According to many studies, the first thing that most people notice when meeting someone new is their shoes.
If your shoes are a mess near the main door or piled on your closet floor, chances are that they will lose their shape and shine very quickly.
So, what is the way to keep your shoes clean and neat and nail that first impression? Stacking them neatly in a shoe rack! If you are looking for a pre-assembled rack or want to show off your DIY skills, you would want to get a rack that is the perfect depth.
Typically, shoe racks should be about 13-inches deep in order to keep them both clean and out of sight. Anything more than this will leave too much unoccupied space and look disorderly.
So, without further ado, let’s explore the depth of your shoe rack to give it that perfect look that will accentuate your main entrance while preserving your shoes.
How Deep Should A Shoe Rack Be?
Your shoe size corresponds to the size of your feet in inches. For example, if your feet are 10.5 inches long, a 9.5 US men’s shoe size will be the perfect fit in most cases.
So, if you are on the taller side, your shoes will obviously be longer. However, the depth of your shoe shelf does not only depend on the shoe size.
Here are some factors you need to take into consideration before getting to the right depth for your shoe rack.
Shoe Size
Your shoe should fit on the shoe shelf with 2-3 inches to spare. This will give a cleaner look to your rack as well as allow for shoes that are thicker, like sneakers.
So, take the shoe size of the person with the biggest feet in your house and design a shoe rack 2-3 inches longer than it for the ideal size.
Shoe Types
The length of the shoe rack also depends on the types of shoes you want to keep on the shoe rack.
For example, thick boots, safety shoes, or snow boots may take up more space than sandals or everyday slides.
Shoe Stacking
Stacking shoes that you occasionally wear can be troublesome and expensive! Dust accumulated on your party shoes or sandals will have them looking old, even if you have only worn them a few times.
Also, if they come in contact with mud and debris accumulated from the shows that you wear more frequently, they might also get stained.
If you want to get or design a shoe rack for a mix of shoes, you could design a compartment only for these lesser-used shoes in order to keep them clean.
To save space and look adequately deep for everyday wear, you might consider placing these horizontally in a corner as well.
What is the Standard Size of a Shoe Rack?
A standard shoe rack is 12-13 inches deep, with the space between the shelves being about 7-9 inches.
Depending on this measurement and the number of shelves you want, the shoe rack can be short or tall.
A three-layer shoe rack is most common for entrances and has enough space to shelve everyday shoes for a four-person family.
However, depending on your use and the number of members who will use the shelf, you can widen the shelf or add more shelves to increase the capacity.
What Size Should A Shoe Cubby Be?
Standard Shoe Cubby Size
A shoe cubby is a space for shoes in the bedroom closet. This is perfect for storing your shoes neatly. Cubbies that are 8 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 12-14 inch deep will have sufficient space for your shoes.
Snug Cubby Design
Some also prefer a snug cubby design. In this case, 8-inch tall and 5-inch wide dimensions would save space and allow for a greater capacity.
Kids’ Shoe Cubby Size
If you’re designing a shoe cubby for kids’ shoes, 5 inches wide and tall cubbies with 9-inch depth will be sufficient until they grow up a bit and their shoe size gets larger.
How Much Space Do You Need For Shoe Shelves?
The space you need for shoe shelves depends on the number of users in the household and the overall use of the shoe rack.
If the shoe rack is only to be used for 2-3 shoes per person, then a shoe cubby or a shoe shelf with 4 racks will be enough for a 4-person family. With 9 inches of spacing between the shelves, this means that the rack will be 27-30 inches tall and similar in width.
If your shoe rack will be used for snow boots or safety shoes that take up more space, you will have to clear out more space for a taller, wider, and deeper shoe shelf than one used for shelving sandals and slides.
Summing Up How Large Shoe Racks Should Be
Shoe rack dimensions depend on the shoe size of the people in the family and how big your family is. Typically a 13-inch deep shoe rack is sufficient for shelving shoes of all family members.
The depth of the shoe rack also depends on the types of shoes as well, along with if you are using boxes to preserve the shoes that you use occasionally.
All in all, before designing a shoe rack or getting a pre-assembled one, make sure that you take into consideration these pointers and then determine the right shoe depth that will be sufficient for your needs.
