a large, shallow drawer... I have one made with full extension drawer slides.

I was excited to see this topic, and hoping I was going to see pix of real life solutions. Oh well, maybe my Target stackable racks are what I will continue with.

I use bookshelves and put my shoes in boxes so I can stack them. If you don't have the shoeboxes anymore, you can get something like these: Sterilite 6-Quart Storage Box, White - Walmart.com

I’m impressed you only have a dozen pairs! I box up and store off season shoes under the bed in the guest room. I have 2 pairs of “daily” shoes in the hall closet; I usually wear one or the other when I am going places. This closet has a small 3 tier shoe rack. In my clothes closet are another 6-8 pairs, arranged with the most frequently used in an easy to reach place, and the seldom worn stashed lower. This closet has a system of shelves and rods. Oh, and one pair of brown tall boots and one pair of black dress boots in boxes under my bed. They just take up too much damn space in the closet!!! And have not been worn much due to covid.

@ShadyWillowFarm LOL— we have a rack with room for another dozen at our back door! So this is mostly less frequently worn pairs. I purged the dress boots entirely before the remodel since sadly they no longer fit…

I’d go with book shelf idea too but after trying out many cabinets, decided to use Ikea’s trone cabinets which can stack upwards or side by side- easier to take and put shoes, its also slim against wall. Best i have tried so far.

So alot depends on the layout of the closet and how many paires of shoes I have system very similar to this from Amazon it is great because you can build it to fit many different areas .I have 126 prs of shoes I store some in another closet they are really high heels and I only were them fo shotr times when I am mostly seated at a dinner for instance I just got as many cubbies as I had pairs I need to store I like them becuase they aslo work for my hubbys much bigger shoes

Thanks! @btydrvn we will actually have a shelf like that running the perimeter of the closet, but I hadn't thought of putting shoes up there--will add that to the options!

Just found a picture

We put each pair of shoes in a clear container store shoe box. Took a picture of one shoe of each pair and printed it out. Taped the picture on the outside of the box so you can see easily what shoes are in the said box. They are on a shelf in the closet. Before they went in the boxes, they were on the floor and just too much dust collected on them. Boxes keep them dust free.

I think free-range shoes are much happier than shoes cooped up in cubby systems and boxes. The fast-track shoe racks from the RubberMaid HomeFree series are my favorite solution. Lots of flexibility with length, number, and spacing of shelves to accommodate shoes of many sizes/shapes. Rubbermaid shoe shelves

My dream solution is clear boxes with a drop front opening. I could see all the shoes clearly, and not disturb the stack when removing or storing a pair. Here's a Container Store picture, but I just found cheap ones on Wayfair. Agree with btyrdvn that upper closet shelves are the perfect storage location.

I have drop front boxes from the Container Store and love them. I used to keep my shoes on open shelves in our old house, but once I passed 60 pairs, that wasn’t really workable. The new house will have shelves sized for stacks of the boxes. In our current rental, they’re stacked on the closet floor.

Oh well, maybe my Target stackable racks are what I will continue with.

I have 4-5 of these ... topped with a (so old I can't remember their source) tilted wire rack.

I prefer the tilted rack shoes because they're easier to see, whereas the white target flat-racks kinda allow the shoes to hide. What I end up doing: I bring the seasonal shoes "up" to the tilted racks and leave the out-of-season things down on the bottom. It's not fancy, but I'm happy enough with this system.

My boots don't fit in this storage system; I keep them tucked under my clothes on the hanging rack.

but I hadn't thought of putting shoes up there

If I ever really re-do my closet, I'll put shirts "down" because I can tell exactly what they are from looking at the shoulders /can reach the hangers without kneeling down. And I'll put shoes and folded items "up" because it'll be easier to reach them.

I think free-range shoes are much happier than shoes cooped up in cubby systems and boxes.

But I am happier if my shoes are well organized!

Thanks for all of these ideas--this project is dragging and dragging and I finally ordered the Elfa closet system "bones" last night. Decided to just start with the the clothing rods and see how we are using the space, and then add shelves as we go.