Introduction: Use a Built in Shoe Rack for Flat Bottomed Shoes

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When I moved into my new apartment, I was excited because it had built in shoe racks. That was until I realized that most of my shoes don't have defined heels and will not stay in the rack. I ended up putting my shoes on the rack sideways which was definitely not an ideal situation. I decided to put some dowel rods across the rack giving me a more level surface to place my shoes.

What you need:

2 - command strips with hooks per shelf

1 - 1/2" dowel rod about 24" long (depending on the width of your shoe rack) per shelf

Step 1: Bend the Command Strip Hooks

The first thing I did was bend some of the command strips with hooks. The goal of this is to make the hooks on the command strips shaped more like |_| than |_/. This will make a better attachment point for the dowel rods.

Step 2: Attach Command Strips

The next thing I did was install the command strips to both sides of the shoe rack. Make sure both strips are placed at the same height and distance from the back of the shoe rack.

The command strips have a one hour cure time, so during that time I built the rods.

Step 3: Make the Dowel Rods

Measure the distance between the pads on the command strips. I have this labeled as "Pad Distance" in my picture. Cut the dowels about a quarter inch shorter than the measured distance to give you a generous tolerance.

Next measure the distance between the hooks on the command strips. This is labeled "Hook Distance". This is the distance you need to keep between the center point of the mounting holes in the dowel rods. Try to keep equal distances on each end of the dowel rod past the mounting holes.

The approximate width of the hooks is 3/16" so I used a 1/4" drill bit for the holes.

Step 4: Install Dowels

By this time the adhesive on the command strips should have cured.

Place the dowels in the rack so the hooks are placed in the holes, and the dowel rod is supported on both ends.

Now you can put all sorts of flat bottomed shoes of the racks. Once you are ready to move out, you can just remove the command strips without putting any extra holes in anything.