How To Declutter Shoes (2024)

Today I am sharing how to declutter shoes. Decluttering shoes can be a straight forward and simple process. These tips and tricks make shoe decluttering quick and easy.

Before you start make sure to find all of your shoes. Go around your home and gather every pair from all seasons.

How To Declutter Shoes

Set Limits
Make Some Decluttering Shoe Rules
Look at your Shoe Storage
Separate Shoes into Groups
Analyze What you Have and What you Wear
Sort Into Piles; Keep, Donate, Recycle
Clean and Organize What is Left

Setting Shoe Limits

I find it easier to declutter shoes when I limit the amount I keep. You could either limit the whole amount or you could put a limit on each type. For instance, how many boots do you actually need.

Declutter Shoe Rules

Look for shoes that:

Are worn out
Hurt your feet
Are rarely worn
Only go with one outfit
Haven’t been worn in a long time
You have too many of the same type

Decluttered Shoe Storage

Look at how much storage you have for your shoes before you set your limit. I consider myself a minimalist, but I have set the limit of two pairs of each type. For instance I have two pairs of sandals, two pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of boots you get the picture. Obviously the amount is up to you!

Once you set your limit it will be very easy to start the decluttering process.

Shoe Decluttering Tips

Go through your massive pile of shoes and separate them into groups.

How to Downsize Shoe Collection Video:

Ask yourself some serious questions

How many shoes do I really need?
Do I wear all of these shoes?
Would having only the shoes I love make my life easier?
Is there an irrational reason why I am keeping these shoes?

More Tips on How To Declutter Shoes

Try keeping the more versatile shoes. Shoes that can work for many occasions. Pick colors that go with a lot of different outfits like nude or black. If your shoes are broken get them fixed immediately or they can be decluttered.

Store your shoes in a way that keeps them organized and accessible. I like to change my shoes around once a year. When the weather changes I reorganize my shoes. I make sure the shoes for the current season are easy to reach.

Think about your lifestyle and what you actually need. I know a lot of people buy shoes because they are pretty and one day there might be an event to wear them at. In reality these shoes will probably just sit in the closet taking up space.

Clean & Organize Shoes

While all of your shoes are out of the closet use that opportunity to clean. Vacuum and wipe down all the obvious surfaces. Look and see if your shoes need to be cleaned or possibly repaired.

Organize your shoes in a way that makes sense. I like to put the current seasonal shoes front and center where they are easy to reach. Storing away the off season or extremely dressy shoes.

I also find it easier to store all of my shoes in one location. Some people prefer to store shoes by the door or in the garage. I find storing my shoes in shoe containers in my closet keeps them in better condition and makes it easier for me to get dressed.

What To Do With The Decluttered Shoes?

Sell the Decluttered Shoes

If your shoes are in really good condition and they are a high end brand I would try selling them. For extremely worn shoes or cheap brands I don’t think selling would be worth the time.

Donate The Decluttered Shoes

Donating shoes that are in good condition is a great idea. Hopefully someone can get some use out of them. I like to look up local charities or donation centers in my area.

Recycle The Decluttered Shoes

Did you know that you can recycle shoes? Search for recycle clothing bins in your area. Places like the American Textile Recycling Service take used clothes and shoes.

There is also Recycle Now that will help you find a local recycle place for used items. Nike has a program called Reuse-A-Shoe where they take old shoes and use them to resurface athletic fields.

Let me HELP you Declutter! SOMETIMES ORGANIZING JUST ISN’T ENOUGH. I WANT TO HELP YOU GAIN SOME TIME TOO!

If you are spending a ton of time continually organizing the same area, check outThe Declutter Your Home Minicourse. I created this course for anyone who is sick of all the time wasted tidying their home. This course is easy to follow and helps you figure out a decluttering schedule so you can declutter your entire home.

This is the perfect course for you if:

You worry about your home before having people over (aka shoving things in closets).
Things are always “missing” in your home.
You wonder why your home doesn’t everlookclean or tidy, no matter how much cleaning you do.

If you need direction on how and where to start on your decluttering journey check outThe Declutter Your Home Minicourse!