Shoe Storage Cabinet vs. Bench vs. Hall Tree: Narrow Entryway

Start with two numbers: the width of the free stretch of wall, and how far from the wall you can build out before the hallway gets tight. Subtract the unit's depth from the hallway width to see what is left to walk through. In a 36 in wide hallway, a 9.3 in cabinet leaves 26.7 in, a 13.8 in bench leaves 22.2 in and a 15.75 in bench leaves 20.25 in.

The shallowest closed pieces we carry are the flip-drawer cabinets. The Shoe Cabinet with 3 Flip Drawers, White and the Slim 3-Drawer Shoe Cabinet, Black are both 23.6 in wide and 9.3 in deep, and the 2-Drawer Flip-Down Shoe Cabinet with Side Hooks, Gray is 31.4 in wide and 9.4 in deep. The flip-drawer bench is 31.5 in wide and 10.2 in deep. The 5-tier light oak cabinet is deeper, at 14.96 in.

Flip-down fronts tilt out when you open them, and hinged doors swing out. Our pages do not state how far a flip-down front tilts, so leave some clear floor in front of it. The sliding-door bench, 44 in wide and 15.75 in deep, needs no swing space, because its doors slide across the front. The narrow hall tree page asks you to check room for the door to open, and the lift-top hall tree page asks you to leave room above the seat to raise the lid.

If you need even less depth and do not need closed fronts, the 6-tier bamboo shoe rack is 6.42 in deep with shoes side-on, and 31.49 in wide. It is an open shoe shelf, not a cabinet.

A shoe storage cabinet keeps pairs behind closed fronts and uses wall height instead of floor space. We carry four.

The Shoe Cabinet with 3 Flip Drawers, White is approximately 23.6 x 9.3 x 45.3 in and holds 12 to 18 pairs. Each drawer has a divider that moves between two positions or comes out, and each drawer interior is 21.5 in wide, 12.2 in deep and 9.4 in high. The listed maximum shoe size is US 11, and each drawer carries up to 22 lb. It costs $86.72, the lowest of the four cabinets.

The Slim 3-Drawer Shoe Cabinet, Black is 23.6 x 9.3 x 45.3 in with a light wood-look top, three flip-down compartments and 12 to 18 pairs, depending on shoe size and style. It costs $120.72.

The 2-Drawer Flip-Down Shoe Cabinet with Side Hooks, Gray is 31.4 x 9.4 x 38.2 in. Each of its two compartments has two tiers with a divider shelf that sets in two positions; the page lists a 9.8 in upper tier and a 13.8 in lower tier, and footwear up to US size 13. Slots let air through, and two side hooks hold small items. Its pair count is not stated. It costs $107.68.

The 5-Tier Shoe Cabinet with Geometric Doors, Light Oak is the deepest of the four, at 31.49 x 14.96 x 37.4 in, and the only one with hinged doors: two doors close over five compartments that hold about 15 to 20 pairs. It stands on metal legs with 4.92 in of clearance underneath and adjustable leveling feet. It costs $219.87.

Stated pair counts: 12 to 18 for the white and the black three-drawer cabinets, 15 to 20 for the light oak cabinet, 8 for the shutter-door bench and the flip-drawer bench, 10 for the sliding-door bench, 9 for the 9-cubby bench, and up to 6 or up to 10 for the enclosed hall tree, depending on its width. The gray cabinet, the rattan bench, the cushioned bench, the narrow hall tree and the lift-top hall tree do not state a count. Boots and larger sizes take more room, so read the top of a range as a ceiling.

Size limits are stated more often than counts: US 11 for the white cabinet, US 13 for the gray cabinet, a men's 12.5 for the shutter-door bench, a men's 11 for the flip-drawer bench, a men's 10 for the rattan bench and US 10 for the 9-cubby bench.

For boots, compare the inside height with your tallest pair. The white cabinet's drawer interior is 9.4 in high. The cushioned bench's cabinets measure 12.6 x 11.8 x 12.2 in inside, with a shelf that adjusts across 3 heights, and the page says it fits boots as well as flats. The shutter-door bench's cabinets measure 16.7 x 13 x 12 in inside, with a shelf that adjusts across 6 heights. The lift-top hall tree has one compartment of 35.75 x 11.75 x 12.5 in under the seat. The flip-drawer bench has a shelf with 2 positions for taller boots. The 9-cubby bench's cubbies are 5.75 in high, so measure tall boots against that.

If you put shoes on at the door, choose a bench: a cabinet top is not a seat, and the white cabinet's top is rated for 22 lb. A bench gives you a padded seat with the shoes underneath, at 17.5 to 19.75 in tall.

The Shoe Storage Bench with Flip Drawer, 31.5 in is the smallest footprint: 31.5 x 10.2 x 18.7 in, with a seat at 17.5 in that holds up to 265 lb and one front-tilting drawer for 8 pairs, up to a men's size 11. It starts at $86.22 (Black), and White is $86.72.

The Shoe Storage Bench with Cushioned Seat and 2 Cabinets, White is 41.3 x 13.8 x 18.5 in, with the seat at 18.5 in. Two cabinets close behind doors and the center shelf stays open for the pair you wear most. It holds 321 lb overall and 286 lb on the seat, and costs $93.17.

The Shoe Storage Bench with Shutter Doors, White is 35.4 x 14.2 x 19.7 in. Its louvered doors let air through, two compartments under the seat hold scarves, gloves or mail, and the cabinet holds 8 pairs, up to a men's size 12.5. It holds 352 lb overall and 286 lb on the seat, and costs $99.73.

The Shoe Storage Bench with Rattan Doors, Brown is 42.5 x 13.8 x 19.7 in, with a 40.2 in wide seat built for two people to sit at once. It holds 396 lb overall and 352 lb on the seat, and costs $103.62.

On the benches with a washable cover (flip-drawer, cushioned, shutter-door and sliding-door), the cushion cover comes off and goes in the wash.

The Shoe Storage Bench with Sliding Doors and Padded Seat is 44 x 15.75 x 19.75 in. Two panel doors slide across the front instead of swinging into the walkway, and six compartments hold up to 10 pairs, depending on shoe size. The side shelves set to 3 positions. It starts at $124.61 in Black, and White is $125.78. It is the deepest bench of the group, so it suits a wider hallway or a wall where swing space is the problem.

The 9-Cubby Shoe Bench with Wall Coat Rack, White and Oak is the one open piece in this guide: nine open cubbies below the seat for up to nine pairs of US size 10 shoes, plus a separate wall rack with hooks and a top shelf. The bench is 29.5 x 11.75 x 19.75 in, and the wall rack is 29.5 x 7.75 x 8.75 in and mounts to the wall. It costs $78.26. Choose it if you want a seat and coat hooks without closed fronts.

A hall tree puts hooks, a seat and shoe storage in one tall unit, so it uses the wall instead of floor area, at 13.5 to 15.7 in deep and 70.75 to 72 in tall. Our guide at https://urban-picks.com/guides/hall-tree-vs-entryway-bench-size-guide goes through seat height, hooks and widths in more detail.

The Hall Tree with Bench and Enclosed Shoe Storage comes in two widths, 23.1 in and 41.3 in, both 15.7 in deep and 70.9 in tall. The narrow one has three hooks, two upper cubbies and a single-door cabinet for up to 6 pairs; the wide one has five hooks, three cubbies and a two-door cabinet for up to 10 pairs. It starts at $143.41 for the narrow White Wood Grain version, the narrow Black Wood Grain is $173.53 and the wide Black Wood Grain is $214.31. Each hook holds up to 4.4 lb.

The Hall Tree with Shoe Storage Bench, Narrow, White is approximately 23.5 x 15.3 x 72 in, with three metal double hooks, a single-door cabinet with a shelf that sets to 3 positions, and a bench rated for 264 lb. Each hook holds up to 6.6 lb. Its pair count is not stated. It costs $141.71.

The Hall Tree with Lift-Top Storage Bench and 5 Double Hooks is 37.75 x 13.5 x 70.75 in, with the bench at 16.5 in high. The seat lifts to one compartment of 35.75 x 11.75 x 12.5 in, which works for shoes you put away at the end of the day. It starts at $117.83 in Black, and Cream White is $196.21.

Tall, narrow furniture can tip, so anchor it, especially if small children or pets are at home. Load the heavier pairs on the lower shelves.

Our pages say that wall hardware is included with the white 3-flip-drawer cabinet (anti-tip hardware, to be attached to the wall), the enclosed hall tree (anti-tip device), the narrow white hall tree (anti-tip device) and the lift-top hall tree (anti-tip anchor). The pages of the slim black cabinet (45.3 in tall), the gray cabinet and the light oak cabinet do not mention wall hardware, so plan to add a furniture anti-tip strap from a hardware store and fasten it into a stud or with anchors rated for your wall.

The 9-cubby bench's wall rack is a separate piece that must be mounted to the wall.

For closed shoe storage in the least depth, choose the Shoe Cabinet with 3 Flip Drawers, White: 9.3 in deep, 12 to 18 pairs, $86.72. The Slim 3-Drawer Shoe Cabinet, Black has the same footprint for $120.72.

For large feet, the gray cabinet fits footwear up to US size 13 ($107.68), and the shutter-door bench takes up to a men's 12.5 ($99.73).

For a seat in the smallest footprint, choose the flip-drawer bench, 31.5 x 10.2 in, from $86.22. For a seat for two, choose the rattan bench at $103.62.

For coats as well as shoes, the narrow white hall tree is 23.5 in wide ($141.71), and the lift-top hall tree is 37.75 in wide with five double hooks (from $117.83).

For the most pairs, the light oak cabinet holds about 15 to 20 ($219.87), and the wide enclosed hall tree holds up to 10 ($214.31).

Sorted from shallowest to deepest. Sizes are in inches, as the pages state them, and "not stated" means the page gives no number. The open 9-cubby bench is described above and is not in the table: it is 29.5 x 11.75 x 19.75 in, holds 9 pairs of US size 10 and costs $78.26. Prices are in US dollars and can change with the color or width you choose: the flip-drawer bench is $86.72 in White and $86.22 in Black, the sliding-door bench is $125.78 in White and $124.61 in Black, the lift-top hall tree is $117.83 in Black and $196.21 in Cream White, and the enclosed hall tree is $143.41, $173.53 or $214.31 by width and color.

All 13 pieces ship free within the US from a US warehouse, and most orders arrive within about 8 business days. Ships to US addresses only.

Unused items can be returned within 30 days; return shipping is on the buyer unless the item arrived damaged, defective or wrong. Order by Thursday, December 10 for the best chance of delivery by December 24. That date is the best chance, not a guarantee. Shoes and decorative items shown in the photos are not included.