Video:Organize Your Shoe Collection

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Transcript:Organize Your Shoe Collection

Hey guys - Jonathon Stewart here for About.com with today's 90 second quick tip. There's nothing that clutters up a closet faster than a big pile of unorganized footwear. In addition to driving you crazy when you're getting dressed and can't find what you're looking for, the notorious shoe pile can be damaging to your pristine pumps and strappy sandals. But take a look at these tips, and shape up your shoes, in a snap. Check it out.

Take a Shoe Inventory

The first step to organizing most anything, but especially neglected footgear, is dragging it all out into the light. While this task might seem daunting at first, just take it all one shoe at a time. Once you've got a big pile and a reasonable amount of space to work with, simply line up all your shoes - make sure each has its match - until you've got them all nicely laid in rows. Keeping track of my footwear isn't all that tough as I own about three pairs of shoes that I wear regularly, counting my flip flops. But, I know, I know, I'm such a guy sometimes.

Discard Unwanted Shoes

Next it's time to get tough. How often do you really wear certain pairs of shoes? Is it time to consider donating a few to Goodwill? If you never wear them, but aren't quite ready to let them go, consider storing them in a less accessible area than your main closet.

Organize Remaining Shoes by Use

Of the remaining shoes, try to rank them in terms of how often you wear them, and move them into groups accordingly. Finally, maximize the space you do have in your closet with shoe racks, hanging shoe files, or, if you're juggling a huge number of shoes, a hanging door organizer. Place your most worn shoes towards the front, and don't stack or squeeze too many into the space that you have.

Let your shoes breathe... And, as you're moving forward, just be conscious of putting your kicks back in their spot at the end of the day, and if you get new pairs, consider retiring some of your older ones. Unless of course, you just can't let go, or you're a Carrie Bradshaw, in which case you might want to think about adding a new shoe wing to your pad.

Thanks for watching! To learn more, visit us on the Web at About.com.