No Products in Your Cart
Simple Double Shoe Rack[4/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 two-tier rack
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A low two-tier shoe rack for the front hall or the bottom of a closet. Four long slats sit on two small end frames, two slats per tier, with a gap between them so dirt and water drop through. It's all screws, no glue-ups, so you can build it in an afternoon. Holds about 8–10 pairs.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slats | 4 | Boards 1–4 | 44" × 4" × ¾" | 44" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Legs | 4 | Board 5, ripped in half | 11" × 1 15/16" × ¾" | 11" × 1 11/16" × ⅞" |
| Rails | 4 | Board 5, ripped in half | 10½" × 1 15/16" × ¾" | 9½" × 1 11/16" × ⅞" |
End frames: 2 legs + 2 rails each, rails screwed to the legs' inside faces (top rail flush with the leg tops, bottom rail top at 3"). Screws only.
Slats: 2 per tier, front slat flush with the front of the legs, 2½" gap, 2 pre-drilled screws per slat end down into the rail.
Finished size: S4S 45½" W × 10½" D × 11¾" H · S2S 45¾" × 9½" × 11⅞". Bottom tier 3¾" up; about 7¼" clear between tiers.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S)
- 32 × #8 flat-head screws: 1¼" (S4S) or 1½" (S2S)
- Felt or plastic glides for the legs (optional)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- 2 clamps to hold parts while you screw
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Sort the boards. Boards 1–4 are the four slats. Board 5 makes the legs and rails. Put the best two slats on top.
- 2 Cut the slats. Square one end of boards 1–4 and cut each to 44". Clamp a stop block so all four match — the rack only sits square if they do.
- 3 Rip board 5. Rip it down the middle into two strips about 1 15/16" wide, with a push stick. From each strip cut 2 legs at 11" and 2 rails at 10½".
- 4 Sand. 120 → 180 grit on every part. Round the slat edges and the leg corners so they don't chip or catch a shoe.
- 5 Build two end frames. Lay two legs flat, 10½" apart outside to outside. Screw a rail across their inside faces with its top edge flush with the leg tops. Screw a second rail across with its top edge 3" up from the leg bottoms. Two pre-drilled #8 × 1¼" screws per joint, no glue — the rail grain crosses the leg grain, and screws let each part move.
- 6 Check for square. Measure the frame corner to corner both ways. Equal numbers mean square. Build the second frame as a mirror image, rails on the inside.
- 7 Fit the bottom slats. Stand the frames up, rails facing in. Set a slat on the bottom rails, flush with the front of the legs, slat ends tight to the legs. Set the back slat flush with the back, leaving a 2½" gap. Drive 2 pre-drilled #8 × 1¼" screws per slat end down into the rail.
- 8 Fit the top slats. Repeat on the top rails. Check that the rack sits flat on the floor before the last screws go in.
- 9 Finish. Final sand at 220, then 2–3 coats of water-based poly or hardwax oil. Shoes bring in water and salt, so seal the slats well.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Sort the boards. Boards 1–4 are the four slats. Board 5 makes the legs and rails. Put the best two slats on top.
- 3 Cut the slats. Square one end of boards 1–4 and cut each to 44". Clamp a stop block so all four match — the rack only sits square if they do.
- 4 Rip board 5. Rip it down the middle into two strips about 1 11/16" wide, with a push stick. From each strip cut 2 legs at 11" and 2 rails at 9½".
- 5 Sand. 120 → 180 grit on every part. Round the slat edges and the leg corners so they don't chip or catch a shoe.
- 6 Build two end frames. Lay two legs flat, 9½" apart outside to outside. Screw a rail across their inside faces with its top edge flush with the leg tops. Screw a second rail across with its top edge 3" up from the leg bottoms. Two pre-drilled #8 × 1½" screws per joint, no glue — the rail grain crosses the leg grain, and screws let each part move.
- 7 Check for square. Measure the frame corner to corner both ways. Equal numbers mean square. Build the second frame as a mirror image, rails on the inside.
- 8 Fit the bottom slats. Stand the frames up, rails facing in. Set a slat on the bottom rails, flush with the front of the legs, slat ends tight to the legs. Set the back slat flush with the back, leaving a 2½" gap. Drive 2 pre-drilled #8 × 1½" screws per slat end down into the rail.
- 9 Fit the top slats. Repeat on the top rails. Check that the rack sits flat on the floor before the last screws go in.
- 10 Finish. Final sand at 220, then 2–3 coats of water-based poly or hardwax oil. Shoes bring in water and salt, so seal the slats well.
Why no glue? The rails cross the legs and slats at right angles. Glue joints like that fight each other as the wood moves with the seasons. Screws hold just as well here and let each part move.
Why the gap between slats? It lets sand, salt and water fall through instead of pooling under your shoes, and it's easy to wipe the floor below.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Taller tiers: cut the legs at 14" for about 10" between tiers — room for ankle boots. You'll need a little extra wood for the longer legs.
- Mixed woods: walnut slats on maple frames.
- Bench top: don't sit on this one — it's too low and light. For a bench, see our entryway bench plans.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip board 5 with a push stick — the strips are under 2" wide.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
About 8–10 pairs across the two tiers, depending on size. Adult boots fit on the bottom tier; there's about 7" between tiers.
Yes. Cut the slats shorter and keep everything else the same. A 30" rack holds about 6 pairs.
Not under shoes. Hardwood slats ¾" or thicker span 44" without sagging under a row of shoes. Don't stand or sit on it.
Planned offcuts only: about 3" off the end of each slat board and a short piece from each strip of board 5. All 5 boards go into the rack.
No. The slats need 44" boards and the legs and rails need a full 4ft strip, so this plan needs the 4ft pack.
