1 shoe, 2 shoe, 3 shoe, 100 shoe
Think about that feeling you get when you get a new pair of shoes. Feel the excitement you get to wear them for the first time, the power that flows through your body as you slip each foot in-between those carefully crafted fabrics. As you look in the mirror you see how anything is possible, how you can go anywhere with these magnificent feet protector’s carrying you from place to place.
They’ve got your back, so shouldn’t you want to display them nicely, and not throw them into a random pile, your shoes are a driving force in your life, I know I don’t want to step on searing hot concrete or get rocks, thorns, or glass stuck in my feet.
So let’s give our shoes some love and store them well in our home. Here are 7 ways I, a home organizer in Phoenix Arizona, think you can go about doing that.
1 – Where your shoes are and what shoes are where
Go walk around your house and take note as to where all your shoes currently are.
Are they by the front door?
The Garage?
The backdoor?
Are they in your closet?
Do you have a few stored in the oven just in case?
Figure out where your shoes are, this will help with step two. Once you know where they are, understand what shoes are where and why. Do you keep a pair of outdoor shoes next to the back door for when you need to pop out to pick up dog poo?
Do you running shoes typically stay by the garage door for when you go for a run? And all those heels, do they live in the closet hidden away until needed?
Once we have figured out all our shoe locations, we’ll look at who’s they are.
2 – Guess who(s) shoes & understand why
This step is only for those of us that live with other people, so if you are alone, then you’re more than willing to skip this step.
But, the next thing to understand is, out of the shoes at each location in the home, whos are whos, and where would you ideally want them to be?
If your kiddo leave his shoes by the front door, and you hate them there, then we need to identify why he leaves them there.
You can’t just have him create a new habit without understanding his current motivations. So you might learn it’s because that’s the door he uses 90% of the time, and if you also have a rule of no shoes inside, then he probably gets confused why you get upset because he’s following one rule while breaking another because it’s super inconvenient for him to take his shoes off, pick them up, and walk them over to the door by the garage. He’s tired, he just wants to get some food and play some video games after a rough day at school.
So we have to make the system work for both of you, and everyone in the house and all their habits.
3 – Think through what shoes should go where
So now it’s time to think through where your shoes should be a bit more. Use the info you’ve gathered to decide where each pair of shoes should live.
Maybe right now all your shoes are in the closet and you hate going all the way back to the closet each time you need to go outside really quickly. This might mean you should pull shoes out of the closet to live by the door.
Or, another situation may be that you keep all your heels in your closet but noticed you wear one pair almost every day and would actually prefer those be by the door to the garage.
This step is mainly just deciding where each pair should live to keep your shoes organized in each specific area.
4 – Count them like a kindergartener
That’s right, count them up! 1. 2. 3. 4… But count them at each location you have decided to put them at.
5 – Figure out what organizers to buy
So you counted the shoes so that you know how many organizers to purchase.
You’ll probably want different organizers for different locations.
Why?
Well, because you may want to stack them high and wide in the closet due to the fact that you have 80 pairs in there, while at the front door you just need something to hide the single pair of shoes for your kid, like an entry table. Try to find one that can clear the height of his shoes and you can have him put his shoes under the table’s lower shelf.
Here’s an example of one that might work: https://amzn.to/3AJVDlu
Here are some great options from the container store:
This is the most pricey, but also the best looking
This one is great because it comes in 3 different sizes
Here are some great options from amazon:
6 – Habits are the hard part
So setting up everything isn’t crazy difficult, just takes some time. The hard part is adjusting your habits to the new system. This takes time, your muscle memory is going to keep putting the stuff in the same places you’re used to.
Just stick with it, and give yourself small rewards when you do it correctly to reinforce the correct habit.
Dealing with your own habits is difficult enough, the harder part is going to be the rest of the household. You’ll need to stay on top of them, but in a kind way, or else they will rebel, and again, reward them when they follow the system correctly say 3 days or times in a row.
The key is to be patient and don’t be afraid to make adjustments to your systems if they just aren’t working at all. Like, if you find that you keep putting your running shoes away in the closet because that’s where you go to change clothes right away, then put your shoes there, or buy a second pair and have a pair that rotates between locations. or maybe 10 pairs and you leave them at the front and when all of them make it to the closet you move them all back once and start the process over.
You’d be surprised but how much better it can be to have two or more of something. (like power cords, one for your bag, and one for your desk)
7 – Wear them well
Now you’re treating your shoes right and you can feel even better each and every time you strap them to your feet and head off out into the world.
Let your shoes imbue you with superpowers like the sun does for superwoman!
Go show the world who you are.
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