Organizing my shoes forced me to accept who I am today and let go of who I am not anymore. “That’s crazy talk, MuseLis! What does this have to do with organizing shoes? I came here to read about the best shoe organizer so get on with it.” Yes, yes, I know. This post is still about organizing shoes and my favorite product. But it’s also about how a shoe organizer led me down an unexpected sole searching journey.
I used to have lots and lots of shoes. Some I wore daily, some rarely, and some I hoped to wear someday. To get them organized, I did what most people do and bought a shoe organizer. Starting with the cheapest option, of course. When I wasn’t satisfied with the current one, I tried the next cheapest option. The cycle repeated itself over and over for two decades.
I struggled with them all. The losers that come to mind: over-the-door pockets ended up with either ripped plastic or saggy canvas. The over-the-door shelf struggled to hold all my shoe shapes. Storing shoes on standard shelves looked chaotic unless I took the time to arrange them perfectly (which never happened). The hanging shoe shelf took away precious hanging space from coats and jackets. Lastly, shoe cabinets took up too much floor space and were not ideal for every entryway.
I started considering the Elfa Utility Shoe Over The Door Rack Solution only because it was something I hadn’t tried before. When I looked up the price, I was reminded why. Container Store products ain’t cheap. But I was desperate at this point and willing to try something new. I had no idea a shoe rack would change me. The Elfa product holds about 12 pairs (which can vary based on what you choose). I have to share this rack with my husband, bringing me down to 6 pairs of shoes. SIX. No big whoop, some of you are thinking. That’s a big whoop for me. I wore heels to school starting in junior high and worked in the fashion industry for over a decade. So I’m sure you can imagine how many shoes I used to hold on to.
Though it stores the least, it’s been my favorite so far. “Huh? That makes no sense, MuseLis!” Ok. If your goal is to cram as many pairs of shoes into a single shoe organizer, Elfa is probably not for you. Owning this shoe rack forced me to get rid of more shoes than I was comfortable with. After filling the shoe rack with the 6 most frequently worn shoes, I was still left with a big ‘ol pile of shoes on the floor. I knew I couldn’t keep them all. I crumpled down to the floor, cried me a river, and then proceeded to do what I thought a strong MuseLis should do: let most of them go (confession: I kept a few for MuseLis’ Fantasy Life). The ones that got to stay, including seasonal, are now tucked away in clear shoe boxes.
In the end, it was never the product that brought peace to my soles…it was accepting my true self and letting go of the shoes that no longer served me. Shoes that didn’t represent me, shoes that caused me pain, and shoes that didn’t make me feel good about myself. I said goodbye to my shoe pals who walked with me up to now and smiled at the ones who will be walking with me going forward.
