Shoe racks are often an aesthetically pleasing solution for entryway shoe storage. They are sometimes in the way when utilized in small foyers or narrow hallways, though. They can cause people to trip, as well as bump and bruise their legs. The valuable floor space that a shoe rack takes up can also cause an entryway to feel cramped, giving it a stressful “bottleneck” vibe. There is a clever hack, however, that can free up some of your much-needed entryway floor space. This hack involves installing a coat rack to clear up clutter and organize your entryway; this will go on the wall where your shoe rack currently is. Instead of laying your shoes flat when you take them off, you will hang them on the coat hooks. Using this idea, you can upcycle your old shoe rack into something else and have a completely clear entryway floor instead.

Attach your wall-mounted coat rack to a low spot on your wall using screws and a drill (make sure you check for any electrical wiring), and that’s it. If you have a small family or it’s just you in your home, instead of mounting an entire rack of hooks, you can mount a couple of individual coat hooks. You can use this method to replace your current shoe rack or mount it above the rack for some extra shoe storage. This is a great way to keep dress shoes separate from sneakers. This is also a great idea for separating children’s sports shoes from the rest of the family’s regular footwear.

This is a great hack to clear up floor space in your home’s entryway, but it can be implemented elsewhere in your home, as well. Hang it in your closet to free up shelf and floor space for other items. In a child’s closet, this hack would be a great way to encourage shoe organization and tidiness. Also, instead of using screws to secure the coat rack, you can affix it to your wall using command strips. Since there are tips to remove Command strips with minimal damage to your walls, this is a renter-friendly twist to this hack.

One of the drawbacks of this hack is that the bottoms of the shoes will be exposed. There are a few ways around this problem. One creative way to hide your exposed shoe soles is to mount a curtain rod set onto wooden blocks and attach the unit to the wall on both sides of your hanging shoe rack using L-brackets or long screws. You can open the curtain upon entering your home and removing your shoes, and close it afterward. If your entryway shoe rack is an aesthetic problem and not a matter of too much floor space being taken up, you could mount a small, backless cabinet to a low point on your entryway wall and mount the strip of coat hooks on the wall inside the cabinet. Your shoes would be neatly organized, as well as out of sight.