Here are seven tips to save yourself from drowning in shoes:

1.

Make the most of your garage.

If you have a garage, there’s no excuse for bringing dirt into the house. Ikea’s Janice Simonsen recommends designating a landing area for athletic and seasonal shoes near your sports equipment so they’re “easy to grab and go.” Baskets are handy for extra compartmentalizing.

2.

Keep your entryway tidy with a storage bench or stylish shoe cabinet.

Shoe cabinets are particularly handy for those who don’t allow shoes in the house. Most pieces double as a console table or bench.

Products: Calvin shoe cabinet ($265.55) or Coolidge shoe cabinet ($191.73), both from target.com; Margaret modern and contemporary shoe bench (US$81.19, homedepot. com); Prepac Monterey shoe storage cubby (US$129.99, homedepot.com) or Prepac horizontal shoe cubby bench ($332.01, target.com).

3.

Protect special or collectible shoes in clear plastic boxes. Serious shoe lovers who want to store and maintain their footwear should have stackable shoe boxes, which are sold in transparent plastic for easy visibility. “We sell wipes, cleaners, even charcoal bags to prevent odours,” Container Store’s Jimmy Seifert adds. “It’s a passion.”

4.

Try a trundle-style storage rack.

If the rest of your bedroom is at capacity, create your own makeshift storage bed with an under-bed shoe rack. Bonus points if it’s on wheels. Products: Rebrilliant rolling underbed shoe rack ($58.99, wayfair.ca); tweed 16-pair under-bed shoe organizer ($27.65, containerstore.com).

5.

Display everyday shoes on a bookcase, floating shelves or vanity.

Fashion blogs are full of fun ideas, but it’s hard to beat the elegance of a simple vertical bookcase. Place shoes you don’t want to see, such as flipflops and workout shoes, on a shelf inside your closet.

6.

Upgrade your over-the-door shoe rack.

They may be polarizing, but you can’t deny that over-the-door shoe racks do wonders with vertical space. Use a grown-up option.

Product: Gunmetal over-the-door shoe rack ($39.72, containerstore. com).

7.

Keep kids’ shoes at eye level. Simonsen shares three words for effective children’s shoe storage: “Make it easy.” Think low, compartmentalized storage bins or units with benches so that they can sit while they take their shoes on and off. Product: Trofast storage combination ($99, ikea.ca).