This post is written in partnership with Rack Room Shoes, but all opinions & ideas are still my own.
Ready or not, back-to-school season is upon us. I’ve been hard at work organizing our home so we’re ready when school starts at the end of the month. I recently put together a new shoe organizer for my kids’ footwear. It’s simple to set up and it works really well for containing the kids’ shoes.
This time of year, without fail, at least one of the kids has outgrown their shoes and I have to add that to my ever-growing back-to-school shopping list. This year, all four of my kids have grown and need new footwear for school.
Normally, shoe shopping requires a trip to at least two different stores where we may or may not find the right styles and sizes we need. But this year, I didn’t have to go to multiple stores. I found shoes for all four of my kids at Rack Room Shoes. That’s ONE store for four kids, ages 4-12. (There’s plenty of options for Mom and Dad too!)
If you haven’t heard of them before, Rack Room Shoes has a great selection of name brand shoes, including Nike, Skechers, Vans, Converse, and more for the whole family, plus many are on sale. (That’s a score in this mom’s book right there!)
There’s many Rack Room Shoes store locations across the United States, but if there’s not one near you, you can simply shop online. (There’s no Rack Room Shoes locations near me either – not uncommon though, since we kinda live in nowhere New Hampshire). I do wish there was a little more info on the site regarding the sizing, but it’s not hard to find that on the shoe manufacturer’s websites.
Luke is wearing Skechers IPOX.
With free shipping on orders over $50 and easy returns too, I’ll definitely be shopping online at Rack Room Shoes again. My daughter’s shoes were too small (gotta love the size variance between brands) but the return shipping label made it easy to exchange for a larger size.
Emily is wearing New Balance KJ890TBP.
Another bonus? Rack Room Shoes hosts an annual “Shoes That Fit” campaign to help provide at-risk children in communities with new shoes for the school year. Customers can donate money when they check out both in-store and online and Rack Room Shoes will match 100% of donations, up to $300,000!
I love to see companies give back, especially when it’s helping our children!
Nathan is wearing Nike Downshifter 6.
And my kids love their new shoes from Rack Room Shoes!
Confession: they’re not happy with me right now because I’ve set their new shoes aside for school and they don’t want to wait. But mean Mom wants them to have nice new shoes for the first day of school!
Joshua is wearing Skechers Flex Advantage.
How to Make an Easy Shoe Organizer for Kids:
(affiliate links:)
Our previous shoe storage didn’t work very well because there wasn’t much order to it. With four kids, there’s usually a pair of sandals or crocs plus athletic shoes for each child. That’s at least EIGHT pairs and the ol’ pile on the porch wasn’t cutting it anymore.
I’ve learned from experience that the kids do better when they each have their own space. This helps teach boundaries and minimizes bickering (“he moved his shoes onto mine!”) That’s why this easy shoe organizer for kids works so well – each child has their very own cubby.
You can choose to use a plastic bin for each child’s cubby, but I’ve found it easier to skip it.
Plus the wire grid makes it easy to clean and the setup is light enough to move aside for sweeping or relocation. We’ll move our shoe organizer inside in a couple months once the cold descends.
It’s not fancy, but this easy shoe organizer for kids definitely does the trick!
What You’ll Need:
- storage cubes*
- connectors or cable ties
- free printable labels for names
Simple storage cubes are perfect for this project. We bought multiple sets of storage cubes many years ago because they are handy for many different projects, so luckily I already had some on hand. You can find them at Walmart, Target, Amazon, or any organizing store.
I personally prefer using cable ties than the connectors when assembling storage cubes. I’m probably special but those connectors are hard to use! If you use cable ties (also called zip ties), here’s a quick tip: use cat claw clippers to easily clip the cable ties; it’s much easier than scissors!
Assemble one storage cube for each child, connecting them together. I have four kids, so I made four cubes. If you’re using cable ties like me, pull them tight, then clip the end off.
Once your cubes are put together, grab your free printable labels here:
Right click and save, then upload to PicMonkey and add your children’s names:
I highly recommend using labels because kids really respond to having their name on their belongings. It establishes an area as their space and that’s important for children, especially when there’s siblings around.
Attach the labels to your shoe organizer with tape or a hot glue gun.
The cubes are large enough that you can easily fit two pairs of shoes side by side.
Of course, my kids just toss their shoes into their cubbies and leave it at that, but at least we’re making progress!
So there you have it – a handy shoe organizer to help keep things tidy this back-to-school season!
Be sure to check out Rack Room Shoes for shoes the whole family will love!
Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says
What a brilliant idea! I should totally try this for my kids.
Jeanette says
Great idea! We have stuff all over the house! I could use this for more than shoes! OHHH the possibilities!
Jennifer says
That is pure genius! My sister has shoes scattered all over the place from the kids.
Kathy says
I love this! Such an amazing idea! Our shoes are usually all over the floor by the door. This would really come in handy. So neat!
Gentle Bim says
That’s the best idea ever! We have a ton of shoes floating around the front door.
Scarlet says
I love useful DIY projects like this! Great idea and I also love the of photos.
Amy Desrosiers says
Great idea! We have so any pairs per kids that I would need some serious stacking!
Danielle says
I love the shoe organizer idea. It’s simple, yet gets the job done.
Ashley Sears says
This is such an easy and great looking shoe organizer. The kids shoes are great looking!
Aimee SMith says
This such a smart idea! We always have shoes everywhere!
Shauna says
You know, this is such a great idea. My three are always losing their shoes and getting them mixed up. Especially the girls who like the same styles, yet different sizes. Thanks for the idea
Mistee Dawn says
This is such a great idea! I only have one child, but she could still use this for all of her shoes. Her dressy shoes, her rain boots, her snow boots, her sneakers, etc… Love this.
Sunny says
What a great and inexpensive way to store shoes. I can see how giving each child their own space comes in super handy.
Donna says
This is a great way to store shoes. It is great to keep them off the floor and in one place.
Ann Bacciaglia says
This is a fantastic idea for shoes. I need to do this for my house. It is always a mountain of shoes at the door.
Autumn @Mamachallenge says
This is awesome! I will have to make one of these!
Valerie says
I love the shoes they picked. The shoe organization is a great idea!
Liz Mays says
What a great source of shoes for the new school year. I love the DIY shoe organizer!
Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says
This is such a cool idea! Kids like to have spaces they feel are their own that they don’t have to share, and having a shoe/storage space can go a long way for them!
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins says
What an awesome idea and a great way to keep the dirt outside of the home. I’ll definitely be making one of these.
Aubrey says
Great place right by the front door. Wish I had a place like that.
Seattle Travel Blogger says
What a great idea. Of course, that would not work for me. I would fill that thing up in about two seconds with all the shoes that I have. It is great for kids though.
Ourfamilyworld says
I love your shoe organizer. And I love the idea of placing them by the front door.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
What a great idea! There are 7 of us so weave to keep our shoes organized also, nothing drives me more crazy then a bunch of shoes by the front door!
Lena Burkut says
Great idea. My previous shoe storage is not working out. I need to look into this one
Amanda says
fantastic idea! We have a no shoe rule in the house and we usually keep the kids shoes at the front door. this would be soooo much easier to have a spot for each of them to put their shoes!