You might consider building in a bench with a high back panel that is stained to match your front door so that it's easy to wipe down. The bench could also have a seat cushion, making it more inviting to sit instead of stand. Here are some thought starters:

Alternatively, you could have the "mudroom" entrance closer to your garage or the rear of your home to keep the area less cluttered.

Can you take a picture from further back? Is that a closet on the right wall? If so, is there a reason shoes can't go in the closet?
The most obvious and affordable answer is to get a lower bench. Eliminate one row of shoe storage and move the shoes elsewhere- potentially an over the door hanger on the back of that door.
A chair with arms is the way to go for elderly parents. Might be hard to get one that fits with your narrow hall though. You could put a narrow shoe cabinet next to the chair, which is also nice as a spot to hold and for putting keys on top.

Is there no back door mudroom? Must this shoe chore be done at your main entrance?

I assume the OP is talking about guests and not just immediate family members. When any of you enter someone's home, do you sit on a bench to take off shoes? I think it depends on the type of shoe (and complexity of removing them). I find it uncomfortable to sit down to remove my shoes while my host is standing so I often remain standing and attempt to remove my shoes while standing. I hadn't really thought on it until this post.

I must say your bench does not look inviting and maybe that is further discouraging guests from using it. If you look at the pictures people are posting, they look much more inviting with cushions and pillows. I would suggest a bench with a back and some cushions or pillows.

I think the idea to put art above is another good one to discourage people from putting their hands on the wall.

Elderly folks tend to be weak. Since they lack strength, they have a difficult time with Sit to Stand position. A bench with arms would assist them.

If you choose to have a cushion, then use a cushion upholstered in a printed outdoor fabric, as it will not show stains as easily.

Also, this multi picture wall will discourage people from leaning on the wall

Is that your main entrance or a back door? The bench is just too close to the opening. It looks too low to the ground for adults to want to sit. Is that a closet across from the bench? Perhaps you could utilize it for storage and find a more inviting seat?

Thank you for all the recommendations. Please keep the ideas coming.

This is the front entrance. Here’s a picture from backing out. While I love the idea of the more comfy looking seat I think the width of that short wall is not enough to have a bench with a back. The seat can’t be more than 12-13”. I could add a flat cushion bed but then the bench will be even taller.

I can add pictures to the wall but what kind of pictures? We have a kids picture wall in the living room already.

There’s a coat closet that has a shoe storage as well and it’s full:) there’s 6 people in the house. Pics below.

I was hoping you might be able to tuck a chair/bench around the corner to allow people to clear the main isle way- maybe where the chair on the left is now.
An over the door shoe storage solution would definitely help... I know 6 people is a lot but you really only need 1-2 pairs of shoes at the front door. And yes, this is pot calling the kettle black because on Fridays I usually have to haul my shoes from the week upstairs and put them away.
I would focus on making the entry bench suitable for sitting over making it suitable for storage. Then focus on making the closet hold more.
For art you can find a nice canvas painting (try Etsy), a mirror (nice to check your hair on the way out), or even a nice decorative pin board to hold the kids art and seasonal cards etc.

Also, stupid question , but since no one uses the bench anyway.... do you actually need one? Entry benches aren't required by law, and those narrow shoe chests I posted would fit the space better anyway.

I don’t know how to get children to sit down and put on their shoes, but I have learned that you can buy wall protectors to put on your corners. Not the cheap plastic things, but nice wooden ones that you can paint to match your millwork. My original purpose was to keep the outside corners from getting banged up. But I have noticed that people tend to grab them instead of the wall, and it makes a huge difference keeping the wall clean.

This seems as much like a psychology dilemma as a design one: why are people not using the bench? I suspect it's not too high, but that it's not deep enough, something you can't do anything about.

Perhaps a narrow cabinet or chest would work better there. People could hold onto that instead of the walls. Then the old and infirm will just have to come all the way in to a chair to remove their shoes.

Wayfair has lots of cabinets and chests that are <12" in depth.

https://www.wayfair.com/filters/furniture/sb3/cabinets-chests-c504731-p86240~30~73-p86241~31~54-p86242~0~12.html?sortby=2

im certainly guilty of standing to do my shoes... i lean one hand on the corner of our back hall built in cabinets. much easier than to use my bench! i even purchased a nice long shoe horn, suitable for using while standing, so i dont break the backs of my shoes.

the solution is an easily washable surface for people to put their hands on, which will allow you to get whatever shoe storage works best. i'd recommend a *wood* panel there... not beadbord necessarily but some sort of wainscotting, that will accept paint and match your trim. semi gloss and you can wash it every day.

It looks like a bookcase rather than a bench. Get something more bench-like.

Ninigret, are you volunteering to go to OP's house and wash her wainscoting every day?

i said she CAN wash it every day. not HAS to.

her wall is more than a day's accumulation. you cant wash drywall every day. semi gloss paint on wood, you can.

You do not have the space to store shoes for SIX people at your entryway. Why must you store their shoes there? That's unnecessary. They should select their "shoes du jour" from their closet and put them on at the entry. If they are in the house for the night, then they can take their shoes back to their rooms.

Capt. Obvious says, "Children's shoes get bigger as their feet grow. If you store shoes at your entrance, then you will run out of storage space."

You've trained the family to remove their shoes. Next step: Train them to return their shoes back to their own closets.

DK, I didn’t read that an entire show collection for 6 people would be stored there. I suspect this is intended for just the daily shoe choices. You pick out your shoes for the day, and as you come and go throughout the day you take them on and off at the door. Surely you aren’t suggesting that every time you come inside you have to run to the bedroom closet to put your shoes away!!!

Bailey-Did you look at the shoes in the closet and under the bench? Clearly, there are more than just a daily pair of shoes per person stored at the entrance.

Did you READ my post? "If they are in the house for the night, then they can take their shoes back to their rooms"

Dream, Since a bench with arms will not fit in your space.... Have you heard the expressions:

"if it I can't see it, it does not exist." & "If you can't beat them, join them" ???

Paint the wall a dark color or add texture?

Install a wood-finish hand rail as you would a ballet barre. The kids will grab it instead of balancing against the wall. The wood finish will not show grime quickly.

I would cut the legs of the bench so it's a better height, then add a decorative rug to brighten the area. For a weather resistant rug consider one of the many patterned outdoor rugs in smaller sizes. Maybe even paint the bench.......

Thank you everyone for sharing your expertise. Truely appreciated.

@DK Haas- I like the idea in those 2 pictures. I’m going to try to find a wood panel like in the picture, maybe from Etsy. I’ll have to figure out how to make the bench match the panel.

@annztoo- cutting the legs just might do the trick.

And I’m going to try to reduce the number of shoes everyone keeps there. I only have 2 pairs but other have multiples. It just means I’ll have to keep on harping on everyone to take their shoes upstairs.