Learn How to Keep Your Shoes in Order With Marie Kondo

5 minutes

Directly from the Japanese guru herself, Marie Kondo explains how to order your shoes in an efficient and aesthetic way. Don't forget--details matter!

Learn How to Keep Your Shoes in Order With Marie Kondo

Last update: 09 January, 2022

Are you eager to tune up your house? Do you want to tidy up your cabinets and get rid of everything you no longer need, use or wear? Today, we’ll help you to do this starting with your shoes! With the help of Marie Kondo, we’ll explain how to keep your shoes in order.

We know how irritating it can be to safely store footwear and, at the same time, have it on hand for when you need it. For this reason, keep reading to discover all the advice that the guru of order has for you.

The Marie Kondo method to keep your shoes in order

If you wear shoes that spark joy, they’re bound to lead you to a brighter future. 👠 Photo by @tfcornerstone.

A post shared by Marie Kondo (@mariekondo) on Feb 22, 2020 at 12:35 pm PST

It’s likely that you own a variety of shoes and types. These probably include heels, sports, flats, boots, sandals… and, ultimately, it’s difficult to know how to keep them all in order. You may wear some of your shoes daily and others only twice a year. But when you’re not wearing them, you’ll want to keep them in good condition. Here are the keys to achieving just that:

You have to see your shoes to order them

As always, Marie Kondo insists that before putting order to any room, closet, pantry, or space, the first thing you need to do is have everything in full view. So now you know! Whatever shoes you have and wherever they’re currently stored, collect them together and put them in front of you.

Now they’re in full view, it’s time to classify them by categories. Put each pair into main categories such as sandals, heels, boots, and sneakers. By doing this, you’ll be able to see how many shoes you have within each category and this will make your life easier.

Discard what you no longer need

Now that you can ascertain exactly what shoes you own, you know what to do next! Discard any shoes that you no longer need. We suggest that you start by season. For example, if it’s currently winter, sort through your summer shoes first because this will be easier for you to practice detachment.

When it comes to saying goodbye to shoes, consider which ones have ended their service and should go straight to the trash, and which ones you can donate or give away. According to the KonMarie method, you should thank them for the service they provided before saying goodbye.

Wind chill of -14 made for the perfect day to Marie Kondo my shoes and accessories, these are the survivors. Normally seeing that white space would bug me, honestly it still sort of does which I totally acknowledge is kind of lame, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. Why do I still feed the need to fill a space if it’s empty? I guess part of it is that longing to always replace instead of just letting go and then letting it be. I’ve gotten better about this in other areas of our house. Mainly because Craig is becoming a full on minimalist and running off on me 😂 And just to be transparent I do have some other winter boots in the mudroom so this isn’t ALL my shoes, there’s a few pairs I wear a lot that stay in that room because they get muddy / dirty from dog walks, etc. I’m working on my blog post for later this week, talking about getting rid of stuff, and answering some of your questions about how I do it, and what you’re struggling with. If you have any other last minute thoughts or questions, let me know here. Last thing, whatever is in stock in this photo is linked in my bio ☺️ http://liketk.it/2zsN1 #konmari #konmarimethod #mariekondo #smallspaceliving #organizationideas #thecozyranch #farrowandball

A post shared by Jess Kirby (@jessannkirby) on Jan 21, 2019 at 2:14 am PST

Shoe storage

Ok, now you’re clear about the shoes that you really want to keep, it’s time to start storing! If you have a single place for footwear, great but if on the contrary your shoes are distributed over several cabinets, leave the shoes you frequently wear at hand. Then store the rest in the attic or in another closet, for example.

This is how Marie Kondo does it

You already know how important the happiness that belongings transmit is for the guru of order. So if you’re going to have your shoes in your sight, they must be your favorite pairs that transmit joy, harmony, and aesthetic feeling.

You can order your shoes by color, by shape, by brand … whatever you like. However, you should always order them in the categories that you previously created.

Equally, it’s better to place your heaviest footwear at the bottom and the lightest at the top. By doing this, you’ll give balance and harmony to your shoe rack.

PSA: Treat your shoes with care – they work hard for your feet each and every day. 👟✨ Tidying inspiration by @cathiecathicathy.

A post shared by Marie Kondo (@mariekondo) on Oct 13, 2019 at 12:06 pm PDT

Keep your shoes in order: the magic of boxes

It seems somewhat obvious, but storage boxes are essential accessories for the Japanese. So much so, that Marie Kondo has even created her own brand. She’s thought of everything you’ll need to keep your home in impeccable order.

Storage boxes are a great way to order your shoes and keep them organized. They assist you in this mission and you can even label the outside of the box with a photo of the contents or a brief description. Just remember Marie Kondo’s philosophy: what you don’t see, you don’t wear and, in the end, your footwear will be relegated to the bottom of the closet.

Follow these tips from Marie Kondo to keep your shoes in order. You’ll soon see how easy it is to keep and maintain order.

Do you want one last tip? Add a shoe rack in your hallway. By doing this, you’ll avoid footwear entering your home, helping to keep it free from dirt, viruses, and bacteria.

Main image: instagram.com/@mariekondo