If not, we'll make room. I moved to the East Village back in 2008. I was so excited to have my very own space on the Island of Manhattan. Even if it was only a 6' by 9' room it was still my very own.
If the room was that small we can only imagine what the closet size was? Or the fact that there was closet! I could fit about 2 pairs of shoes on the floor of it.
That wasn't going to work. Where were the other 53 pairs going to go?
Wood work by Robert Nicol
I needed to come up with a solution. I thought, "I don't have floor space but I do have wall space. Why not build up?" A boarder, not your traditional boarder but a boarder of shoes.
Thank god for 9' foot ceilings and a friend who can build things out of wood. My friend Rob built a shelf going along the top part of one of the walls. That was nice for the storage space but I wanted it to look cool too.
To stream line the look I ordered white shoe boxes from Uline and borrowed my roommates polaroid camera. I was able to fit most of my shoes on the the shelf. Then, I got one of those hanging shoe shelves to put in the closet for the rest.
It's funny that the thought of getting rid of any of shoes never came to mind.
I always thought one day I'd have 100 pairs of shoes! Well...I just counted and I now only have 34.
I help people clear their clutter by letting go of things that don't serve them anymore. This allows to make room to invite the things they want into their life. And that includes shoes.
Of course, I do the same for myself. I remember trying on all those shoes, plus more, when I moved into my new place in LA. I had more closet space but did I want to fill it with shoes I didn't use? All the shoes that didn't fit right, I didn't really like, were out of style or hurt my feet, I donated. The ones that were old and worn I threw out.
Believe me, it was hard to get rid of my Marc Jacobs and John Fluevogs but I never wore them. The Fluevog soles were still in perfect condition 5 years later!
If you looked in your closet today I'm sure you would be able to donate a few pairs of shoes and not even miss them.
It always come back to quality not quantity. I love and wear all the shoes I have today. I'm just making room for those Jimmy Choo's to come into my life:)