Amanda Viciana didn't have to do much soul-searching about where to store her 100-plus pairs of shoes.

With more shoes than closet space in the bedroom of her Marietta home, Viciana moved her fashionable footwear to the unfinished basement, which she lovingly calls her "shoe room."

The Container Store (ENLARGE)

Clear, sturdy boxes keep your shoes visible but protected from dust and mold.

Frank Niemeir/AJC (ENLARGE)

Amanda Viciana of Marietta owns more than 100 pairs of shoes and stores them in her basement, where they are neatly arranged and proudly displayed (below). 'It's nice not to have to dig through bins or squash shoes into a closet,' she said.

Photos: Check her shoes out 4: The average number of shoes women purchase each year. 19: The pairs of shoes (excluding athletic shoes and sneakers) the average American woman owns. About 15 percent of women have 30 or more pairs. 60: Percent of women who have regretted at least one shoe purchase. Source: 2007 poll by Consumer Reports National Research Center for ShopSmart magazine. GET EQUIPPED Purchase bins, baskets, shelves, dividers after — not before — you have edited and sorted your collection. Buy multipurpose storage containers. Form and function matter most. But the more attractive your storage is, the more pleasurable it will be to use — and the more likely you will stay organized. Sources: Container Store and the Organized Approach More shopping news [an error occurred while processing this directive] Back to Living page

To make it feel more like a dressing room, the 33-year-old woman added a rug, chairs and a mirror.

"With mismatched shelves, my shoe room isn't fancy, said Viciana, who runs the Atlanta chapter of the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club, a free social club for shoe lovers. "But it works for me."

On her organized shelves, Viciana displays her assortment of shoes, including her current favorites: BCBG, Pelle Moda, Betsey Johnson and Carlos Santana. A few pairs hang on hooks on the wall.

Over the years, Viciana has used over-the-door shoe hangers, plastic buckets and shoe boxes stacked in the closet. But as her shoe collection and hobby grew, those go-to organizing tools seemed impractical.

"It's nice not to have to dig through bins or squash shoes into a closet," said Viciana, the mother of a 3-year-old daughter.

Whether you have five pairs of shoes or more than 50, there are ways to keep your shoes organized and accessible, organization experts and shoe lovers say. A good system can also save you time and money.

"For an organization system to work, it has to be suited to the user and the user's lifestyle," said professional organizer Kim Cossette, owner of the Organized Approach in Lawrenceville. "And that is different for everybody."

Depending on your space, habits and budget, there are plenty of practical and clever solutions at home and discount stores to help you decide how and where to stash your kicks.

In the clear

To keep your shoes where you can see and grab them quickly, consider clear shoe boxes. Look for boxes that are covered or offer slide-out drawers to keep your shoes (at least the pricey ones) mold and dust-free. At the Container Store, the stackable women's boxes (to store flats and low-heeled shoes, sizes 5-9) are $1.99 each. The men's box ($3.79 each) is a better choice for platform shoes or those with bulky heels.

For other clear and stackable shoe boxes, Viciana also recommends www.shoebby.com. Boxes, with a convenient handle, are $39.95, plus $7.99 shipping, for a package of five. She also lusts after Closet Fetish's glossy shoe boxes ($19.95, plus $4.95 shipping for two collapsible boxes at Home Shopping Network, www.hsn.com).

Show 'em the door

Don't just shut the door. Put it to use with an over-the-door shoe hanger in clear vinyl, fabric mesh and sturdy canvas ($14.99 and up). The hangers have 24 spacious pockets (perfect for flip-flops, flats and sneakers) and easily hook over a hinged door. At Target, the Simple Shabby Chic Canvas shoe holder is $12.99.

Get a rack

Need a tidy place for your kickoff or everyday shoes? The expandable oak and stainless steel shoe rack, which holds about 10 pairs of shoes, is a handsome choice for your entry way, mudroom or closet. The shoe rack is $39.99 at IKEA.

Other options

• Under-bed shoe bins help you take advantage of overlooked-but-out-of-sight storage space under your bed. Use the covered plastic boxes for out-of-season shoes.

• Stacking wire, mesh or wood shelves are handy for any organizing project, especially shoes. Shelves can also be hung on the wall.

• Leaning ladder book shelves, often with five open shelves in various lengths, are an increasingly popular way to display books and other collections, including shoes. Check Crate and Barrel and Target.

• Divided cubbies, cabinets and benches.

Creative storage

• Lean a 9-foot ladder against a wall and hang up your high-heeled shoes, said Meghan Cleary, a New York shoe expert who writes about shoes on missmeghan.com. She did, and hung about 15 pairs of stilettos on it.

• Display special-occasion shoes on a dresser since some shoes are like artwork or pieces of sculpture, said Cleary.

Shoe organizing 101

Ask yourself:

Where do I have room to keep shoes?

How many pairs of shoes do I need to store?

Do I want shoe boxes for some shoes?

What style of shoes do I have? You may need different storage solutions for sandals, flats and heels.

What is my lifestyle? Do I kick off my shoes when I walk in the door? Do I like to put things in a certain place? Avoid forcing yourself to learn new habits. If shoes pile up at the door, create storage for them.

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EDIT, SORT, PURGE

• Remove everything from the closet.

• Decide what you want to keep, repair, toss or donate. Don't let the fact that you paid a lot for a pair of shoes guilt you into keeping them.

• Donate shoes you don't love or wear. For every new pair of shoes you buy, donate a pair. Ann Roth, who lives in Kennesaw and is a member of Hello Stiletto, suggests Soles4Souls (www.soles4souls.org), Goodwill or a women's shelter.

• Store seasonal or special-occasion shoes in clear boxes or bins on higher shelves in the closet or under the bed.

• Organize frequently used shoes in a way that will give you immediate access to them. The more often you use something, the more accessible it should be.

• Keep expensive shoes in their original boxes or in clear shoe boxes so they remain dust- and mold-free.

• Label or take a photo of shoes and tape it to the inside or outside of a clear shoe box (or the original box) so you can quickly see the shoes you want, said Andrea Poshard of Alpharetta, who owns 302 pairs of stilettos. It will save you the hassle of digging through unmarked boxes.

• Group shoes by size of heel, color and occasion. Roswell's Melanie Endsley, who won "best shoe" at a Hello Stiletto club gathering several months ago, arranges her shoes by use and season. She also adds notes about what outfits and shoes go together.