Tsali has his shoes sorted. My 13-year-old golden has two pairs of boots, one for his front paws and one for his back. Easy.
Mine? Not so much.
Hiking shoes, camp shoes, sandals. They all live with me in my Travato, and for a long time they lived wherever they landed. Here’s the simple fix I finally made, and it didn’t take a single hole in my van.
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The problem: zero shoe space
My Travato has no spot for shoes. None. So they piled up on the floor, got kicked around, and always seemed to be in the way right when I needed to get in or out.
I wanted something that kept every pair in one place, didn’t take up floor space, and didn’t mean drilling into my van.
What I used
Just two things:
- An over-the-door shoe organizer. It’s the hanging kind with pockets, the same kind people put on a closet door at home. Here’s the one I used: Shoe organizer
- Three 100-lb magnets. These go on the loops at the top of the organizer. Here are the ones I used: Magnets
That’s the whole kit.
How I set it up, step by step
- Pick the spot. I went with the back door. The window area there was unused space.
- Cut the organizer to fit. A hanging organizer isn’t made for a van door, so I cut it down to fit my back door window.
- Put the magnets on the top loops. The organizer has loops along the top. I put a 100-lb magnet on three of them.
- Stick it to the door. The magnets grab the metal part of the back door and hold the organizer in place. No drilling, no screws, nothing permanent.
- Fill the pockets. Every pair gets its own spot. (Tsali’s boots don’t go in there. They’re just the cute part of the video.)
- Close the blackout. My Travato’s stock privacy blackout pulls right over the back window and covers the whole thing.
Why I like it
- Every shoe has a home now. I know exactly where my hiking shoes are when I want to get out on the trail.
- No drilling. It’s all magnets, so nothing is permanent. I can take it down or move it whenever I want.
- It uses space I wasn’t using. The floor is clear, and the organizer sits on a spot that was doing nothing before.
- Out of sight, out of mind. When the blackout goes on, you can’t see it at all. My van still looks tidy, and I don’t have to stare at a wall of shoes.
Tips if you try this
- Want extra hold? Heavier magnets work too. If your shoes are on the heavy side, or you just want it extra secure, go heavier.
- Cut to fit your own window. Every van is a little different, so cut the organizer to your door rather than mine.
- Use the blackout. If your van has a privacy blackout or shade, it’s the easiest way to hide the organizer when you’re not using it.
See it in action
I made a short video of the whole setup, from Tsali’s boots to the blackout closing over the finished organizer. You can watch it on my YouTube Shorts and on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
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Where do your shoes live in your van? Tell me in the comments. I’m always looking for more small-space ideas.