The Ultimate Guide to Shoe Trees: Types, Benefits, and Best Picks (2025)

Shoe trees are an essential tool for maintaining the shape, longevity, and freshness of your footwear. Whether you own dress shoes, sneakers, or boots, the right shoe tree can prevent creasing, help with odor, and extend the life of your favorite pairs. In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of shoe trees, their benefits, and how to choose the best one for your needs.

Why Use Shoe Trees?

Shoe trees serve several key purposes when used in leather dress shoes:

• Maintain Shape: Prevent creases and deformation, especially in leather shoes.
• Reduce Odor: Some natural woods, like cedar, have anti-bacterial properties that keep shoes fresh. Not all types offer this though.
• Extend Shoe Life: Consistent use of shoe trees can significantly prolong the lifespan of your footwear. Deep creasing in the upper leather can crack prematurely when not using shoe trees.

The Plastic Travel Shoe Tree

Traveling and worried about your shoes getting crushed? The plastic travel shoe trees are what you need. These types of shoe trees are a lifesaver, especially if you’re like me and hate seeing your shoes lose their shape in your suitcase. I use the ones from The Shoe Snob and Kirby Allison – they’re lightweight, perfect for travel shoe storage, and help maintain shoe shape while traveling. Plus, they’re ideal for carry-on luggage and weight restrictions. Just remember, while these are great for travel shoe care, they’re not a replacement for your good wooden shoe trees at home. Think of them as your travel shoe accessories must-have!

Find them at The Shoe Snob (UK based) or Kirby Allison (US Based)

The Cheap Spring Shoe Tree

Seriously, ditch those cheap spring shoe trees. They’re basically shoe-wreckers. Look, I know they’re tempting, but they’ll do more harm than good, especially to your leather dress shoes. Think about it: you invest in quality footwear to extend shoe lifespan, right? These things just deform them. Maybe, you could get away with them in tennis shoes or athletic shoes since mesh and synthetics aren’t as prone to creasing and do not form to the shoe tree. But for fine leather shoes, it’s a hard pass. Want to know how to properly care for leather shoes? Start by avoiding these!

Find these here: www.amazon.com

The Cedar Split Toe Shoe Tree

Cedar split-toe shoe trees: tempting, but a major shoe care mistake for your fine dress shoes. I know the price is appealing, but trust me, these are not the best shoe trees for preserving shoe shape. The split-toe design leaves unattractive lines in your leather shoes, and the heel shape will actually deform your shoes over time. If you’re investing in high-end dress shoes, don’t cheap out on shoe storage. These are fine for cheap shoes, old shoes, or maybe certain suede types but for premium leather dress shoes, you’ll regret it. Want to prevent warped footwear? Skip these.

Find these here: https://www.nordstrom.com/s/nordstrom-cedar-shoe-tree-men/

The Best ‘Cheap’ Shoe Tree

This is where we get into the realm of ‘proper shoe trees.’ Wanting to spend as little as possible but get the best fit, you will fall into this type of shoe tree, which I refer to as the best ‘cheap’ shoe tree. They won’t deform your leather in any way, other than potentially widening your heel cup. But, at least, they will maintain your forefoot shape and do so relatively inexpensively. These are your bare minimum for fine dress shoes. Anything cheaper than these is a no-no.

Find these here: https://www.herringshoes.co.uk/herring/pair-of-cedar-shoe-trees/cedar

The Lightweight Wood Shoe Tree

Ready to level up your shoe care routine? That’s where high-end shoe trees come in. You’ll see a real difference in the shoe tree shape, how well they fit your shoes, and how light they feel. Look, I know they’re pricier, but if you truly care about your best dress shoes, you need to invest. These luxury shoe trees are all about preserving shoe quality. I’m a big fan of lightweight wooden shoe trees because they’re so versatile. They’re designed to fit most shoe types, and they’re perfect for travel. Basically, they’re a smart shoe care investment. — and I am naturally biased, as I sell these types. Just saying 😉

Find these here: https://www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com/collections/accessories

The Lasted Shoe Tree

Okay, let’s talk lasted shoe trees. These are the ultimate shoe trees for preserving shoe shape, hands down. But, like anything good, there are trade-offs. The plus? A perfect shoe fit for each pair, extending shoe lifespan and keeping them looking sharp. The minus? They’re a luxury shoe accessory – often pricey, and sometimes a bit fiddly to use. Some have struggled to insert/remove them. Just saying. Plus, they’re shoe-specific, meaning you shouldn’t swap them around. Ideally, every pair of your dress shoes would have their own lasted shoe trees. If you’re serious about high-end shoe care, they’re worth the investment.

You can find lasted shoe trees offered by many shoemakers. The ones shown above can be found here: https://pernitos.es/en/

The Ultimate Shoe Tree

The ultimate shoe tree is simply a refined lasted shoe tree. Not only does it fit your shoes perfectly but it most likely also has a unique color and a pristine finish. You get the best of all worlds if you can afford these types of shoe trees. You get a perfect fit, an illustrious look, and a refined touch. But it will cost you. Chances are, if you are considering these, money is not a worry, so don’t hesitate to have a pair for each of your high-end dress shoes. They will thank you for it by lasting a long time!

You can find lasted shoe trees offered by many shoemakers. The ones shown above can be found here: https://pernitos.es/en/

There are many types of shoe trees available. Hopefully, this guide can help you understand what is best for your situation and shoe collection. In a perfect world, all of the shoes we owned and cared about would have a pair of shoe trees inside. I understand that is not always feasible though. Just know this: Cheap shoe trees should never be inside high-quality dress shoes.

—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob

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