I’ve always had an eye for shoes but not perhaps the way most footwear aficionados do. I see organizing footwear as including presenting yourself with your best foot forward; its more than just finding the perfect shoes and shoe storage.
People notice our footwear and its big business. According to Transparency Market Research’s new market report titled “Global Footwear Market – Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 – 2020,” the Global Footwear Market was valued at USD 19,8782.9 million in terms of value and 9990.7 million in terms of volume in 2014, which is expected to reach USD 220227.9 million and 10,974.0 million in terms of value and volume respectively by 2020. Footwear can impact your success in a job interview or the amount of respect earned at the office. Take these three steps to make sure you have your footwear organized for your best foot forward.
Step 1 – Keep Only the Footwear you can Store
The temptation to continuously add to our footwear collection is tough to beat. It is, however, important to make sure that shoes are stored in a manner that will keep them dry, dust free and easily accessible. Too often I sort through closets with clients only to find shoes that are so badly damaged due to mold and dust they are beyond salvation. Ultimately we end up throwing away hundreds of dollars of footwear. Whether the shoes are stored in the latest, most expensive see-thru container or the shoe box they arrived in is less important than that they are protected. Use a storage system that gives you the opportunity to identify the shoes when you need them while keeping the shoes free from damp and dusty conditions.
Step 2 – Review and Sort Your Footwear Twice a Year
This is pretty easy for those of us who live in four season climates. At least twice a year we sort clothes and put away warm weather clothes in favour of cold weather ones. Weather your climate changes or not, use a twice yearly schedule for organizing footwear. This gives you a chance to inspect each pair’s repair status, whether they are still fashionable, need a polish or some repair. It is also a good opportunity to assess whether the footwear still fits, is relevant to your wardrobe and lifestyle or is due for replacement.
Step 3 – Find a Local Shoe Repair
Organizing footwear includes checking regularly for repairs and polish.
In today’s throw away culture, a shoe repair can sometimes be hard to find. A good one that is reliable and easily accessible can be as helpful to organizing footwear as your shoe boxes. Your budget will go further when soles are replaced instead of the entire pair of shoes, heels are reinforced, polish is reapplied and boots are protected from the winter elements.
Treat your footwear with some respect and it will be there when you need it. Three simple steps will help you put your best foot forward and keep your footwear organized.
I’ve been doing a semi-annual clothing sort for as long as I can remember, but I’ve never thought of including my shoes in that process. You can be sure I’ll do that going forward!
Hi Carolyn,
Such great advice. We need to respect what we have and how we present ourselves. I have worked with a family helping them to sort their footwear and have noticed exactly what you describe. Our footwear can say a lot about ourselves.
Great advice, Carolyn! I’m definitely on the “review footwear 2x per year” plan. I do have a few pairs that I rarely wear, but am not ready to give up. But for the most part, I wear what I own and have space for all of the pairs.