My entryway is basically a door, a wall, and a prayer. There was never a good spot for a shoe rack, so shoes piled up in a heap by the door and I stepped over them every morning. I tried three racks before I found one that actually worked in the space, and the winner was not the one I expected.

The problem with most shoe racks is not the rack, it is the assumption that you have a closet or a wide hallway. In a tiny entryway, vertical is the only answer.

What Failed First

I tried a wide, six-tier metal rack first. It held a ton of shoes and took up the entire wall. The problem: it stuck out into the walkway, and I bumped into it every single day.

Then I tried an over-the-door organizer. It worked, but the door could not close fully, and it looked like a garage sale.

The Winner: A Slim Vertical Rack

What finally worked was a narrow, three-tier wooden rack that angles the shoes instead of laying them flat. It holds about nine pairs in the footprint of one pair, and it fits in the six inches of wall space next to the door.

The tilted shelves matter more than the brand. Shoes slide in at an angle, so you can fit boots and sneakers without a deep shelf.

What I Wish I Had Known

A few lessons from trying three racks:

• Measure the wall, not the floor space, tiny entries use wall depth
• Look for angled shelves, they hold more per inch
• Get one with a top surface for keys and mail, it replaces a console table

My current rack holds the shoes, and the top holds my keys and a small dish. The pile by the door is gone, and that is worth the thirty dollars I spent.