Rethink Your Kitchen Storage With This Affordable Closet Staple

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When it comes to kitchen storage, it's easy to throw up your hands in exasperation. After all, there's only so much room in a kitchen, while so many things need a safe niche in which to rest. Predetermined kitchen organizers may fail to meet specific needs or specs and can land on the pricy side. But sometimes, the best solutions come from unexpected places — like your closet. We're talking shoe racks here.

Everyday shoe racks are already designed for keeping things in place, but those "things" can be far more varied than you might imagine. Whether storing kitchen towels, canned goods, spices, serving tools, water bottles, dishes, bakeware, snacks, foil, or paper towels, there's likely a shoe-intended rack to help organize, categorize, or simply cradle all those things and more. With a bit of creativity and practical thinking, you'll find plenty of affordable solutions to make your kitchen an open, free-flowing, magical mystery space you love to inhabit. Let's start with a few ideas common to most kitchens and chefs, keeping in mind various configurations and styles of readily available shoe racks.

Tiered shoe racks are one of the most common styles you'll find in most any home-goods store. Keeping your specific kitchen design and color scheme in mind, seek out a cubicle-style rack from a brand like ClosetMaid suitable for pantry floors or other open kitchen spaces. These are ideal for organizing canned goods and boxed foods. The open squares let you clearly view identifying labels, plus, there's plenty of wiggle room for reaching canned soups, beans, tunas, and pasta sauces. Smaller cubicle racks, designed for petite or children's shoes, could be just what you need for spices, creating a streamlined, customized, un-jumbled seasoning station in or outside of a kitchen cabinet.

Freestanding slatted wire or bamboo shoe racks from a brand like Viewcare work well for root vegetables such as onions, potatoes, garlic, and shallots, which thrive in cool, dark spaces with plentiful airflow. The rack essentially works as a ventilated produce bin. Add small baskets or containers to each tier for separating different types of produce.

Over-the-door shoe holders instantly create brand-new storage space by shifting items from shelves to backsides of pantry- or kitchen-entry doors. Most come with clear or opaque built-in mesh or plastic pockets ideal for tucking in lightweight items like snack or tea bags, sugar packets, granola bars, lunchbox chips, and oatmeal packets. This MISSLO Over the Door Shoe Organizer on Amazon features 24 large mesh pockets for keeping items accessible and safe from dust. Consider labeling each pocket for other household members.

To maximize vertical storage space on countertops, look for a sturdy, freestanding, aesthetically neutral, tiered shoe rack. You'll have easy access to cookbooks, coffee cups, and canisters of frequently used items such as flour, sugar, coffee, and dried pasta. Ideally, the rack has a sloping edge in front for sliding out heavy items without upsetting the balance. This ClosetMaid 4-tier wire shoe rack organizer on Amazon dips downward on the front edge, and it features an attractive nickel finish. A setup like this also works inside wide, tall kitchen cabinets.

If you spend much time baking or prepping school lunches, a shoe rack can help streamline those routines. Use the compartments to store cookie cutters, piping bags, food coloring, sprinkles, and cupcake liners. Or turn it into a lunch-making station by organizing sandwich bags, wraps, reusable utensils, small containers, and napkins. Having everything in one place makes the job faster — and way less chaotic on busy mornings. 

Back to the conundrum of cabinet space: Plenty of shoe racks are small enough for tight spaces, yet have a large impact on decluttering. Vertical cabinet racks easily hold flat items like cutting boards, sheet pans, and plates — or even bulkier individual bakeware pieces. This compact under-shelf shoe rack clips to an existing shelf, perfect for spatulas, wooden spoons, and ladles. Consider placing a compact organizer under the kitchen sink for holding cleaning sprays, gloves, and scrubbers, providing instant reach for unexpected messes.

For more kitchen organizing tips, check out our article covering 33 pantry storage hacks.