The IKEA Solution You Need To Keep Shoes Organized And Off Your Closet Floor

When it comes to organizing your closet, hangers and drawer storage are usually pretty straightforward. Cumbersome accessories, such as the pesky shoe collection that litters the closet floor, can be exponentially more complicated to figure out easy-to-maintain storage that successfully wrangles the mess. Plus, that lofty goal sounds expensive, right?

Luckily, TikToker Hina K (@hinnamon) was able to use nine reasonably priced IKEA LACK floating shelves to transform empty wall space into the ultimate shoe storage solution in her walk-in closet. By tailoring the spacing in between the shelves to suit the couple's specific shoe collection and installing them in a vertical stack, she created a high-end, custom shoe storage wall. There are other sizes to consider: a tiny-space-friendly 11 ¾-inch version or a spacious 74 ¾-inch version that's perfect for a large wall or running underneath your closet rod, just up off the floor. Because the sides of these minimalist floating shelves are open, the setup is less visually overpowering than a comparable shelving unit, making it easier to access.

Before you purchase, it's worth flagging that since the LACK shelves are only 10 ¼ inches deep, some types of shoes (such as flat shoes without heels or those in larger sizes) may hang over the edge of the shelf. A typical shoe shelf usually ranges between 12 to 15 inches to be more inclusive of larger shoe sizes. But if you have smaller feet or the small overhang doesn't matter to you, then consider this incredible shoe storage hack that makes use of empty wall space in your closet so that you can organize and store your footwear with ease.

Begin this IKEA LACK shelf shoe wall by measuring and planning out the amount of storage you'll need. TikToker Hina K placed her 2-inch-high shelves at various heights – 5 inches for loafers, slip-ons, sandals, and flats, 7 inches for medium-height sneakers or ankle boots, and 9 inches for slightly taller boots and high heels, though anything higher than mid-calf boots will need more clearance. Depending on your space dimensions, as well as number and height of the shoes to store, sketch your ideal layout to determine the number of shelves you need to purchase and where each is to be hung. Hina is able to fit five to six pairs across on each shelf while her husband can fit four.

Once you know how many shelves you need, install the LACK shelves at a level height according to the instructions. While the product comes with the floating bracket and screws to attach the shelf to the bracket, it doesn't come with hardware to mount the bracket to the wall. Depending on your substrate, appropriate anchors will need to be purchased separately. The brackets support up to 22 pounds each, so keep the weight in mind when selecting the right fasteners.

When your shelves are installed, place your shoes on the shelves according to height clearance to get them organized and up off the floor. With just a few hours and some floating IKEA LACK shelves, you can create the perfect customized floating shoe storage wall for your closet to keep that unruly shoe clutter at bay.