reasonably priced, too, and the pockets can be used to store anything, so you can put socks, t-shirts, and other items in it.
- Space for 24 pairs of shoes
- Hangs in the closet, out of sight
- Reasonably priced
- Takes up a lot of closet space
- Only really suitable for smaller shoes
5. 3-Tier Expandable Shoe Rack
| Rack Style: | Expandable Rack |
| Capacity: | 12 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 8.8 x 17.7 x 13.8 inches |
The benefit of an expandable shoe rack isn’t necessarily that it can be extended to contain more shoes, as you increase the size of your shoe collection. However, it does mean that you can expand or contract the rack to better fit the space next to the entryway, behind the door, or under the stairs. You won’t be left with a 4-inch gap or have to slide the rack in diagonally to force it to fit.
The 3-Tier Expandable Shoe Rack, which does also come in a 4-tier design, expands from 17.7 inches to 33.8 inches and at full extension will hold 12 pairs of adult shoes. Because the top shelf is open, it means that you can use that for boots and taller shoes, putting kicks and flats on the bottom tiers. The rack is made from powder-coated metal, which is durable and will withstand the knocking it will inevitably face as you place and remove shoes. It is reasonably priced, too, and is easy to assemble.
When fully extended, the middle of the shelves can sag a little, and those with large feet will find it a struggle to fit more than three pairs on each fully extended shelf.
- Extends up to 33.8 inches wide
- Made from durable powder-coated metal
- Easy to assemble
- Can sag under the weight of heavy boots
6. Onlyeasy Sturdy Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer
| Rack style: | Under-Bed Organizer |
| Capacity: | 2 x 12 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 29.3 x 23.6 x 5.9 inches |
An under-bed organizer has several uses. If, like a lot of people, you have shoes that are appropriate for certain seasons, times of the year, or specific events, you won’t need regular access to this occasional footwear, and you won’t want it taking up valuable space in the closet or your over-door organizer. Alternatively, if the vacuous space under the bed is your preferred shoe storage area, it can become cluttered not only making it difficult to find the shoes you want but also to find anything else that might be lurking underneath.
The Onlyeasy Sturdy Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer is a compartmented organizer, so you don’t have to pile shoes in and risk them getting flattened. It has a breathable top that is see-through so you can locate your shoes while protecting against dust and any other debris. And you get two drawers for a very reasonable price, enabling you to store up to 24 pairs of shoes.
The organizer is inexpensive, holds a decent collection of shoes, and fulfills a purpose, but the cardboard walls are flimsy, so they collapse under pressure. The sections are quite small, so they will be unsuitable for boots or buyers with large feet.
- Fit under most beds
- 2 storage trays can hold up to 24 pairs of shoes
- Reasonable price
- Flimsy design
- Compartments are too small for boots or large feet
7. Over The Door Shoe Organizer
| Rack style: | Over-the-Door |
| Capacity: | 24 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 61.4 x 22 inches |
One of the problems with compartmented shoe organizers is that the compartments can be quite small. They’re suitable for flip-flops or for people with small feet, but large shoes, high heels, and big boots won’t usually fit. The Over The Door Shoe Organizer claims to hold shoes up to size 13, which makes it suitable for virtually all feet. It is reasonably priced, comes with four hanging hooks to ensure it remains stable on the back of the door, and there are 24 compartments. The number and size of compartments mean that you can fit 24 large individual shoes or 24 pairs of smaller shoes, or a combination of the two.
However, the door hooks don’t perfectly fit all doors and large shoes only really seem to fit into the top two rows of compartments and not the rest.
- Designed to take larger shoes
- Decent price
- Hangs well if hooks fit your door
- Still a struggle to fit size 12s
- Door hooks aren’t suitable for all doors
8. Whitmor 10 Tier Shoe Tower Rack
| Rack Style: | Rolling Shoe Tower |
| Capacity: | 50 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 14.625 x 36.5 x 59.5 inches |
The Whitmor 10 Tier Shoe Tower is a shoe organizer for those with a serious shoe collection or a lot of shoe wearers in the house. It has a chrome frame with ten tiers, each capable of holding up to five pairs of shoes without squashing or forcing them in. It comes with wheels on the base, which will lock to prevent unwanted movement and make it useful for a walk-in wardrobe or for moving around a room and allowing greater access.
Alternatively, it can be fitted with a flat base to give your shoes a more permanent home. It is expensive but assembly is relatively easy, the rack is convenient for those with a sizable shoe collection, and it is a durable piece of furniture.
- Holds up to 50 shoes
- Chrome frame is sturdy and durable
- Wheels make it easy to move
- Expensive
- Quite obtrusive
9. Whitmor Stackable 31” Extra Wide 2 Shelf Storage Organizer
| Rack Style: | Stackable Shelf |
| Capacity: | 9 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 11.61 x 31 x 11.61 inches |
The Whitmor Stackable 31” Extra Wide 2 Shelf Storage organizer is a two-shelf unit that has a maximum capacity of nine pairs of shoes. It is designed to be easy to assemble and you can buy multiple units so that the shelves can be stacked, and you can enjoy even more shoe storage space. It is reasonably priced for a shelf unit, and the ability to stack multiple units is beneficial.
However, the shelves are held together with thin dowels and a handful of screws so can become rickety with just a single unit, while the shelves are too short to hold bigger boots or high heels.
- Reasonable price
- Stackable shelving units
- Easy assembly
- Quite flimsy
- Shelves are too small for bigger shoes
10. VTRIN Shoe Rack Shoe Organizer
| Rack Style: | Shoe Rack |
| Capacity: | 50 pairs |
| Dimensions: | 50 x 12 x 55.5 inches |
Made from powder-coated metal tubes, the VTRIN Shoe Rack Shoe Organizer has three columns of shelves. The outer two columns have eight tiers while the central column tier. It also has hooks for the ends of the shelves, which provide a little extra storage for smaller items. This combination enables you to store boots, high heels, trainers, slippers, and other footwear.
The large design means that the organizer takes up a lot of room and requires quite a lot of assembly before you can use it. It’s also quite an expensive organizer, but if you have a lot of people with a lot of different pairs of shoes, it does offer good flexibility and storage space.
- Lots of shoe storage space
- Room for high-heels, platforms, and boots
- Made of durable powder-coated metal
- Expensive
- Assembly required
Buyer’s Guide: Buying the Best Shoe Organizers and Racks
Shoes—they’re an essential item that we all own, but they tend to congregate in certain areas of the house. And when they congregate, they can get unruly.
Whether you have a pile of everybody’s shoes gathering at the door or a collection of your own filling up the bottom of your closet, a shoe organizer or shoe rack can free up space and make your life a little easier. Imagine being able to go into your closet and find exactly the pair of work shoes you’re looking for, straight away, when you’re running late. Or not having to check under the stairs, behind the bedroom door, or under the bed to find your gym shoes.
The best shoe organizers and racks can provide you with a single, central location to store all of your footwear while also providing convenient pockets or sections to pair and segregate your shoes, so they are easier to find and suffer less damage.
Storage Type
There are a lot of different options when it comes to choosing a shoe organizer, and the type you opt for will depend on the space you have as well as the number and even type of footwear you own. The main types of shoe storage are:
- Over-The-Door – Over-the-door hangers or over-the-door shelves take advantage of the space that you have behind a bedroom or storage room door. They typically hang over the door itself, so do not require any assembly, and can include shelves or pockets. This is arguably the most convenient means of organizing shoes, but it may not be practical if you don’t have room behind the door or next to the door frame. If your door is very tight at the top of the frame, you may also find that you struggle to secure this type of organizer.
- Hanging Shelves – If you have even a little spare closet space, you can put this to good use with some hanging shoe shelves. A small set takes up around the same amount of room as two or three thick jackets and can store seven or eight pairs of shoes. The shoes are not only easy to locate and out of the way but because they don’t end up in one big pile, they won’t suffer crush damage. If you have limited closet space, this type of storage may not be practical because you will need every bit of room available.
- Under-Bed Storage – Under the bed is a common shoe storage area but it usually entails kicking your shoes off and firing them to unreachable areas to join whatever else is being stowed underneath. With under-bed shoe storage, you can keep your shoes in good order and in good condition. The storage box will usually be covered to prevent stray visitors and to stop your shoes from getting dusty and this is a great way to look after those shoes that you don’t wear every day but need to keep in good condition.
- Freestanding Shelves – Freestanding shelves might be thought of as the traditional shoe rack. They can be placed in a hallway, by the front door, under the stairs, in the living room, or anywhere else that you have the room. The shoes are left on display, so they are easy to find when you’re in a rush, but the rack keeps them off the floor and allows for some degree of order. Sizes vary, both in terms of height and width.
- Stackable Shelves – Stackable shelves are similar to freestanding shelves except that you can add second and additional units on top of the first. You can turn a 10-pair shoe rack into a 20-pair rack, and so on, with relative ease. However, you need to be aware that as the tower grows so does the possibility of collapse.
- Expandable Shelves – There are many little nooks and crevices in some homes. These can be massively under-utilized areas of the home. Finding a shoe rack or other storage that fits can be a challenge, and that is where expandable shelves are beneficial. These can be widened or narrowed according to the area you’re trying to fill. They can also be beneficial if you have an ever-expanding shoe collection.
- Rolling Organizer – A rolling organizer is a set of shelves but with wheels on the base, rather than a solid or flat bottom. This can be useful if you do have a large collection but don’t necessarily have the wall space against which you can permanently leave a large shoe rack.
Conclusion
There are many shoe storage and organizational options available so whatever the size of your shoes or the size of your shoe collection, you can find something to match.
Above, we have included reviews of 10 of the best shoe organizers and racks, including the Over-The-Door Shoe Organizer which is inexpensive and lets you store up to 18 pairs of shoes on the back of your door. If you’re looking for an even cheaper option, or you don’t have door space but do have spare closet space, the Whitmor Hanging Shoe Shelves take up very little room in the closet but allow you to stow eight pairs of shoes out of sight.
Featured Image Credit: iced.espresso, Shutterstock
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