Built-In Shoe Storage — Shoe Cubbies and Shelves for the Entryway
The pile of shoes inside the garage door is not a storage problem, it is a missing wall of cubbies. We build one sized to the shoes your household actually wears.
Built in shoe storage is a wall of cubbies or shelves sized to shoes, built to the entry, the hall by the garage door or one wall of the mudroom, so shoes stop piling up on the floor. JMB Builders builds shoe walls on site across the Twin Cities metro: plywood cubbies or angled shelves, a boot tray at the bottom, scribed to the wall, ready for paint. Priced per project, quoted from photos.
- Priced per project
- Cubbies sized per pair, or angled shelves
- Boot shelf at the bottom for wet boots
- Entry, hall by the garage door or mudroom wall
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A shoe wall is a grid of cubbies or a stack of shelves built to the wall where the shoes come off: inside the garage door, in the front hall, or along a mudroom wall that already has a bench. Each cubby holds a pair; a family of four with sneakers, boots and sandals needs more of them than anyone guesses, so we count before we draw. The bottom row is taller and open for winter boots, with a tray or a slatted shelf so melt water drips and dries.
Cubbies are plywood dividers in a plywood box with a poplar face frame, screwed to the studs and scribed to the wall and floor. Angled shelves with a lip show the shoes and take less depth, and work well for a narrow hall. A bench top across a low run of cubbies gives a place to sit while putting shoes on. Doors are an option when you want the shoes out of sight, with a vented panel so they dry.
Where the wall is a short one, the unit goes to the ceiling with hat and bag shelves above the shoes. Where the hall is narrow, a shallow angled-shelf unit keeps the walkway. Paint-grade in MDF and poplar takes a hard enamel that wipes down. It goes in filled and primed; painting is quoted as its own line.
What you supply
- Photos of the wall straight on and from the side, the wall width, the ceiling height and where the door swing, outlets and registers are
- A count of the shoes and boots that need a home, and whose they are; kids' shoes and men's boots want different cubbies
- Cubbies, angled shelves or a mix; open or with doors; and whether you want a bench top on a low run
- Hooks or baskets in the style you like; we install them
- Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- A sketch to your wall with the cubby count, sizes per person and the boot row at the bottom
- Plywood box and dividers screwed into the studs, scribed to the wall and the floor
- Poplar face frame, MDF or poplar shelves and end panels, filled and primed
- An open boot row with a removable tray or a slatted shelf for wet boots
- Angled shelves with a lip, or flat cubbies, or doors with a vented panel where you want them
- A bench top in solid poplar or maple over a low run, and hooks or a shelf above
- Baseboard returned into the unit and a top rail or crown at the ceiling
- Painting when you want it done, quoted as its own line
- Photos of the finished shoe wall in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Width of the wall and how many cubbies it holds
- Flat cubbies vs. angled shelves vs. doors with vented panels
- Bench top across a low run, and hooks or shelves above
- Boot row with a slatted shelf or a tray
- Paint-grade poplar and MDF vs. a stained hardwood top
- Working around a door swing, a register, an outlet or a light switch
- To the ceiling with shelves above vs. a low unit
A straight-on photo with a tape measure across the wall, and how many pairs of shoes and boots need a spot, is enough to sketch it and quote it.
How long it takes
A low cubby unit with a bench top: one to two days on site. A floor-to-ceiling shoe wall or one with doors: two to three days. Painting after, on your schedule.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Cubby grid
Rows of open cubbies sized per pair, kids' sizes low and adult sizes higher, with a taller open boot row at the bottom. The most shoes per foot of wall.
Angled shelf unit
Shelves tilted with a lip on the front so the shoes face out and the unit stays shallow. Good for a narrow hall where a full-depth cubby would block the walkway.
Low cubbies with a bench top
Two rows of cubbies with a solid bench top across them, so you sit to put shoes on and the shoes go right under. Hooks or a shelf above if the wall allows.
Shoe cabinet with vented doors
Cubbies behind doors with a slatted or mesh panel so the shoes are out of sight and still dry. Shaker or flat doors to match the room.
Built-In Shoe Storage — Shoe Cubbies and Shelves for the Entryway: questions, answered
How big should shoe cubbies be?
Big enough for the largest pair that will live there, with a little room to grab them. Men's boots need a taller, deeper cubby than kids' sneakers, so a shoe wall is usually two or three cubby sizes: small ones for kids, standard for adults, and a tall open row at the bottom for winter boots. We count the pairs and size the grid before we build.
Where do wet winter boots go in a built in shoe wall?
On the bottom row, which is taller and open, with a removable tray or a slatted shelf raised off the floor so melt water drips through and the boots dry. Boots do not go in a closed cubby. In a garage entry we sometimes leave the bottom row with no floor at all so the tray sits on the tile and slides out to be dumped.
Can you build shoe storage in a narrow hallway?
Yes, with angled shelves. A shallow unit with the shelves tilted and a lip on the front holds a pair on each shelf without a full-depth cubby, so the hall stays a hall. Screwed into the studs and scribed to the wall. Two or three columns wide, to the height you want, with a top rail.
Can the shoe storage have a bench on top?
Yes. A low run of cubbies with a solid poplar or maple top makes a bench at seat height, so you sit down, take the shoes off and slide them under. Hooks on the wall above or a shelf to the ceiling finish it. It is a smaller build than a full mudroom bench with lockers.
What is built in shoe storage made of?
A plywood box and plywood dividers screwed to the studs, with a poplar face frame and MDF or poplar shelves, filled and primed. A bench top is solid poplar or maple. Painted shoe storage gets a hard enamel that wipes clean of grit and salt. Painting is quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and caulked and paint it yourself.
Can shoe cubbies go inside the garage door where the wall is short?
Yes, and that is the most common spot. A short wall next to the door from the garage gets a unit built to the ceiling: boot row at the bottom, cubbies in the middle, hats and bags above, all inside the door swing. We measure the door swing and the light switch and keep the unit clear of both.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All built-ins pages
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