Day 7 - Shoes

I don’t want to step on any toes with today’s task… but it’s likely to happen.
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist. My fellow dad joke lovers will appreciate it!)

Today we’re going to declutter & organize SHOES.

Tell the truth here - are your shoes in a pile in the floor of your closet, scattered all over your home & car, or neatly in the closet shelves? No judgment from me! It just might take you a little longer to get started if you have to gather them from all over your home. It will be worth it! Let’s get started!

If you declutter & streamline your footwear you could possibly:

• Save time in the mornings looking for shoes.

• Donate gently worn or new shoes to someone in need.

• Save money you would normally spend on buying too many types of the same shoe.

• Get a new pair after you’ve done the purging and realized you’re missing an essential.😉

1. Gather all of your shoes in one spot.

   • You may want to check you car and go room to room to make sure you get them all gathered.

   • I suggest taking them out of the closet & looking at them under a different light than you normally do.

   • If you’ve got time, get the out of season shoes down for this task too.

2. Take a moment to be humbled by how many pairs of shoes you have for your TWO feet. 

3. Take a before picture.

4. Sort like with like.

   • This will help you to see how many you have for each season or occasion.

5. Declutter!

   • Make keep, donate, & trash piles.

     1. Get rid of shoes that hurt your feet, even if you paid too much money for them or you really like them. You’re not wearing them so let someone else! 

     2. Keep the essentials, choose a few to donate if you can, & throw away the shoes that are beyond repair.

        1. Unless they are weather related shoes - get rid of shoes you have not worn in 12 months.

        2. Do they fit? 

        3. Do you still like them?

        4. Are they worn out?

     3. Be honest with yourself on this step.

     4. You may even need to walk away and come back for a second round of decluttering. 

     5. You could make a fourth pile if you want to try to make some money on your ‘like new’ shoes. That’s up to you! Just don’t let them sit around forever. Post them for sale today if you’re going to do it.

6. Clean it up.

   • Get a damp cloth (or whatever is best for the material you need to clean) and wipe your shoes down. If they are still dirty and smelly you may want to revisit step 4.

   • Dust and/or vacuum the area where you plan to store your shoes.

7. Store them in a way that makes the most sense to you.

   • My top shelf of shoes are the ones I wear the most often. You do what will be easiest for you to maintain.

8. Take an after picture!

9. Drop off that donation bag today or make a plan to take it one day this week!

10. Do you live with other people who wear shoes? Tackle their closet too.

    • I think it is great to get them involved unless you think they will hinder your decluttering!

Hold on to your before and after pictures for the giveaway in a few weeks!