Monday, July 27, 2009

SD Review: Tszuji Shoe Storage Boxes

A while back a received a nice note from a representative of the Tszuji company asking me if I wanted to learn more about their shoe storage options and maybe test out some of their shoe boxes.

Now as much as I love the look of shoes on display there is no way I could do something like this:



First of all, I have no space for a cabinet like this. I also like to baby my shoes by keeping them all wrapped up in their original boxes and, frankly, I just have way too many darn shoes to even consider this as a viable option.

So, when asked on how I store my shoes, I admit they are in their boxes stacked up high in the closets. I have them sorted somewhat by color and having the box they came in helps me to identify what pair is what. Of course, that's not a perfect system either. I've considered doing the pictures taped to the front thing too, but I'm just too lazy to do that.

Another issue is not all my shoes come with boxes. When I buy vintage shoes they don't usually come with boxes at all. To get something inexpensive and local, I've resorted to photo organizer boxes. But the downfall there is I now have 15 of the same box and it makes it hard to tell which pair is which. They are also larger than a standard shoe box which messes with the whole stacking element.

So when I received these clear boxes from Tszuji I was really excited to see how they stacked up (gah, lame pun! Sorry!).



The package that arrived was a flat pack filled with 6 unfolded shoe boxes. A great benefit of this over buying photo boxes is that they are much easier to store until a new pair comes along.



The plastic is sturdy with reinforced edges as well as air holes for good circulation. These boxes also have little tabs that help ensure they stack well, won't fall over or slide around.



The size is great too. Just a bit larger than a standard shoe box...





They hold heels...


And chunkier sneakers with room to spare. Tszuji also makes versions for boots and ankle boots, so check them out.


But my big concern is strength. My stacks can be up to 10 boxes so it needs to be able to hold some weight. So I gave it a test - 3 pairs of shoes, including heavy sneakers, topped with my filled to the brim purse. Looks sturdy to me!


Tabs -


Box handle -
The handle lays flat too but I love this because I usually carry my shoes to work in their box. I drive a stick shift car so I wear crummier shoes to drive. This makes it easy to carry my pair for the day in with me.



All in all, I'd say these are a great buy. The price is good (especially if you are in the UK) and there are a lot of options.

Tszuji
also has a number of other shoe accessory, display and storage options, including the
shoe wheel you may have seen.

Thank you Tszuji for letting me give these a test run!

10 comments:

Ms. B @ Millie Deel said...

Ah so that's the shoe cabinet pic I've seen floating around on all the blogs! I love the idea but I agree, I have way too many shoes to consider something like that. The clear boxes look like a good option though. I've seen flat storing shoe boxes at Ikea as well. I really need to get some for my vintage shoes but have been putting it off keeping them in an over the door storage thingy. Great post!

xo

Jennifer

WendyB said...

Those look like a good investment. I need to organize...

jennine said...

i had a cabinet like that, but i have too many shoes. you gotta pick your battles, though with your collection, it would make an amazing cabinet!

Meg said...

Love that cabinet! But I have too many shoes, too -- and I like them being out of sight most of the time.

What I have for mine are a bunch of clear plastic shoe boxes -- the sturdy kind with the white lids on top. I got them for ~$1 each, maybe less, at Big Lots and my husband and I use them for a lot of things around the house. All my shoes fit in them except for larger sneakers and boots. They're very stackable. I have them 3-4 deep on top of a shelf I had my husband put at the bottom of our closet for the purpose -- and then two deep underneath the shelf.

Also, whenever we get packages with those little desiccant packs, I toss the packs into the shoe boxes to help control any residual moisture (though I also let them air dry a bit, too, before reboxing).

And with easily scuffed shoes I pack tissue or even just plastic bags between them so they're not hitting each other.

etoilee8 said...

I think the show cabinet might just be the way I go when I move out. It's such a good idea. Those boxes look pretty awesome too. My issue, where would I store all the boxes!

daddylikeyblog said...

Oooh those are super cool! Half my shoes are in a smelly pile next to the door, and the other half are in a smelly pile in the back of my closet, so I could use something like this...

Anonymous said...

Can you say savior??? I luv this look and am so glad you brought it to my attention! I am in the process of moving and think these will definitely help update my closet while protecting my shoes. So Money!

TheShoeGirl said...

These are awesome! Thanks for the post :)

Anonymous said...

i agree, i recently bought some clear shoe boxes on the internet and absolutely love them - they are the best invention ever! If i remember correctly i purchased mine from www.theshoelounge.co.uk but there are plenty of places to buy them i know ebay and amazon sell them.

Unknown said...

I love these these but I think Tszuji are bit on the pricey side - have you tried these - The UK's best selling clear plastic shoe boxes?