Donate Your Used Running Shoes

February 9, 2008

As runners, we go through a lot of running shoes. If we simply throw them in the trash, that stacks up to a lot of garbage reaching our landfills and solid waste incinerators every year. And the more garbage that’s in our landfills and incinerators, the more polluted our groundwater and air becomes. And if we’re drinking tainted water and breathing toxic air, it does nothing for our marathon time! So why not donate used running shoes?

When you donate used running shoes, you help the environment, you help yourself—and you can even help others! There are many organizations in the U.S. where you can donate used running shoes.

When you donate used running shoes, you can help put shoes on the feet of the poor and the homeless. Here’s just a sample of U.S. organizations where you can donate used running shoes:

* Little Rock Roadrunners Club: donates used running shoes to schools and the homeless
P.O. Box 250229
Hillcrest Station
Little Rock, AR 72225
littlerockroadrunners@yahoo.com

* Arizona Road Racers: donates used running shoes to coaches of underprivileged student athletes
P. O. Box 37876
Phoenix, AZ 85069-7876
(602) 954-8341

www.arizonaroadracers.com

* World Shoe Relief: donates used running shoes to poor and homeless
Post office box 423
Trabuco Canyon, CA 92678

* Running Wild: donates used running shoes to youths in need through the local Johnson and Linn county agencies
1801 2nd Street
Clock Tower Plaza
Coralville, IA 52241
(319) 351-3602

www.runningwild-iowa.com

* Central Florida Gliders Running Shoe Recycle Program: donates used running shoes to youth runners in Kenya

www.cfgliders.com
coachwise@hotmail.com

* First Christian Church of Jacksonville, Florida: donates used running shoes to the poor of Haiti
fcc@csj.net

* Helping Hands Shoe Bank: donates used running shoes to poor in the U.S. and in other nations
c/o Michael Barringer
Post Office Box 91
Rockwall, TX 75087
(972) 771-7658
www.shoebank.org
michaelbarringer@sbcglobal.net

Donate your used running shoes, and reap the benefits of protecting the environment, helping the less fortunate, and having a squeaky clean conscience! When you donate used running shoes, you’ll breathe—and rest—a little easier!

Posted by admin | Filed Under Go Green 

Comments

9 Responses to “Donate Your Used Running Shoes”

  1. Colette Moscato on February 18th, 2008 12:23 pm

    I would love to donate my old shoes but do find a place in the Chicagoland area. Now what?

  2. admin on February 18th, 2008 3:04 pm

    Hi Colette,

    Thanks for reaching out to us. There are number of locations in the Chicago metro and we are trying to update our directory and map as fast as we can. However, if you could tell me what city in the Chicago metro you live in I can point you into the right direction.

    If not you can simply hit up the following location but it might not be the closest.

    NIKETOWN Chicago
    669 N MICHIGAN AVE
    CHICAGO, IL 60611

    Phone:
    312.642.6363

  3. Leon on March 3rd, 2008 2:46 pm

    I would like to start a shoe donation or recycle program in Boise, ID my town, how do I need to go about doing it.

  4. admin on March 4th, 2008 3:44 am

    Hey Leon,

    I am getting that question more an more from our readers. I’m going to spend some time and put together a 1-2-3 step program for people who want to start local shoe recycling programs such as yourself.

    Keep you posted. Great initiative!

  5. Maybelle Kagy on March 15th, 2008 10:50 am

    Congratulations for your creative idea. What a wonderful way for everyone to participate in a recycling program - for don’t we all have an extra pair of tennies in the closet? I am going to make this an Earth Day Act of Kindness to the Earth action on April 20 at our church. I live in Silver Spring, MD and need to find the closest drop off center. Would you please let me know where that might be?

    Also, if other items such as shorts, tshirts, etc. are needed, let me know also.

    Maybelle

  6. Tricia Martin on March 16th, 2008 10:06 am

    I chair a women’s organization of 75 active members and we would like to donate our running shoes. Please let me know were is Alexandria VA or Washington DC metro area that we can donate our shoes.

    Thanks for all you do!!
    Tricia Martin

  7. Corie on March 19th, 2008 7:56 pm

    Hi…
    I run with the Running Room here in Canada…
    I know there are a lot of fellow runners with many a pair of runners that we can donate to a worthy cause…
    do you know of anywhere here in Canada or more specifically British Columbia, that is taking donations?

  8. admin on March 23rd, 2008 3:03 am

    Tricia and Corie,

    We are looking for drop off locations in your areas. Keep you posted but as of right now we have been unable to locate any. Of course if any readers know of programs in Canada or the Washington DC area, please let us know.

  9. News - Shoe Insight » Blog Archive » What do you with your old running shoes… donate them on April 27th, 2008 4:07 am

    […] When your old running shoes wear out consider donating them to one of these organisations, like recycledrunners.com. This organistion offers the webs first recycling and donation directory that helps each user find […]

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