Fashion Blogs

Fall means gorgeous colors, fantasy football leagues, and lots of warm lattes, whether pumpkin or not. It also means boots. And as the weather continues to get colder, rainier, and eventually in some areas – very, very snowy – your boot collection is going to help you make it through till spring.

Wearing your boots out and about is one thing; figuring out what to do with them once you're home is another. Here are some tips on how to get your boot collection from chaos to order.

Knee-high boots / Just over the knee boots: These will do best on a sturdy, well-designed boot organizer. You'll need it to be well-made as boots can get quite heavy, especially if they have wooden soles. Hanging your boots on an organizer will get them off the floor, which will not only free up tons of space but also provide ventilation for the insides and make it easy to vacuum/sweep the floor of your closet (let’s face it: if it isn’t easy, it doesn’t happen). Leaving your boots in a heap on the floor can damage the leather and suede uppers; hanging them properly will keep the material fresher and in much better shape.

Rain boots / Wellies: For your colorful and oh-so-important-on-rainy-days wellies, try a rain boot rack. These types of racks have rods that hold the boots horizontally either from the inside or outside (so that that soles are perpendicular to the floor), or hold the boots upside down (so the soles face the sky).

These types of racks work best specifically on rubber boots, and are not recommended for other types of boots -- especially valuable or delicate ones -- for numerous reasons. The boot shape isn't much supported with these types of racks. And because the boots are suspended, there's a lot of pressure in the spot where the end of the rod(s) come into contact with the side/upper of the boots. Plus, upside down style racks position boots so that you look right down at the bottom of the soles, which may not be the most pretty thing to look at. And if your rack is underneath hanging clothing, your clothes will be dragging across the boot soles.

Do your research before purchasing a welly boot rack, and check out both positive and negative comments to make sure that the rack you're thinking of purchasing will do what you need it to do.

The best rain boot racks will keep the wellies inverted so that they can dry out completely; you'll want to make sure that as much of the inside as possible is empty to facilitate the drying process. If you've stepped in lots of puddles and/or mud, rinse off the wellies first before putting them onto a rack.

And in a pinch, you can also repurpose an old baking tray: Because these have raised sides, any water will stay in the pan as your rain boots dry out.

Snow boots: Bulky, warm boots are a necessity in colder climates, but take up lots of storage space. Consider using simple wooden peg boot racks that will invert the boots but also be sturdy enough to support the weight and heft of the boot. Drying out the insides and outsides will be key here, so make sure that any winter boot solution leaves as much empty space in the boot shaft as possible to allow for good ventilation; you'll also want to make sure your snow boots dry naturally so that the material doesn't crack or warp. For this reason, a hanging boot rack can also be a excellent option here, as long as you have a good place to suspend it (you may not want your snow boots hanging in your clothing closet).

Individual Cubbies and/or Boot Boxes: If you're in the mood for individual boot cubbies or plan on storing your boots in boxes, consider getting boot shapers for each pair. Boot shapers will keep the boot uppers upright, which will in turn prevent wrinkles and crumpling. These come in a plethora of materials -- from simple cardboard to untreated cedar. Natural materials will be best no matter what material your boots are made out of; you'll generally want to avoid plastic or anything man-made like styrofoam.

Super Tall Boots: If your boots are much taller than over the knee, you can either use boot boxes or boot hangers with clips. The clips, unfortunately, can tug and pull on the material, leaving unsightly marks. If you must clip, take care to do so in a way or spot on the boot where a mark might not show. Otherwise, consider using boot boxes.

And A Note On Clip Hangers: These are especially to be avoided with delicate materials. The weight of the boot will constantly be pulling down against the clip, causing friction that can lead to scratches and marks, and you’ll find that some boots constantly fall out of the clips, which will try your patience to say the least!...