I like the looks of the first photo, and while the ladder is quaint, I would stay away from it personally and use a step stool/ladder to access the top storage.

Two feet is very deep for you lockers, I would think. Here is a thread from 2012 that discusses depth.

I do like how the used the hooks in photo 1, on the sides as well as back of the locker.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/how-deep-is-the-bench-we-have-a-narrow-dsvw-vd~77383[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/how-deep-is-the-bench-we-have-a-narrow-dsvw-vd~77383[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/how-deep-is-the-bench-we-have-a-narrow-dsvw-vd~77383)

if making cubbies, consider if someone will want to sit on the bench area (pretty much guaranteed!). If so, the cubbies should be at least as wide as your shoulders!

I know cubbies look really cool, but is it a look at the expense of practicality when you have a limited area? As mentioned above, ability to sit seems to be key and will be hampered at least somewhat by the cubbies. If there are dividers above the hanging area for baskets and below the sitting area to keep shows/boots separate, can you get the hanging space you need by staggering hooks on one large un-cubbied wall between them? My boys are grown but I know every attempt I made to create organization for them that met MY design standards failed! In our family coat area I managed to get them to use their own baskets for hats and gloves but the hooks were up for grabs - finally admitted defeat and let them hang their coats where they wanted. Also, since the baskets are so high, will they be usable by kids? I don't know how old yours are, but would making a vertical stack of basket cubbies work? Little ones can reach the lower baskets and parents can reach the higher ones. Same thing for shoes - vertical storage and adjustable shelves could net you a lot more. If those two vertical unites flank the hook hanging space, you have basically created one large hanging cubbie and still have the sides of the shoe and basket storage for more hooks. Make sense or am I clouding the issue?

I love the locker look but was also limited by space--3-4' between the w/d and exterior wall. We went with a bench with a hinged lid (dog food, shoes, etc), hooks on the wall (backpacks and jackets), clothes rod above that (laundry), and open cubbies at the top. Two closed cabinets are next to the cubbies (above the w/d) for cleaning/washing supplies. 10' ceilings

We actually have an entire (albeit very small) room devoted to the lockers/cubbies and it has an door to the exterior. I really would like to use the space for lockers. I have a ton of storage in the house, but would really like a place for dirty shoes, hats/coats, back packs that gives everyone their own space. If it were all open, I think it would be more disorganized. I think he upper cubbies/cabinets would be more for things we don't use everyday and things I could get down if needed (keep winter items in there in the summer and summer items in the winter, etc.). I do want the kids to be able to sit on the bench and put on their shoes so that is a must. We can put a wall of hooks on the opposite wall behind the door, so there will be plenty of hanging space.

24"-30" is a comfortable dimension for lockers. You only have room for 2 if you do dividers like you want. If you do an open bench seat with hooks on the wall, you can probably have 3 kids sit at once to do the shoe thing. The top pic that you show uses the 24" dimension, which is the minimum comfortable size. The bottom is around 18", and will be too small for older children or adults to use. Kids are only that small for a few years.

What kind of depth do you suggest? Even if we did three thinner cubbies (maybe 20 inches each), maybe if we utilize a deeper seating, you would actually be "in" the cubbies when sitting.

No, deeper seating won't make anyone's butt smaller. Especially. 6'4" high schooler with all the football stuff in the world. Or mom after a few years of home cooking in the new kitchen.