Shoe Storage for a Small Apartment: Which Kind Fits Your Space
For the pairs you wear every day, an open rack on the closet floor or by the door is the quickest to use. With no floor to spare, an over-the-door organizer holds shoes on the back of a door. Clear stackable boxes keep pairs clean on a shelf, and a flat case under the bed stores off-season shoes. A slim cabinet hides shoes by the door, but it needs its anti-tip kit.
By Tess Mullins · Updated
Which one fits your space?
| If you have | Look at | Deposit Risk |
|---|---|---|
| The pairs you wear every day, on a closet floor or by the door | Open shoe racks | Low |
| A closet or bedroom door, when there's no floor to spare | Over-the-door shoe organizers | Low |
| A closet shelf, for pairs you want to keep clean and see at a glance | Stackable shoe boxes | Low |
| Room under the bed, for off-season pairs | Under-bed shoe organizers | Low |
| An entry where you'd rather hide the shoes | Slim shoe cabinets | Medium |
Open shoe racks
Good for: The pairs you wear every day, on a closet floor or by the door
- Deposit Risk: Low
- Landlord Permission: Not usually needed
- Take It With You: Yes
Two to four open shelves on a light metal frame stand on the floor, so the pairs you wear every day go on and off without zippers or doors. The examples here stack or connect, so you can add tiers later.
Check before you buy
Measure the width and depth of the spot, and leave room to open the closet door or walk past. Compare the maker's pair count with your shoes: wide sneakers and boots take more room than small pairs. Felt pads under metal feet help on a wood floor.
At move-out
Take the shoes off and lift the rack out. Nothing is attached to the apartment, and it goes with you. Wipe the floor where it stood.
Examples on Amazon
STORAGE MANIAC Expandable Shoe Rack, 2 Tier
Metal rack with two shelves that slides wider or narrower
- Fits
- 17.7 to 32.3 in wide, 8.8 in deep and 14 in tall; 8 pairs on the two shelves
- Holds
- Up to 30 lb
- Powder-coated metal frame with four foot covers
- Stacks into taller racks with more units
It slides to the width of the spot, so it suits a closet floor you can't change. The floor space under the bottom shelf takes slippers or sandals.
See it on Amazon: STORAGE MANIAC Expandable Shoe Rack, 2 TierAutonomier 4 Tier Extra Small Shoe Rack
Four fabric shelves on metal tubes with plastic connectors
- Fits
- 16.3 in wide, 10.2 in deep and 21.5 in tall; 2 pairs per tier, per the maker
- Holds
- Up to 22 lb, per the listing's product details
- Waterproof non-woven fabric shelves; wipe with a damp cloth
- Stacks on another unit or connects side by side
The narrowest rack here, for a gap beside a closet door or a slim strip of wall. The maker says large men's shoes may fit only three shoes to a tier.
See it on Amazon: Autonomier 4 Tier Extra Small Shoe RackKitsure 3 Tier Shoe Rack, 27.5 Inch Wide
Three fabric shelves on metal tubes with plastic frames
- Fits
- 27.5 in wide and 11.8 in deep; the listing gives two heights, 18.5 and 13.7 in
- Holds
- Not listed
- Non-woven fabric shelves keep dust from falling through
- Goes together in four steps without tools; stacks for more tiers
The widest of the fixed racks, for a row of everyday pairs along a wall or a closet floor. With no weight rating listed, keep boots on the bottom shelf.
See it on Amazon: Kitsure 3 Tier Shoe Rack, 27.5 Inch Wide
Over-the-door shoe organizers
Good for: A closet or bedroom door, when there's no floor to spare
- Deposit Risk: Low
- Landlord Permission: Not usually needed
- Take It With You: Yes
Rows of fabric or mesh pockets hang from hooks over the top of a door, so shoes take no floor at all. Deep pockets take sneakers and some boots; shallow ones suit flats and sandals.
Check before you buy
Check the hooks against your door's thickness, and that the door still closes with them in place. Compare the pocket size with your largest pair, and the maker's weight limit with a full load: a dozen pairs of shoes add up fast.
At move-out
Take the shoes out, lift the organizer off the hooks and the hooks off the door. Nothing stays behind, and it folds flat for the move. Check the top edge of the door for scuffs.
Examples on Amazon
GORILLA GRIP Over the Door Shoe Organizer, 24 Pockets
Fabric organizer with mesh pockets and 4 hooks
- Fits
- Most standard doors, per the maker (no thickness listed); 19 in wide and 64 in tall
- Holds
- Up to 40 lb
- 24 mesh pockets, each up to 4.25 in deep
- Non-woven fabric with reinforced stitching
Shallow mesh pockets for sneakers, flats and sandals, with air through the mesh. With no door thickness listed, try the hooks on your door before you load it.
See it on Amazon: GORILLA GRIP Over the Door Shoe Organizer, 24 PocketsSLEEPING LAMB Over the Door Shoe Organizer, 8 Deep Pockets
Oxford fabric organizer with 8 pockets and 4 metal hooks
- Fits
- 16.7 in wide and 64.5 in tall; door thickness not listed. Each pocket is 9 in deep, for US sizes 7 to 13
- Holds
- Up to 60 lb, per the listing's product details; 20 to 22 pairs
- Each pocket 16.7 in wide and 7 in tall, closed at both sides
- 5 mm tubes keep the pockets from deforming
Eight wide, deep pockets take two pairs of sneakers or a pair of boots each, per the maker. The listing also suggests nailing it to a wall, which leaves holes, so in a rental hang it from the hooks.
See it on Amazon: SLEEPING LAMB Over the Door Shoe Organizer, 8 Deep PocketsLifewit 6 Tier Over the Door Shoe Organizer
Fabric organizer with pockets in several sizes and 2 hooks
- Fits
- Doors up to 1.7 in thick; 16.5 in wide and 47.4 in tall; 12 pairs, per the maker
- Holds
- Up to 10 lb
- Bottom pockets with a thickened base for mid-calf boots
- Slanted pocket openings; folds flat when you take it down
The only one of these three that lists a door thickness. Its limit of 10 lb is lower than 12 pairs of shoes may weigh, so weigh a few pairs before you fill it.
See it on Amazon: Lifewit 6 Tier Over the Door Shoe Organizer
Stackable shoe boxes
Good for: A closet shelf, for pairs you want to keep clean and see at a glance
- Deposit Risk: Low
- Landlord Permission: Not usually needed
- Take It With You: Yes
Clear plastic boxes hold one pair each and stack into a tower on a shelf or the floor. A door at the front opens without unstacking, and the clear sides show which pair is where.
Check before you buy
Measure the space for the whole stack, not one box, and the height under the shelf above. Compare the box size with your largest pair, since boots and high-tops may not fit a box made for sneakers, and read the maker's weight limit before you build a tall stack.
At move-out
Empty the boxes and unstack them. Nothing is attached to the apartment, and they go with you.
An example on Amazon
7 code Clear Shoe Organizer with Magnetic Door, 6 Boxes
Six clear plastic boxes with magnetic front doors
- Fits
- Each box 13.5 in long, 10.5 in wide and 7.2 in tall; one pair each, with sneakers standing upright
- Holds
- 7.5 lb, per the listing's product details (it doesn't say per box or in all)
- Polypropylene panels on all six sides
- Peg-lock stacking, on top or side by side; snaps together without tools
Thick plastic panels and a door that swings open, so you reach a pair without unstacking the tower. Six boxes take up a shelf or a patch of closet floor, so measure the space first.
See it on Amazon: 7 code Clear Shoe Organizer with Magnetic Door, 6 Boxes
Under-bed shoe organizers
Good for: Room under the bed, for off-season pairs
- Deposit Risk: Low
- Landlord Permission: Not usually needed
- Take It With You: Yes
A flat case with a grid of cells and a zip lid slides under the bed, so shoes you rarely wear use space that's otherwise empty. A clear window in the lid shows what's inside.
Check before you buy
Measure from the floor to the lowest part of the bed frame, and the floor between the legs. It's slower to reach than a rack, since you pull it out and unzip it, so keep the pairs you wear every day somewhere closer.
At move-out
Pull it out, empty it and fold it flat. Nothing is attached to the apartment, and it goes with you.
An example on Amazon
Onlyeasy Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer, Set of 2
Two zip-top fabric cases with 12 cells each
- Fits
- Each 29.3 in long, 23.6 in wide and 5.9 in tall, so the bed frame needs more than 5.9 in of clearance
- Holds
- Not listed as a weight; 24 pairs of flats or 12 pairs of sneakers across the two
- Non-woven polypropylene over 2 mm cardboard
- Clear window in the lid; handles on the front and side
Each cell is 11.8 by 4.9 in, which the maker says suits women's shoes best. Good for off-season pairs you don't need every day.
See it on Amazon: Onlyeasy Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer, Set of 2
Slim shoe cabinets
Good for: An entry where you'd rather hide the shoes
- Deposit Risk: Medium
- Landlord Permission: Check your lease
- Take It With You: Yes
A narrow cabinet with flip drawers stands by the door and hides the shoes behind its fronts. It looks like furniture, and its top makes a small shelf by the door. It's here for comparison: it's the one kind in this guide that comes with a kit to fix it to the wall.
Check before you buy
A tall, shallow cabinet is top-heavy, so use the anti-tip kit the maker includes, and check what it fastens to the wall with and what your lease says. Measure the walkway in front, since a flip drawer needs room to tip open, and measure your largest shoe against the drawer.
At move-out
Empty it, undo the anti-tip kit and carry the cabinet out. If the kit was screwed to the wall, ask your landlord whether you should fill the hole. The cabinet goes with you.
An example on Amazon
VEVOR Shoe Cabinet with 2 Flip Drawers
Wood cabinet with two rattan flip drawers and an installation kit
- Fits
- 23.6 in wide, 34.5 in tall and 6.6 in deep, per the listing's title (one field gives the depth as 23.62 in); pair count not listed
- Holds
- Not listed
- 0.6 in thick side and top panels on oak legs
- Anti-tipping devices to fix it to the wall
The flip drawers hide the shoes, and the rattan fronts look like furniture by the door. The maker pitches it at singles and couples who don't own many shoes. Check what the anti-tipping devices fasten with before you use them.
See it on Amazon: VEVOR Shoe Cabinet with 2 Flip Drawers
Compare them side by side
Every size and rating is the maker's own. Swipe sideways on a phone to see every column.
| Product | Kind | Fits | Holds | Deposit Risk | Permission | Take it with you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STORAGE MANIAC Expandable Shoe Rack, 2 Tier | Open shoe racks | 17.7 to 32.3 in wide, 8.8 in deep and 14 in tall; 8 pairs on the two shelves | Up to 30 lb | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| Autonomier 4 Tier Extra Small Shoe Rack | Open shoe racks | 16.3 in wide, 10.2 in deep and 21.5 in tall; 2 pairs per tier, per the maker | Up to 22 lb, per the listing's product details | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| Kitsure 3 Tier Shoe Rack, 27.5 Inch Wide | Open shoe racks | 27.5 in wide and 11.8 in deep; the listing gives two heights, 18.5 and 13.7 in | Not listed | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| GORILLA GRIP Over the Door Shoe Organizer, 24 Pockets | Over-the-door shoe organizers | Most standard doors, per the maker (no thickness listed); 19 in wide and 64 in tall | Up to 40 lb | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| SLEEPING LAMB Over the Door Shoe Organizer, 8 Deep Pockets | Over-the-door shoe organizers | 16.7 in wide and 64.5 in tall; door thickness not listed. Each pocket is 9 in deep, for US sizes 7 to 13 | Up to 60 lb, per the listing's product details; 20 to 22 pairs | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| Lifewit 6 Tier Over the Door Shoe Organizer | Over-the-door shoe organizers | Doors up to 1.7 in thick; 16.5 in wide and 47.4 in tall; 12 pairs, per the maker | Up to 10 lb | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| 7 code Clear Shoe Organizer with Magnetic Door, 6 Boxes | Stackable shoe boxes | Each box 13.5 in long, 10.5 in wide and 7.2 in tall; one pair each, with sneakers standing upright | 7.5 lb, per the listing's product details (it doesn't say per box or in all) | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| Onlyeasy Under Bed Shoe Storage Organizer, Set of 2 | Under-bed shoe organizers | Each 29.3 in long, 23.6 in wide and 5.9 in tall, so the bed frame needs more than 5.9 in of clearance | Not listed as a weight; 24 pairs of flats or 12 pairs of sneakers across the two | Low | Not usually needed | Yes |
| VEVOR Shoe Cabinet with 2 Flip Drawers | Slim shoe cabinets | 23.6 in wide, 34.5 in tall and 6.6 in deep, per the listing's title (one field gives the depth as 23.62 in); pair count not listed | Not listed | Medium | Check your lease | Yes |
Before you buy
Count and measure your shoes. Lay out the pairs you wear every day and the ones you keep for another season. Measure the longest and the tallest, since boots and high-tops decide whether a pocket, a box or a drawer will do.
Measure the spot. Mark the footprint on the floor with painter’s tape and open every door around it. A rack by the entry needs the walkway clear, a door organizer needs the door to close, and an under-bed case needs the height under the frame.
Match the kind to how often you wear them. Keep everyday pairs where you grab them on the way out, like an open rack or a door organizer. Off-season pairs can go higher on a shelf or under the bed, where they’re slower to reach.
Check the weight limit. Shoes are heavier than they look, and a door organizer carries every pair on its hooks. Weigh a few pairs on a bathroom scale and compare them with the maker’s rating before you fill it.
At move-out
Empty everything first. Racks, boxes and under-bed cases lift out or fold flat, and a door organizer comes off its hooks. If a cabinet’s anti-tip kit went into the wall, take it off and deal with the hole the way your landlord asks. Then look at the floor and the top edge of the door for scuffs.
Moving a cabinet in? Measure the doors and the turn into your entry first: the will it fit calculator checks furniture against doorways, hallways and elevators. For what an upgrade costs over your lease, try the renter upgrade cost calculator.
For more on hanging storage, the over-the-door organizer guide covers pockets, basket racks and towel racks, and how to check your door. A storage bench at the foot of a bed or by the door holds shoes and gives you a seat to put them on, and vacuum storage bags shrink off-season clothes so the closet floor has room for a rack. Short on hanging space too? The clothing rack guide compares rolling racks, open wardrobes and closet systems. For necklaces and rings, the jewelry organizer guide compares hanging organizers, adhesive bars, stands and boxes.
How we chose the examples
- Stands on the floor, hangs on a door or slides under the bed, with one cabinet that straps to the wall for comparison.
- Dimensions published by the maker, and a pair count or weight limit where the listing gives one.
- A mix of spots in a small apartment: the closet floor, the back of a door, a shelf, under the bed and the entry.
- A clear way to take it out at move-out, spelled out for each kind.
Each kind shows three badges: Deposit Risk, whether you'll usually need Landlord Permission, and whether you can Take It With You. They're general guidance, and leases differ, so check yours. We describe products from the makers' own specs and instructions. Unless this page says otherwise, we haven't tested them ourselves.
The links to Amazon are plain links: we earn nothing when you buy, and no brand pays to be here.
Frequently asked questions
How do you store shoes in a small apartment with no closet space?
Use the spots that aren't floor: the back of a door, the space under the bed, or a narrow strip of wall by the entry. An over-the-door organizer or an under-bed case adds no footprint, and a narrow rack or a slim cabinet fits a short wall.
How many pairs of shoes fit on a shoe rack?
It depends on the rack and on your shoes. Wide sneakers and boots take more room than small pairs, so treat the maker's count as a best case. Each example above gives the maker's pair count or weight limit where the listing has one.
Do I need my landlord's permission for shoe storage?
Usually not for racks, boxes, under-bed cases and over-the-door organizers, since nothing is fixed to the apartment. A tall cabinet is different if its anti-tip kit screws into the wall, so check your lease before you drill.
Can an over-the-door shoe organizer hold boots?
Some can. Compare the pocket size with your boots and the maker's weight limit with a full load. Shallow mesh pockets suit flats, sandals and sneakers better.
Is it OK to store shoes under the bed?
Yes, for pairs you don't wear every day. A case with a zip lid keeps dust off, and a clear window shows what's inside. Let wet or muddy shoes dry before they go in.
Where should shoes go in a small entryway?
A narrow rack or a slim cabinet by the door holds the pairs you wear every day. Measure the walkway first, so the door still opens fully and there's room to walk past.
Next step
Renter Upgrade Cost CalculatorEnter what an upgrade costs, how long you'll stay and what you'll keep when you move to see its real cost per month, with the deposit risk spelled out.
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