Menu

Shoe hanger

Tutorials
Shoe hanger

We used to have a folding table and shelf combination on our kitchen unit. The folding table could be folded outwards and the shelves were originally intended for shoes. In the end, however, it was more of a dog and stuff shelf. We were a little unhappy with this and decided to change it.

A small folding table should be placed in the upper area to extend the work surface. A small shoe rack in the lower area.

You can find the instructions for the folding table extension here: Folding extension for the worktop.

For this you need

Tools

    • Wood saw (I cut everything with a Jigsaw as we didn’t have anything else with us. However, long straight cuts can be sawn better with a circular saw ).

    • Brush

    • Sandpaper
    • Meter measure

Material

    • Wooden board (optional; I used it for the back wall; mine is approx. 120x50cm)

    • Round rod (each rod has a length of 17cm, ⌀20mm)

    • Strips (h:5cm, d:2cm, w: depending on the space available)

    • Screws

& this is how you build the shoe hanger

Step 1: Measuring & preliminary considerations

I first measured our shoes. My partner’s shoes are about 12-15cm wide, mine about 10-12cm. In addition, the large shoes are about 33 cm high and the small ones 27 cm.

So I came to the conclusion (as we don’t have that much space) that the suspensions should be about 13cm apart horizontally. Vertically, the boards are about 30cm apart.

We have a total height of approx. 120 cm. However, the folding table with a depth of 35 cm is to go in the upper area. This leaves about 80 cm for the shoe rack.

Step 2: Customize the back panel

Das Bild zeigt die Rückwand des Schuhregals. Eine große Holzplatte angepasst an die Form des Ausschnittes
  • Saw
  • Wooden board

First, I adapted the wooden board to the curves and recesses. To do this, I stopped the board again and again and worked my way forward piece by piece.

Step 3: First shoe attachment

Das Bilz zeigt die Aufhängung für die Schuhe provisorisch hingestellt. Der Schuh wird an einem Rundstab aufgehängt.
  • Saw
  • Round bar
  • Bar
  • Wood drill, 20mm

I first shortened the round bar to the desired length. Due to the limited space, I decided on 17 cm.

I then cut the bottom rail to about 37 cm. This was the maximum space available at this point (see photo). I then drilled a hole in the slat at an angle to the diameter of the slats (in my case 20mm).

The rods should protrude at a slight angle at the end. That’s why I didn’t drill the holes at a 90 degree angle. The best way to do this is with a pillar drill (unfortunately I don’t have one).

Das Bild zeigt eine kurze Leiste im Gras liegen. Sie hat an einer Stelle ein Loch mit 20cm Durchmesser.

Step 4: Saw all remaining slats and bars

Das Bild zeigt alle Leisten und Stäbe zurechtgesägt ind gebohrt.

Based on the experience from the previous step and my preliminary considerations from step 1, I made a total of 3 strips with 3 rods each for shoe suspension.

Due to the conditions in my car, I drilled the bars of the bottom bar a little straighter and the bars of the top two bars at a slight angle (see step 7).

Step 5: Sanding & painting

  • All wooden parts
  • Wood color
  • Sandpaper

After all the wooden parts were drilled and cut to size, I sanded everything down and painted it twice. Before each repainting, I sand all the parts again.

Step 6: Fastening the bars to the slats

Das Bild zeigt die Stäbe, die mit einer Schraube an den Leisten befestigt sind.

Now I have attached the rods to the bar from behind with a screw.

Addendum: Next time I would glue the rods in place before painting and probably use a second screw per rod.

Step 7: Fastening the strips to the back wall

Das Bild zeigt die hölzerne Rückwand. An der Rückwand sind die Leisten mit den Stäben befestigt, die später die Aufhängung für die Schuhe werden.

I now attached the strips with the rods to the back wall from behind with screws. I used three screws per strip. The individual slats are spaced between 35 and 40 cm apart. This is a compromise due to the limited space. With more space, I would space the bars at least 50 cm apart, then it is easier to thread the shoes in and out.

Here you can see that the bars of the lower board were drilled much more vertically than the boards of the upper board.

The advantages of a pillar drill are also clear here. Although the bars are all vertical/not so vertical, the angle is very different. With a pillar drill, you can set the desired angle. All the bars are then at the same angle.

Step 8: Fastening the back panel

I screwed the new back panel to the old back panel with 6 screws.

Step 9: Hang up the shoes

Das Bild zeit die montierte Rückwand mit den Leisten und bereits aufgehängten Schuhen.

Finally, I hung up several shoes to test the distance between the bars and slats.

Update after about 1 year of use

Unfortunately, the solution wasn’t as stable as we’d hoped. The rods didn’t hold as well in the crossbars as we’d expected. The weight of the shoes, combined with the angle and the tougher conditions we faced while camping, proved to be too much.

Therefore, I recommend either making the mounting system significantly sturdier so that the rods have more stability and a larger contact surface, or finding another solution for storing shoes.

I decided to go with the latter. You can find my instructions here: Shoe Rack Version 2.