Shoe storage is an essential presence in every home, and wooden shoe racks are one of the most popular.
Today we will explore ten things you should consider before buying a wooden shoe rack to help you choose the one that will last!
1. Understanding Wooden Shoe Racks
Before we consider buying anything, we have to do the basics to make a winning battle! So let's find out what its advantages and disadvantages are.
The biggest advantages of wooden shoe racks are that they are aesthetically pleasing, the wood is durable and strong, has a good load-bearing capacity, and is not easily deformed. High-quality wood can be used for 5-10 years, cost-effective. Secondly, it is environmentally friendly and healthy, solid wood has no toxic formaldehyde, and even some of it comes with a light flavor.
Wooden shoe racks are stronger and more reliable than other materials, but they also have their natural enemy - moisture. If placed in a humid space for a long time, it will be easy to mold and crack, long insects, such as bathrooms, balconies, yes, and so on.
2. Clear Storage Space Requirements
The number of people in the family determines the size of the shoe storage space. If it is used as a shoe rack at the entrance, in addition to daily shoes, you also need to reserve slippers and guests' shoes to be placed.
For a family of three, for example, at least 12 pairs of space will be needed, taking into account daily shoes, sneakers, cotton shoes, and slippers.
Please choose the storage space according to the actual situation, and it is usually better to choose a large capacity.
3. Choose the Right Size of Wooden Shoe Racks
Consider where you place your wooden shoe rack, and measure the keyword dimensions, such as available width, height, and depth.
Remember to reserve more than 50 cm in front of the cabinet doors, because it can ensure the shoe rack is used properly.
Here are some wooden shoe rack size recommendations.
Family |
Recommended Capacity |
Recommended size (W×H×D) |
Applicable Space |
Single/Couple |
15-25 pairs |
60 cm × 80 cm × 25 cm |
Apartment small entrance |
Family of three |
35-50 pairs |
100cm×120cm×30cm |
Standard Household Entrance |
5-8 persons |
60-80 pairs |
150 cm × 200 cm × 35 cm |
Large flat/independent checkroom |
Flexible supplement |
10-15 pairs |
Wall-mounted shelves/narrow slit pull-out cabinets |
Behind the door/under the stairs |
4. Type of Wood for a Shoe Rack
What type of wood is best for a shoe rack? Common woods are white oak, teak, black walnut, cherry, pine, etc.
They have different hardness and moisture resistance, and the higher the hardness proves to be more scratch-resistant. Avoid choosing density board, it is not durable.
Below we list some common woods for your reference, choose the right wooden shoe rack according to your situation.
Material |
Hardness (Janka) |
Moisture resista nce |
Sui table style |
Teak |
1,155 lbf |
★★★★★ |
Modern/Industrial |
White Oak |
1,360 lbf |
★★★★☆ |
Japanese/Scandinavian |
Black Walnut |
1,010 lbf |
★★★★☆ |
Light Luxury/Retro |
Cherry |
950 lbf |
★★★☆☆ |
American/Country |
Pine |
540 lbf |
★★☆☆☆ |
Simple |
5. Construction and Load-bearing Capacity of Wooden Shoe Racks
Wooden shoe racks come in a variety of designs, so much so that their weight-bearing capacity varies greatly. Usually, the box-enclosed type of weight-bearing capacity is better than others. Only the wall-mounted type is the worst.
When choosing a wooden shoe rack, you must be careful about the thickness of the wood. A standard wood shoe rack needs to have a 1.5-2cm thickness of the load-bearing plate, and you need to set up a support point every 40cm. You must care about these so that you can ensure regular load-bearing.
6. Match with Home Aesthetics
Different home space with wooden shoe rack is also a discipline. Small homes can choose a fine straight grain, there will be a visual extension; while large homes choose a mountain-shaped grain to increase the texture and level.
In terms of style, the clean lines of the shoe rack is suitable for modern minimalist homes, and the beautifully carved and decorative shoe rack is suitable for European classical homes;
Unusual retro home, you can add a little more elements - a combination of wood and iron, such as the old wood grain and black metal frame.
7. Breathability
You may be wondering, breathability?
Shoe cabinets do need to consider breathability because shoes are prone to odor and moisture, and you should choose wooden shoe racks with ventilated designs.
Shoe cabinet styles with mesh, grills, or large intervals usually help air circulation and reduce odor and bacteria growth.
8. Consider Safety
When choosing a wooden shoe rack, consider the edges and corners of the shoe rack to ensure safety. Especially for families with children and pets, shoe racks with rounded corners are the best choice. Straight edges are sharp and easy to bump into.
Priority is given to shoe cabinets with Han -shaped base, which is 3 times more stable than ordinary four-legged support system.
Families with children need to leave the bottom of the shoe cabinet empty 30cm to prevent young children from climbing and avoid choosing shoe racks with glass and metal decorative parts.
And families with pets, the bottom of the wooden shoe rack should be added 15cm high blocking plate, to prevent being anti-pet push over.
Ensure regular inspection and maintenance to check for loose screws and structural deformation to prevent falls.
9. Price Consideration
The price of wooden shoe racks has variability depending on the wood. Solid wood usually costs between $400-$2,000, while manufactured wood will be a bit cheaper at around $200-$800.
Choose the right shoe rack according to your budget, you can't save money by choosing a poor quality shoe rack that can be easily damaged. In that case, you will have to buy new shoe racks again.
If you have a good budget, try to choose a good quality wooden shoe rack. Of course, if you want cost-effective, you can choose white oak, black walnut, etc., which belong to the more reasonably priced wooden shoe racks.
10 . Maintenance and Cleaning
How to clean a wooden shoe rack? It is simple!
For daily cleaning, wipe the surface with a microfiber cloth in the direction of the wood grain.
Deep cleaning, then you need to use a cleaner to clean, oily wood with a choice of cleaner according to the material:
- Oily wood: olive soap warm water solution (1 teaspoon of soap + 1 liter of water)
- Lacquered wood: diluted detergent
- Logwood: wipe with a slightly damp cloth only
For mold spots, leave for 5 minutes with a 3% hydrogen peroxide spray. All cleaning must be done in the shade and out of direct sunlight.
Choose a Quality Wooden Shoe Rack with Homeyfad!
Wooden shoe racks are durable and high-quality beings, and as long as you avoid poor-quality wood, most wooden shoe racks are built to last a long time.
Homeyfad's shoe stroage are always a hot seller, and wooden shoe racks are a customer favorite! Browse wooden shoe racks now and contact us with any questions!