Shoes always tell a story

Most of us have different shoes for different occasions like sneakers for running, sandals and flipflops for summer and boots for winter. While your stash may not be anything like Imelda Marcos’, I bet you would still have an issue with storing and locating your shoes especially when you are in a hurry and need to find the pair that matches your outfit.

The thing with shoes is that you don’t outgrow them and therefore your collection keeps expanding. Besides, now that shoes come in every colour of the rainbow and in more shades than the Pantone colour swatch, it is easy to grow your collection exponentially. Parting with your shoes is rarely an option, no one likes parting with a good pair of shoes.

Shoes are not cheap; a good pair could cost in excess of $250. So, throwing them on the floor of your closet is not the best way to store them. This also makes locating a matching pair difficult and creates scuff marks when you are rummaging around trying to find the pair you want.

Storage and care tips

Store your shoes well and they will last longer, and you will save time trying to find them.

• The first thing you need to do is clean them by brushing off any dust and dirt.
• Remove scuff marks from leather by dipping a damp cloth in baking soda and rubbing the offending area, then wipe off the residue with a clean, dry cloth.
• Clean sneakers with magic erasers. Sprinkle some baking soda in the sneaker and leave it overnight to reduce any offending odours. Discard the powder before you put them on.
• Then sort your collection out by which pairs you use regularly and which you use infrequently.
• If it is summer, store your winter shoes and boots somewhere out of the way, perhaps on a high shelf and if it is winter do the same with your sandals and flipflops.
• Use clear shoe boxes with lids which are stackable. They come in both acrylic and plastic. The down side is that they take up a lot of space.
• Then there are shoe stackers that use less space than a shoe box. Both shoe boxes and shoe stackers will keep your shoes from being scuffed or crushed by other shoes.
• Long boots tend to fold over. Use a boot shaper or fill them with scrunched up paper to keep them upright and in shape.
• If you use shoe boxes to store your shoes, we recommend that you add some silica gel packets in each box. Silica gel is a desiccant that prevents fungal growth and removes moisture.  

You can tell a man by his shoes. It is a good reason to store yours well  and keep them looking good.

If space is an issue but you want to keep your growing stash safe until the next season, you could hire a SmartBox. Stack your shoes in it, and although these mobile storage units are breathable, adding Silica gel to the shoe boxes will ensure your shoes have that extra protection. Call us and we will store your collection for you in a secure location until you need it again.