5-Tier vs. 6-Tier Bamboo Shoe Rack: Which One Fits Your Hallway

Two of our bamboo racks cost under $40: the 5-tier and the 6-tier. Choose the 5-tier if you want the most pairs per foot of wall and your shoes are flats, loafers, sandals or smaller sizes. Choose the 6-tier if your hallway can only give up about 6.5 in of depth.

Neither is a boot rack. The 5-tier takes low boots at most, and the 6-tier is for low shoes.

Check shelf depth first, because it decides how your shoes sit. A men's US 10 runs about 11.4 in long, which is deeper than either rack.

The 5-tier is 7.87 in deep. Flats, sandals, loafers, most women's shoes and children's shoes sit on the shelf. A men's US 10 hangs over the front edge by roughly 3 in. It stays in place, but it does overhang.

The 6-tier is 6.42 in deep, too shallow to park a shoe toe-first. Shoes go on side-on, turned along the shelf. An adult shoe is about 4 in across, so it fits with room to spare, and you see each shoe's profile instead of a row of toes.

The 5-tier is 27.56 in wide and 29.13 in tall. The 6-tier is 31.49 in wide and 30.71 in tall. So the 6-tier asks for about 4 in more wall and stands only about 1.6 in taller, even with its extra shelf.

Both stay under 31 in, so either one fits below a mirror or a row of wall hooks. Measure the free wall, and check that the rack clears the door swing.

The 5-tier holds about 15 pairs of adult shoes, which works out to three pairs a shelf.

The 6-tier gives up capacity for its slim depth. Side-on, a pair takes two shoe lengths of shelf, so a 31.49 in shelf holds about one pair of large adult shoes, or one and a half pairs of smaller ones. By our estimate, that is about 6 to 9 pairs across the rack. If pairs matter more than depth, the 5-tier is the better buy.

The 9-tier tower holds 6 to 10 pairs, one pair a shelf.

The 5-tier has 7.28 in between tiers, enough for sneakers, loafers and low boots.

The 6-tier has 6.14 in between tiers, enough for flats, loafers and low sneakers.

The 9-tier tower has 7.08 in between shelves, enough for sneakers, loafers and flats, and not for boots.

Some hallways have no wall to spare. The tower stands on about 9 by 9.8 in, roughly the floor space of a large plant pot, and rises 58.26 in.

Its frame uses mortise-and-tenon joints, so it goes together without a drill and comes apart the same way, which helps if you rent. Because it is tall and slim, it needs a flat floor, and heavier shoes belong on the lower shelves.

The 5-tier has a walnut tone, the 6-tier a natural honey tone that varies from rack to rack, and the tower a mid-brown finish.

The 5-tier and 6-tier have solid shelves rather than slats, so nothing drops through to the pair below, and the shelves wipe clean in one pass. All three stand on the floor with no wall fixing.

For 20 or more pairs, choose a larger rack: our 9-Tier Shoe Rack is rated for 50 pairs.

For tall boots, look for a shelf that comes out: our 5-Tier Shoe Rack with Fabric Shelves lets you remove one when you need boot room.

For shoes you would rather not look at, our 10-Tier Shoe Rack with Dust Cover keeps them behind a fabric cover.

For a place to sit, see our guide to hall trees and entryway benches.

Sizes are width by depth by height. All three are bamboo and free-standing.