I Thought Getting Dressed For Work After I Had a Kid Was Going to Be Chaos Until I Bought These $6 Shoe Boxes

Updated on Jan 3, 2019 at 12:40 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

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The only thing "easy" about being on maternity leave was getting ready in the morning. In just under a nanosecond and through bleary eyes, I could dress myself in my finest slept-in sweatpants and already-stained t-shirts.

But if I wanted to upgrade by #OOTD game even a little once I returned to work, I was going to need to find a way to simplify my morning routine. The days of pouring over my closet thinking about the day's look would be long gone; I'd need to find a way to look presentable, and do it quickly. I decided I'd organize my wardrobe and optimize it for my new crazy life.

My closet was long and narrow, with a rod running the length of one side and a few hooks on the other. With not much space for shoes, I'd previously just had them buried in the back and fished them out. But with such limited free time in the mornings now — and a desire to treat my pieces better — I invested in a handful of clear storage boxes.

Now that I'm back at work, this one simple hack has completely simplified my mornings. I never have to search for the missing pair (this can take a long time!), and I can quickly elevate my now-lazy fashion sensibilities by grabbing nice shoes as opposed to just whatever pair of sneakers are within reach.

Find out what I bought and how I made it work.

Women's Drop-Front Shoe Box

The first thing I did was divide my shoes into three categories:

Special occasion heels that I almost never wear. Those stayed in their shoe boxes and remained tucked away and out of sight.
Nice everyday shoes. This ranged from heeled mules to slides.
Sneakers and Fall boots.

I arranged the sneakers and Fall boots which were too tall for the boxes nicely on the floor, and lovingly placed my nice everyday shoes inside the Women's Drop-Front Shoe Box ($6, originally $8), to which I purchased eight.

Now when I get ready in the morning, I open my closet door an immediately scan my stack of Summer-ready shoes. I grab those first and this makes picking out an outfit so much faster.

Women's Drop-Front Shoe Box

From

Women's Drop-Front Shoe Box Case of 6

If you know you're going to want to pick up a lot, the Women's Drop-Front Shoe Box Case of 6 ($38, originally $48) is a good deal.

Women's Drop-Front Shoe Box Case of 6

From

$38

Premium Stackable Tall Shoe Bin

The Premium Stackable Tall Shoe Bin ($20) is another good option if you want don't need a drop-front door.

Premium Stackable Tall Shoe Bin

From

$20

Our Shoe Box

Our Shoe Box ($2) is a super simple way to store and stack shoes. If you buy a case of five you get 20 percent off, too.

Our Shoe Box

From

Heeled Shoe Boxes

Heeled Shoe Boxes ($7-$10) comes in three varying heights, which are perfect for short-heeled sandals and tall boots. I plan to purchase a handful of the boot-appropriate boxes before Fall.