When you reach the point in your life when you own high-quality footwear, it’s time to adopt a proper shoe care regimen. Obviously, cleaning and polishing shoes is an important step (and a non-optional step for leather dress shoes and boots), but many people forget that shoes may wrinkle and lose their shape over time. That’s why a shoe tree has to be part of your shoe storage setup. Let’s be real: there’s nothing more grownup than using a shoe tree, like an adult.
Shoe trees work by sitting inside your shoes when they’re not on your feet to provide support and fight against creasing and cracking. Regularly storing your shoes using these shape-supporting devices prolongs the life of shoes and maintains their shape for years.
While you may find cheap, plastic options elsewhere, the best shoe trees are made from wood. These devices provide support for your shoes, work to remove moisture and odors and also give shoes a pleasant and appealing wood-based aroma.
Below, you’ll find six of the best shoe trees available on Amazon, including adjustable styles, pine and cedar options as well as a set for maintaining boots.
1. Woodlore Allen Edmonds Combination Cedar Shoe Tree
This Woodlore Allen Edmonds Combination Cedar Shoe Tree is made from 100% percent cedar wood to provide a stylish addition to your home organization setup. The natural wood absorbs odors, repels moisture and delivers an appealing cedar smell to your shoes. Each two-part tree is handcrafted in the U.S. in Port Washington, Wisconsin and sports an adjustable split toe design to fit your brogues, loafers and wingtips snuggly.
PROS: The adjustable design ensures the shoe tree fits your shoes without stretching for a more tailored shoe treatment.
CONS: As you have to adjust the shoe tree to the size of your shoes, it is possible to stretch your shoes if the process is done incorrectly.
2. H&H Shoe Trees
The H&H Shoe Trees product ticks all the boxes. The design includes a ventilation hole for letting moisture and odors out while bringing freshness in. The length and width are spring loaded to maintain pressure and help preserve the shape of your shoes perfectly, while the USA-grown red aromatic cedar construction further adds to the shoe tree’s ability to dissipate odors. Additionally, these trees also have built-in, gold-colored handles which make lifting and fitting the shoe tree especially easy. For all these reasons, these are easily some of the best shoe trees available right now.
PROS: The built-in ventilation holes ensure your shoes can breathe and help prevent unpleasant odor build-ups. Spring-loaded design ensures secure fit within shoes.
CONS: Some may find that by including so many beneficial elements, the overall quality of the tree shoe has been diminished.
3. OUNDSBAY Cedar Shoe Tree
This OUNDSBAY Cedar Shoe Tree is constructed from premium red cedar wood and includes left and right shoe indicators to prevent mix-ups. The design boasts a split toe for adjustable pressure across the width and a spring-loaded length for superior heel to toe stretching. This snug fit helps to prevent wrinkles and bending in your shoes. Furthermore, the wide and hooked heel adds additional support and allows for quick and easy removal of the shoe tree when you need to wear your shoes.
PROS: The left and right shoe indicators help prevent shoe-reshaping mix-ups.
CONS: Even though the heel includes a built-in hook, some users may find the style more difficult to remove than competing models.
4. Cedar Elements Solid Pine Shoe Trees
This two-piece pack allows you to prolong the life of two of your favorite, high-maintenance shoes. No matter whether it’s brogues or loafers, the Cedar Elements Solid Pine Shoe Trees’ one-piece, spring-loaded design is quick and easy to install. The design also features multiple ventilation holes which improve moisture and odor prevention. Additionally, the solid pine wood construction gives shoes a beautiful pine-fresh smell to enjoy while maintaining the shoe’s shape.
PROS: The solid pine construction gives shoes an appealing, pine-fresh smell.
CONS: The one-piece design provides less support for the heel than many competing options.
5. FootFitter Aromatic Cedar Best Boot Shapers
The FootFitter Aromatic Cedar Best Boot Shapers are designed to fit boot shafts of all shapes and sizes. The versatile style sports an internal rod which can be adjusted to fit inside all of the boots in your wardrobe. The cedar wood construction allows for maximum absorption of odors and moisture while filling your footwear with a pleasant cedar scent. Furthermore, the built-in brass knob facilitates quick installation and removal.
PROS: The adjustable internal rod makes it easy to adjust these boot trees to your needs. Attractive cedar scent.
CONS: As the design is boot specific, you won’t be able to use these trees on dress shoes.