8 best shoe racks to keep your hallway neat and tidy

Best: Overall

Not into DIY? Let someone else do the hard work with this stylish cane option from Dunelm that arrives ready-made. At £115, it’s not the cheapest shoe rack on the market, but it’s sturdy and well-made, with room for at least nine pairs of shoes at any one time. We liked that this didn’t just feel functional – it also added a stylish element to the room with its on-trend rattan – and that it could be used to store other things aside from shoes, if you ever wanted to flex its function.

Best: For hiding mess

Ikea is well versed in bestselling flatpack furniture, and the hemnes shoe cabinet has been popular since it first came on the scene a few years ago. In terms of practicality, we like that it holds eight pairs of shoes and keeps them out of sight – perfect if you like things to have clean lines in your home. The white finish is simple to blend with most interior styles, and we’ve seen lots of people customise theirs with quick paint jobs or new handles. Easy to put together, we were also impressed with how slim it is, meaning it can help with storage even in narrow hallways.

Best: For a high-end finish

This multi-functional bench has three compartments hidden under the seat which are perfect for a couple of pairs of shoes, plus any other little bits – like hats or gloves – that you want to keep tidied out of the way. Because it comes ready-built there’s no need for specialist tools (or happily, any manual labour) and you can pop it straight down in its new home, wherever that might be. We liked this in the hall under a wall mirror to create a nice entrance space, but thought it would look equally as good at the end of a bed.

Best: Multi-functional shoe rack

While this requires assembly, it took us under half an hour to put together. You will need a hammer and screwdriver in your armoury. Once finished, it feels pretty sturdy, and can hold up to eight pairs of shoes (or more if you have kids and double up in a couple of slots). The only downside is that the cushion is a synthetic material with no fixing points, so is slippy once popped on top. For a multifunctional piece of storage though, we thought this would be great for families, and you could easily update the cushion in a style you prefer.

Best: Adaptable shoe rack

Simple but attractive, this shoe rack offers flexibility for all kinds of spaces thanks to the extendable element. There are no tools necessary to put it together, and in total it probably took between five and 10 minutes to get it out of the box and finished, so it’s great regardless of your DIY enthusiasm. If you prefer, it also comes in a white version which is great for more neutral spaces.

The shoe rack did feel slightly wobbly when it was fully extended – although we found this wasn’t an issue on carpets.

Best: For small spaces

Sometimes you don’t want a huge shoe rack taking up lots of space in your hallway, and this compact La Redoute option is a really tidy example of a petite storage solution. While it’s basic in terms of functionality, it does everything it needs to and looks good too.

This one comes flat packed so you’ll have to have some DIY skills to put it together. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes, though. It’s small enough to fit inside a cupboard or under the stairs too.

Best: For saving space

Slimline and lightweight, it’s easy to see the appeal of this particular shoe rack. Because it’s made of metal it doesn’t feel flimsy or unstable despite being light. We liked that it wasn’t your standard wooden finish and offered something a bit different that was both practical and stylish. At 62cm long, it only held a few pairs of shoes, so we think it would be best for a small entranceway or for inside a wardrobe. We managed to get six pairs of shoes on it, which isn’t bad if you’re just catering for yourself, but it’s probably not big enough for families or flatshares.

Best: For families

More a piece of furniture than a straight shoe stand, this handy bench has multiple storage solutions tucked away underneath it. We liked that the pullout drawer makes a great hideaway for those bits and bobs that always clutter up hallways, like hats, scarves and gloves. The overall build was doable in under half an hour with limited DIY knowledge, and then the bench is sturdy to sit on and feels a little more premium than its price point. The space for a taller set of boots is also a nice touch.

This shoe rack is due back in stock in October 2021.