Essential Custom Closet Design Tips for Shoe Lovers

Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world.” But if those shoes are all over the house and hard to track down, it’s a challenge to get out of the house, let alone conquer the world.

As shoe lovers ourselves, we know you bought each pair of shoes for a good reason. Maybe they were the perfect pair for that special occasion dress, the update your summer sandal collection needed, or the cute pair you saw on a stranger at a coffee shop, and you’re now loving them for fall football Saturdays.

At Inspired Closets, we specialize in custom closet design for shoes that brings order to your collection while beautifully showcasing your favorite pairs and making each one easy to find. Our design experts have put together some of their favorite shoe display ideas that combine functionality, organization, and elegance to help you create the ideal custom closet for your footwear. Check out their ideas and insights below, and learn how Inspired Closets can help bring these ideas to life.

Planning Your Shoe Storage Space

A well-designed custom closet system makes it easy to organize your shoe collection while keeping every pair visible, accessible, and in great condition. Whether you own 10 pairs or ten times that many, the right solution will make it easy to store and find flats, boots, and everything in between.

Our designers know that life is an adventure but that finding your shoes in the morning shouldn’t be, which is why we’re passionate about creating functional and beautiful custom closet designs for shoes based on your exact needs.

Assessing Your Shoe Collection

Before deciding on shoe storage solutions, one of our design experts will help you take inventory of your shoes and consider:

How many pairs do you own? Knowing the size of your collection helps us determine your best storage options.
What types of shoes do you need to store? Different kinds of shoes need various storage accommodations. For example, tall boots require vertical space, while flats and sandals fit neatly in low-profile shelving.
How often do you wear each pair? Keeping frequently worn shoes easily accessible saves time and keeps your closet organized.

Sorting your shoes by category, frequency of use, or season can help us determine the space you need and what type of storage will work best.

Measuring and Allocating Space

Once our designer has assessed your collection, it’s time to measure and allocate space in your closet. Your Inspired Closets design expert will measure your space for you, ensuring 100% accuracy. Here’s what they’ll consider:

Width:

Width refers to the space from one side of your closet to the other. It helps you understand how many shelves can fit along the length of the closet and how many pairs of shoes fit on a shelf. If the space is limited, adjustable shelves and our Shoe Shrine® allow for easy reconfiguration as your collection grows or changes.

Height:

Measuring the wall from floor to ceiling will let your designer know how much vertical space there is to work with. If you have more vertical space than horizontal, shelves and floor-to-ceiling cabinets can be a great way to maximize your storage.

Depth:

This measurement refers to how far your closet goes from front to back and can tell you how deep each shelf should be. Your designer will measure the depth of your closet where you plan to store shoes. Most pairs only need 12 inches of depth, but certain shoe types may require more to prevent overcrowding and keep things organized.

Choosing the Right Solutions for Your Closet Layout

Whether you have a spacious primary closet or a compact reach-in, the right solutions can transform any closet space into a functional and stylish place to keep your shoes.

Reach-In Closets

Vertical shoe storage solutions like floor-to-ceiling shelving or adjustable cubbies make the most of limited space.
Sliding or bypass doors can free up room while keeping your collection neatly tucked away.
Open shelving with hanging solutions ensures a balanced layout while maintaining organization and visual appeal.

Walk-In Closets

An L-shaped or U-shaped layout offers optimal storage in a walk-in closet, utilizing multiple walls for shoe racks or shelves.

In a walk-in closet, shoe storage is typically placed on either side of a built-in dresser or bank of drawers. This layout keeps shoes and accessories conveniently grouped together and away from hanging clothes, so it’s easier to plan outfits and maintain a clean, visually balanced space.
If space allows, our Shoe Shrine® keeps your shoes nicely arranged and easy to find.

Boutique-Style Closets

A boutique-style closet layout allows for a truly luxurious custom closet design for shoes, where every element highlights your shoe collection and provides the highest functionality.

The Shoe Shrine® is central to our boutique closets as a dedicated, flexible storage solution that keeps every pair organized and easily accessible. Each shelf is adjustable, which makes better use of the space and allows our designers to maximize and optimize the space for each person’s shoes—unlike more traditional shelves, where multiple pairs of shoes sit on a single shelf.
Custom shelving, pull-out racks, and a closet island with extra storage space enhance practicality and elegance.
Glass shelves and strategically integrated lighting showcase your shoes beautifully, making your closet look and feel more elegant.

Beautiful, practical shoe organization is the unsung hero of a closet, and our team uses a collaborative four-step process to create a custom closet layout that keeps all your shoes neatly organized in one spot.

Choosing the Right Solutions for Your Closet Layout

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Tips for Custom Closet Shoe Design

When you know how many pairs you have to store and the right layout for your space, it’s time to consider the features you want your closet to have. When customizing a closet, you have a world of possibilities, from adjustable shelving to soft-close drawers and pull-out baskets. Below are our team’s best tips on closet shoe storage features.

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Optimize Vertical Space

Make the most of every inch using adjustable shelves, tall closet shoe racks, or wall-mounted storage. Adjustable shelving lets you customize heights for different shoe styles, while overhead cubbies are perfect for storing seasonal or rarely worn pairs.

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Incorporate Adjustable Shelving

When it comes to shoe storage, flexibility is crucial. Adjustable shelving means you can move each shelf up or down to fit the height of the shoe and easily store everything without one-size-fits-all shelves that leave you folding over your boots to make them fit. You won’t have to worry about large gaps of space from flats that don’t need as much room as the pair next to them, either. Instead, you can maximize space, keep your shoes organized, protect their structure, and get out the door faster.

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Designate Zones for Different Shoe Types

An organized shoe collection means each pair has its own place. Our suggestions?

Group like pairs with like. Our designers often recommend organizing shoes by type, like flats with flats and heels with heels. This not only makes it easier to find what you need but also creates a cleaner, more calming look. Visually, flats are usually stored higher, while taller shoes like boots are placed lower to help ground the space.
Keep your most-worn pairs at eye level for quick access while storing less-used shoes up higher or in clear bins.
Use taller built-in shoe shelves or hooks to keep boots upright and prevent creases.

With the right setup, you’ll always know exactly where to find (and put away) every pair.

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Incorporate Ventilation

After a long day of your shoes trapping moisture and odors, they may not smell the best. Without proper airflow, that can lead to stale smells. Open shelving is an easy fix that helps air circulate and keep your shoes fresh, dry, and ready to wear.

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Slanted Shelves with Shoe Stops

Slanted shelves are a simple way to bring a little more light to your shoe shelves, making it easier to see each pair. By simply angling the shelf slightly forward, we bring your shoes closer to the light in the room to improve visibility. This way, you’re not looking into shadowy shelves to see all your shoes. If you don’t opt for integrated lighting in your shoe storage area, angling the shoe shelves forward is a good idea.

Plus, built-in shoe stops keep everything in place, so your heels and sneakers stay neatly lined up instead of sliding around. It’s a simple upgrade, but it makes grabbing the perfect pair fast and frustration-free.

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Integrated Lighting for Visibility

Closets are notoriously dark spaces, often with only a small center light fixture (or, in the case of reach-in closets, no lighting at all). Adding lighting to each section of your closet makes it much easier to see into corners, shelves, and drawers. Finding what you’re looking for and putting away clean clothes gets easier and more enjoyable when your closet is properly lit. Lighting also affects how you feel, so you might even benefit from a mood boost when you opt to incorporate it.

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Glass Shelving for a Luxe, Boutique Look

If you’re looking for something extra to add to your closet for a personal touch, consider glass shelving for your shoes. Glass beautifully reflects light, and when paired with lighting, it becomes a stunning focal point in a very calm, relaxed space.

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Mirror Placement for Styling

A full-length mirror in or near your closet, but many people overlook this detail. Not only are mirrors necessary for getting ready, but they also reflect light and can make a small closet feel bigger and brighter. We can incorporate a mirror into the front or back side of a full-length door, create a three-way mirror using multiple doors, or simply allow for a blank wall in the design for a full-length mirror you may want to add to your custom closet design for shoes.

Get a Free Shoe Storage Consultation Today

Let’s face it: Many of us have a love-hate relationship with shoes. We love to buy and wear them, but keeping them organized isn’t quite as fun. But it doesn’t have to be that way. As experts in shoe organization, our goal is to design a well-designed custom primary closet that keeps your shoes neatly organized in one spot. From simple solutions to elaborate displays, our team can help.

At Inspired Closets, we transform disorganized, stressful spaces into organized and inspired ones, and that includes shoes. Schedule a free consultation to start your journey toward a closet designed for your most treasured footwear. We can’t wait to help you design and install a space that enhances your lifestyle and showcases your prized collection.

Talk to an Inspired Closet design expert about your project today.

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