This Common Thrift Store Find Doubles As A Smart Shoe Storage Solution

Shoes can pile up quickly in a foyer or mudroom, creating tripping hazards, depositing dirt on the floor, and making your house look cluttered. If you're seeking shoe storage ideas for an entryway, one of your simplest options involves repurposing a common thrift-store find in an uncommon way. Though hanging a shoe storage solution on a wall tends to save space, you don't even need this skill set to turn an old magazine rack into a sturdy home for your household's footwear. Standalone holders designed for the physical media collections of the 20th century aren't as popular today thanks to digitization and streaming services, so they tend to be easy to find at secondhand shops, yard sales, and other places you might search for vintage furniture. Just look for a few important features to make sure the magazine rack that catches your eye is a good match for your shoe storage needs.

Magazine racks work as a shoe storage system because the areas designed for periodicals can be used as shelves or cubbies for sneakers, slides, and more. Some magazine holders may have compartments that fit taller footwear such as boots. However, you may want to use a grit-catching tray for winter boots that pick up snow, salt, sand, and other things that could damage your floor or your reimagined rack. In other words, try to determine which shoes you're going to place in your new-to-you rack before making a purchase, as this can help you get the most functional piece for your belongings.

When scouring thrift stores for a magazine rack to turn into a shoe organizer, pay attention to materials as well as the compartments. Shoes and their holders tend to get a lot of use, so it's wise to get a rack made of a durable material such as wood. Wood is also a smart choice if you're hoping to paint the rack to complement your other decor. Paint sometimes won't stick to non-porous plastic, and you may need special primer to succeed at painting over brass or other metal. Additionally, consider racks made of materials that are easy to clean, since shoes tend to collect dirt and leave some of it where they're stored.

The dimensions, design, and layout of a magazine rack's storage compartments should be deciding factors. A magazine rack with side-by-side compartments may be a match for your needs if you have a lot of shoes to store. The compartments don't need to be very wide if you're planning to place sandals and slip-ons in them. In fact, you can maximize your storage space by orienting at least some of your shoes vertically. Consider putting the soles of a matching pair together and pointing the toes downward. If your rack is shaped more like a basket, you may benefit from creating rows from matching pairs of shoes laid on their sides. You could even bring a few of your favorite pairs of shoes to the thrift shop to see how well they fit in different magazine racks.