Help me solve the shoe issue inside my front door

OnFire

The kids leaving their shoes at the front door has been driving me insane for a good 20 years.

I have bought them storage containers to keep their shoes in their bedroom, but they keep leaving them by the front door.

I bought a shelf with a couple of baskets to store them by the front door, but that hasn’t solved it.

I bought Aldi shoe cabinets (similar to ikea), but they aren’t suitable for adult shoes.

When I need is sturdy bench seat with shoe storage underneath. I am thinking I need to have something custom made. Perhaps with a lift up seat, plus a shelf underneath for baskets.

Please hit me with your suggestions!

Annsy

Do you have a shoes off policy, or do they just not like wearing shoes at home?

I use to always put mine in my room, but in my new house Ive started kicking them off by the front door, so no help 🙂

OnFire

Annsy

Yeah we do have a shoes off policy as the house is newish.

I am wanting the house to look minimalist - so shoes are to be hidden either in baskets on shelves, or behind doors.

I have 2 kids now living at home, but need to cater for when the other 2 visit.

wannabefree

The bench seat sounds like a good idea if theres room for it. I think the main thing is when they don’t put the shoes in it, make them go back and fix it. Every single time. Never do it for them or let them just leave them there. The effort for them to fix it should hopefully give them an incentive to do the right thing.

Moo

We have a bench seat. I love it.

catbus

I’m just impressed they at least leave them in one spot. My kids just seem to kick them off in random places as they’re walking through the house. Then the socks. But never all in the one spot. 🤪

Longdarkteatime

catbus

My kids have shoe racks in their rooms - and they never end up on those racks. Mostly they end up where they have sat to take them off - which is generally the lounge room. To be fair it is also the spot I take mine off but then I am the one who then returns them to all the bedrooms.

CallMeAl

catbus

So do I. Embarrassing telling my kids off when mine are around too, fortunately their shoe blindness appears to extend to my shoes so they haven’t mentioned it…

DYNAR

Our old house had a mud room off the garage so shoes, jackets and school bags went in cupboards in there - in theory.

Mostly they just stayed on the floor in there until I got annoyed and made them come put them away.

The house we are renting I’ve put those cupboards inside the front door and so the shoes sit around inside the front door till I get annoyed!

Heyho2

We have a basket by the front door and they all get chucked in there. Not ideal an ideal solution, but works ok.

Blue86

I have this Toy box from ikea at my front door. I had the cushion top recovered so it matches, and it’s so handy. Fits all my work boots shoes handbags etc that just end up everywhere, plus I can sit on it to put my shoes on.

Gum-boots

Our new place has a bench seat with baskets underneath, and a cupboard next to it for school and sports bags. It’s great!

LL55

I have this one from IKEA in our entryway. The kids hang their school bags on them and put their shoes on the shelves at the bottom (with some reminding for the shoes - the habit for the bags stuck straight away).

It’s not as neat looking as I’d like but it’s infinitely preferable to the prior school bags dumped on the floor in the hall or kitchen and shoes all over the house. I’ve tried all kinds of other solutions (boxes, insisting they take them to their rooms etc) and this is the only one that’s worked 🤷🏻‍♀️

SeaStar

We have a shoe rack (2, actually) by our front door, plus a chair in case anyone needs to sit down to take their shoes off. The kids also leave their school bags next to the shoe rack during the week. They do tend to leave their shoes on the floor rather than on the racks but they’re getting better as they get older. DS sometimes forgets to take his shoes off and will wear them all afternoon until I suggest he takes them off (we don’t have a shoes off policy because I have younger kids in AFOs and they wear them all the time).