One day I was at my sister's house borrowing her machines to do some laundry, and went on a mini-hunt for laundry detergent, which I had absent-mindedly left at home. I looked in the usual places, and when I finally came to the hall closet and flung the door open, I almost fell over. My sister had not only taken over the entire front hall closet with her shoes (it runs in the family), but she had very neatly packed each pair of shoes away in their original box, with a photo of the pair of shoes on the outside so she could find them.

She wouldn't have had to go to so much trouble if she had come across Shoe-Stor, a company that makes clear shoe boxes. The boxes are sturdier than the cardboard boxes in which the shoes come, so they can stack neatly, and because they're clear, you can quickly scan your collection for the pair that perfectly matches your outfit. Brilliant! They also make larger boxes for boots, men's shoes, and handbags.

Shoe-Stor products are available online from their website, for $39.95 for a pack of 10 regular size boxes.