- Soles4Souls is a shoe charity that gives "gently used" shoes to those in need. The Soles4Souls team coordinated relief efforts for the Asian tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, netting over 1 million pairs donated for these disasters.
- Nike's Reuse-a-Shoe program 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.
- Shoe Bank provides shoes for 20,000 people every year -- primarily children, both in the United States and abroad.
- Sole Responsibility is a nonprofit organization started by runners in Ottawa, Canada, who donate gently used running and walking shoes to needy people overseas. They collect running shoes of all shapes and sizes, adult and children's sizes.
- Give Your Sole seeks to provide less fortunate men, women, and children with moderately worn athletic shoes collected at race events. Visit their web site to find out what races they'll be at and where you can send donations.
- Shoes for Africa is a nonprofit organization that distributes gently used running shoes to those in need and also initiates HIV/AIDS awareness programs.
If you know of other organizations collecting used running shoes, please email me about them.
