If you're like me, you have a couple pairs of old running shoes in the back of the closet, in the trunk of your car, maybe even under your bed. I don't have any plans to bronze any of my shoes, so I'd love to donate them and give them a second life. Here's what you can do with your old running shoes after you've moved on to a new pair:
- Donate them to Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program. Nike collects worn-out athletic shoes (any brand, not just Nike) and recycles them (rather than going into landfills) into material used in sports surfaces like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for kids around the world.
- Give them to the Shoe Bank, an organization provides shoes for twenty thousand people every year -- primarily children, both in the U.S. and abroad.
- Send them to Sole Responsibility, a non-profit organization started by runners in Ottawa, Canada who donate gently used running and walking shoes to needy people overseas.
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What a great idea! Thank you. I will be donating this weekend.
If you want to recycle your shoes but don’t want them ground into pieces, consider donating to us at Soles4Souls. Our shoe recycling program focuses on Reusing shoes and giving them (not selling them) to people in need. GiveShoes.org has all the details.