It's meant for shoes, but you don't really get a ton of storage that way... we took out the dividers. I actually loved the first one so much that I got a second for the baby's room. We keep linens and pillows in the first, and odds and ends (like the Boppy pillow she outgrew, or my breast pump) in the nursery one. The lid stays up when you open it, and they're lovely and cozy as benches, especially with a couple of decorative pillows thrown on top. All you have to do for assembly is screw on the feet. Good quality. Definitely recommend this product!