It was a bit hard to assemble, to connect some of the metallic parts, to attach the wooden panel. But the item itself is great. It is very sturdy, yet looks quite elegant, has good quality. It can be used as a storage piece, not just a shoe rack. I am placing lots of stuff on the top shelves while keeping shoes on the bottom. However, knee-high boots do not fit vertically and have to lean slightly to the side, but that's ok with me. I also removed the shorter shelf to have more space.