I love how a pair of colorful, comfortable shoes can pull an outfit together, or how the right pair of athletic shoes can make a huge difference for exercise or going for a walk. I’ve tried a few different strategies for organizing shoes with vision loss over the years after realizing that I would have trouble locating the pair of shoes I wanted to wear for a specific activity and that I would spend a lot of time searching for things. However, it wasn’t until I accidentally wore one black shoe and one blue shoe to a school event that I accepted that I needed to figure out how to organize shoes with low vision so this didn’t happen again. Here are my tips for organizing shoes with vision loss, with a mix of tips for low vision and blind (nonvisual) access.
Keep shoes off the floor
Shoes that get left on the floor are in the perfect position to be accidentally pushed to the back of the closet, tripped over, or create visual clutter that can make it more difficult to locate the desired pair. Depending on the surface of the floor, glare from overhead lights or dark spaces can make it even more difficult to identify shoes correctly or keep them separated from each other.
While a shoe rack is still technically on the floor, they can elevate shoes above ground level and provide a solid-colored backdrop for placing shoes on a neutral background. Using a shoe rack can also reduce or eliminate bending over to reach shoes, depending on the height, and some models support stacking racks on top of each other to increase storage capacity or height.
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Use a cubby or shoe bins to separate pairs
To avoid walking out with mismatched shoes, one strategy for separating pairs of shoes is to use a shoe cubby or shoe bins, which can accommodate one pair of shoes in each container. The outside of the container can be labeled with large print, braille, or another labeling system to identify what is inside if needed, and stored on a shoe rack or in a hanging organizer.
Another option for cubby-style holders is to paint the outside of the cubby the same color as the shoe that is stored in it, such as a red frame for a pair of red shoes. Alternatively, a dark cubby can be used for light-colored shoes and a light cubby can be used for dark-colored shoes to provide additional contrast.
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Arrange shoes by color, if possible
The reason I wore one blue shoe and one black shoe to an event is because my navy and black flats were directly next to each other in an area of my closet that wasn’t well-lit; it wasn’t until I was standing in the bright event space that I realized my mistake. From that point on, I arranged my shoes by style and then by color, so that my athletic shoes, flats/dress shoes, boots, and other shoes were all separated from each other. Having a divider, cubby, or other physical separator between pairs makes it easier to group pairs by color, and placing them in the same consistent location also aids with identification.
For tall boots that don’t fit on a traditional shoe rack or cubby, I place different colored pool noodles inside the boots to keep them upright and make it easier to identify each boot color. These are kept in a different storage area to accommodate their height, but still not directly on the ground.
Related links
- Organizing A Walk-In Closet With Vision Loss
- Walking In The Snow: College O&M
- Walking In The Rain: College O&M
Wipe down soles before storing shoes
When I was living on my college campus, I would step in all sorts of weird and gross things when walking outside, and couldn’t necessarily take off my shoes the moment I got inside my dorm building. Still, once I got inside my dorm, I would wipe down the soles of shoes with a disinfecting wipe or wet paper towel to remove any residual dirt or things that got stuck to my shoe before storing them, especially if I would be stacking shoes on top of each other. In some situations, I hadn’t noticed I had stepped in something gross until I went to clean off the shoes!
Keeping disinfecting wipes near the front door or shoe storage areas makes it easy to quickly wipe down shoes when needed, though I typically prefer to go in the bathroom for particularly messy shoes so that I can rinse them if needed or use the brighter bathroom lights to inspect for stains.
Related links
- Ten Things To Know About Going To College With A Blindness Cane
- Low Vision Assistive Technology For The Bathroom
Place shoes in a well-lit area, or add additional lighting
Having a well-lit space can make it easier to locate shoes or identify colors, though I recommend keeping shoes away from direct sources of natural light, such as right across from a window, in order to keep them from fading. Having a lamp or overhead lighting close to the shoe storage area can help with recognizing colors and making items easier to locate.
One option for adding lighting to a space without overhead lights is the use of puck lights, which can be attached to a flat surface like the underside of a shelf or a ceiling to add more light to a space. These are typically controlled by a remote and provide a spotlight on an area that may not be well-lit otherwise. Puck lights retail for about $10-$20 USD and come in pack of 2, 4, or 6.
Keep slippers away from walkways
Slippers and slip-on shoes may be stored separately from shoes meant to go outside for convenience purposes, but they shouldn’t be placed in an inconvenient spot! Ensure that they are placed away from walkways, paths, or high-traffic areas so that they don’t create a tripping or slipping hazard. Some examples of potential locations can include under a nightstand/table, next to a bed or seating area, or on top of a shelf or organizer.
When I was living in a dorm, my slippers were placed right underneath the hanging storage area for my cane and my student ID so I could quickly put them on if there was a late-night fire alarm.
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Add a sticker or label to identify left/right shoes
For people that struggle to put shoes on the correct feet, flat labels or stickers cut in half can be placed in the sole of the shoe to identify which shoe is which; when placed together, the half stickers can form a “whole” image or mirror each other. Alternatively, a colored label can be used for all left shoes, while a different color can be used for all right shoes. The edge of the sticker can also be felt to determine whether it is a left shoe or right shoe.
Consider adapting shoes so they are easier to wear
Can people with low vision learn to tie their shoes? Yes. Is this something I personally struggled with, along with many of my friends? Also yes.
I purchased elastic laces for all of my shoes with laces so that I didn’t have to worry about them coming untied or having more difficulty with tying them due to decreased fine motor skills and visual perceptual skills. The elastic laces I chose were close in color to the original laces, so it wasn’t obvious they had been adapted. In general, I also gravitate towards no-lace shoe styles that are secured with elastics or other alternative closures- I share a few different options in my post on shoes for Chiari Malformation linked below.
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More tips for organizing shoes with vision loss
- When storing shoes on a bookshelf or storage with a “back”, consider painting the back of the bookshelf black or another high-contrast color to make it easier to identify shoes against the backdrop. This is a strategy I also share in How I Decorate A Bedroom For CVI
- This post was created for a project, which covers topics related to tools and strategies for organizing clothes and dressing aids for vision loss, inclusive of low vision and blind/nonvisual access options. View more posts created for or updated as part of this series by visiting Closet Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
Published January 3, 2024. Updated June 2024