The Budget-Friendly Shoe Storage Hack That Makes Use Of Empty Wall Space

Let's face it, one of the most challenging messes to stay on top of is the piles of wet, dirty shoes tossed haphazardly in the mudroom, entryway, or by the back door. Coming up with functional shoe storage solutions to keep the shoe chaos in check is essential to prevent drowning in the constantly accumulating piles, especially for families with many pairs of feet. That's why it's no surprise that the internet and social media are full of incredibly creative storage ideas to keep shoe clutter tucked away and organized, including many that are wonderfully friendly on your wallet.

One such budget-conscious DIY shoe storage solution was shared by Tara Salas (@thedoerandthedreamer) on Instagram, who used only an inexpensive rod, brackets, and a board to create a flexible, efficient wall-mounted storage solution to keep her family's shoes off the mudroom floor. Anyone with kids will know that a complicated storage system just won't last, so this bin- and door-free solution only requires the user to slide their shoes between the rod and the backer board on the wall, making it easy to maintain and see which shoes are where. 

Because the rod can be trimmed to any size wall, this clever DIY creates space-saving shoe storage that looks beautifully custom for organizing and maximizing even the smallest of areas. And the best part is that the floor mercifully stays free of clutter. Follow this incredibly novice-friendly DIY to inexpensively wrangle your home's shoe chaos once and for all.

To create your own wall-mounted shoe storage solution, all you need is a wood closet rod, closet rod brackets, and a 1x6 board, cut to the length of the wall. Determine the height you want to mount your backer board, which will protect the wall. Ensuring it's level, attach it to the studs with screws. Paint the board and wall behind it the same shade, using wipeable cabinet-grade paint in a satin or semi-gloss sheen. Anything too matte will be difficult to clean. 

Next, measure 3 ½ inches out from the board and mount your closet rod brackets to the side walls. Paint your wood rod, then insert it into the brackets. Now, simply slide your shoes, soles facing the wall, between the rod and board to keep them off the floor and easily accessible. Stack multiple rods up the wall if you need additional storage.

Many Instagram commenters said that with the soles constantly touching the board and potentially the wall, it means lots of cleaning. Salas suggested doing this on a tile wall to make things cleaner. Alternatively, if you installed the rod a little further out, you could rest the shoes facing upright with the heel tipped down between the backer board and the rod. This way, only the rod gets dirty, and you could opt for a plastic or metal rod for easier cleaning. Piles of shoes on the floor are a thing of the past with this simple closet rod DIY shoe holder, which creates tons of practical wall-mounted shoe storage for pennies.