where to donate worn out shoes

by Imani Cole 4 min read

  • Goodwill. Goodwill is perhaps the most popular option for donating your stuff among Americans. The organization accepts cloths, shoes, toys, and many more, only if they're in good condition.
  • The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army makes it easier than ever to donate your old shoes. ...
  • Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity. Since their founding in 2004, they’ve distributed over 53 million shoes to people in need in all 50 states of the US and 127 ...
  • Share Your Soles. Share Your Soles is a Chicago-based charity. They also accept new and gently worn shoes. ...
  • Pickup Please. Pickup Please organizes an annual bid in which all donated items are sold. The funds are used to fund the programs that support US veterans and their families.
  • Becca’s Closet. This is a Florida-based nonprofit organization. They collect formal dresses and accessories to help girls with financial needs get ready for prom.
  • Dress for Success. Dress for Success or a nonprofit organization that aims to give low-income women professional attire for job interviews.
  • One World Running. One World Running distributes running shoes to athletes in the US and worldwide. They’ve been helping athletes in the US and developing countries since 1986.
  • Sneaker Freaker. Sneaker Freaker is a magazine about sneakers. They have a comprehensive list of charities to which you can donate.

How to Recycle Shoes (or Donate Responsibly!)
  • Terracycle.
  • Soles4Souls.
  • Reuse-A-Shoe Program.
  • American Textile Recycling Service.
  • Upcycle Them.
Jun 9, 2021

Full Answer

Where to donate clothes to do the most good?

Aug 27, 2021 · Where Could You Donate Your Old Shoes? There are tons of great options out there for shoe donation. Here’s my selection of the best ones. Goodwill. Goodwill is perhaps the most popular option for donating your stuff among Americans. The organization accepts cloths, shoes, toys, and many more, only if they're in good condition.

How to sell, donate and recycle shoes?

DONATE 2 DANCE. We believe that every child deserves the chance to dance. With that in mind, we created Donate2Dance in February 2018 with the mission of collecting gently worn dance shoes, costumes and dancewear to donate to dance schools in need across the country. So far, we have partnered with over 250 dance programs that serve inner city ...

Where do you dispose old shoes?

Where to donate used shoes for recycling?

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What do you do with outgrown shoes?

Out With the Old Out with old and in with the new is perfectly acceptable when it comes to footwear, but stop tossing your old shoes in the trash. Whether you sell, donate, or recycle, give your workout shoes a new purpose and keep them out of landfills.Jan 27, 2022

How do you clean shoes before donating?

Since dress shoes don't get the same wear and tear as athletic looks, a simple cleaning of the upper can bring them back to life. Gentle dishwashing liquid and water can clean the exterior — this is true even of leather shoes. For stubborn dirt, try a soft bristle toothbrush.Mar 17, 2020

What condition do shoes need to be in to donate?

The shoes should be new or gently worn, meaning no holes. And you probably shouldn't have run in a marathon in the shoes you're hoping to donate. If your shoes are still in quality condition — no holes, and you'd still wear them — they're eligible for donation.Jan 8, 2019

Should you throw away old shoes?

Unwanted shoes belong in the garbage. If still in good shape, please sell or donate them.

Is it good to donate shoes?

Also, shoes dumped in a landfill are going to release a lot of toxic gases like methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when they start to break down. So, it's always better to donate your shoes than to dump them in your trash can, which would eventually get dumped in a landfill.Jun 29, 2021

What does soles4souls do with the shoes?

At S4S, we turn unwanted shoes and clothing into opportunity, by keeping them from going to waste and putting them to good use – providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty.

Can you donate shoe laces?

Items as simple as shoes and shoelaces can make a big impact on a person in crisis. The Center for Community Engagement and Service is offering two ways to get involved through donating these vital essentials to refugees at the U.S. border as well as impoverished youth in America.Jan 27, 2020

How can I reuse sneakers?

What Runners Can Do with Old Sneakers Besides Throw Them AwayRecycle Your Soles. Environmentally minded runners can jog over to a local drop-off location and send shoes to a local or national recycling program. ... Give Your Soles to Someone in Need. ... Host a Sneaker Drive Fundraiser.

What is Dress for Success?

Founded in 1997 in New York, Dress for Success is a global nonprofit organization that gives low-income women access to professional, business attire needed in the job searching process. What shoes the charity accepts: New or in-good-condition work-appropriate shoes that you would wear to a job interview.

What is One World Running?

Established in 1986 in Boulder, Colorado, One World Running is an international program that has distributed thousands of running shoes to those in need in the U.S. and around the world. What shoes the organization accepts: New and gently used athletic shoes.

What to do with well loved shoes?

Whatever you decide to do with your well-loved shoes, make sure you’ve already used them as much as you can before getting rid of them. The most sustainable thing you can do is make the most out of what you’ve already got!

What is Nike's recycling program?

If you don’t want to wait to mail out your shoes and want a more convenient option, there may also be some stores near you that have recycling programs. Nike has a Reuse-A-Shoe Program, where they recycle athletic shoes and give them a new life.

Can you recycle old shoes?

Yes, You Can Recycle Old Shoes—Here’s How. "Here's what to do with an old pair that's too worn-out to donate to Goodwill or give to a friend.". Have an old pair of sneakers that’s finally ready to kick the bucket? Your first thought may be to chuck them out and buy a new pair.

What to do with old shoes?

Use old Shoes as Décor: For instance, you could repair a pair of Jordans and stick them to your bedroom wall next to a full wall portrait of your favorite baller. Some types of shoes are also great for creating beautiful wall hangings. 2. Use as Planters: Some types of shoes can also be used to plant flowers in a garden.

Why are shoes recycled?

Recycling shoes is a contribution to the protection of our environment.

What is Nike Reuse a Shoe?

Programs such as Nike Reuse-a-Shoe accepts donations of worn-out shoes of any brand . The unwearable shoes are used to make a material known as Nike Grind. The Nike grind is used to make other products such as new shoes and sports apparel. Nike grind is also used to make playing surfaces and surfacing running tracks.

Can you recycle worn out shoes?

As you can see, there are several ways in which we can recycle our worn-out shoes. If you are not for the DIY methods, programs such as the Nike Reuse-a-Shoe will do the recycling for you. It might seem like a little garbage to you, but those three pairs of old sneakers you threw away might end up in the ocean and kill many marine animals.

Why are shoes bad for the environment?

Boots carelessly discarded into the surrounding make our environment dirty, and the shoes act as breeding grounds for pests, insects, and microbes that may spread diseases.

Can you reuse old wine bottles?

Having unwearable shoes does not mean you no longer have use for them . I recently saw an article on the internet that described how to reuse old wine bottles by painting them and using them as home décor or flower vases. The artwork was incredible and made good pieces of décor.

Can old shoes be recycled?

Use to Make Pillowcase: yes, no typing error here; old shoes, especially leather ones, can be recycled to make pillowcases. The upper parts of the shoes are quilted together to create a unique pillow. You can also try with other types of shoes, especially those made out of cloth materials. 6.

A Quick Note on Repairing Shoes

In the spirit of zero waste, if you can repair your shoes first, this is a great step in preventing landfill AND cutting back on consumerism.

Donating Old and New Shoes

Maybe your kids have out grown their shoes, or those sneakers you bought online didn't really fit, or you've decided stilettos aren't your thing any more.

One shoe

So you lost a shoe – it happens to the best of us. We won’t judge. Goodwill NNE has a sort of orphan shoe program. We sell them to a person who buys bunches of orphan shoes and pairs them with a similar long-lost brother and resells them. How cool is that.

That stray wire to your old VCR

These seem to multiply in boxes in the attic. We’ll take them! The wires have copper in them, which we can recycle.

Your T-shirt that has a rip in it

We won’t put the shirt on the rack at your local store, but we will make sure to recycle it. It might become a rag in Goodwill’s wiping cloth program (you can buy them by the bag in our stores), which makes cleaning rags.

Old eyeglasses

Goodwill pairs up with another nonprofit, which connects low-income people with the [used] glasses they need.

Jewelry

If Grandma June left you a hideous ladybug brooch that you know you’ll never wear – and you just can’t sell it at the local jeweler – or don’t want to, we can give you a tax break for your donation!

Christmas lights that stopped working in 1992

We won’t put these on the sales floor (we test our electronics), but we will recycle the copper inside the wires.

Your car

We’ll write you a tax-deductible receipt for your old car. If it still works, we might use it for our programs — we drive a lot of our residents around. We also drive people to our brain injury rehabilitation centers and we help adults with disabilities get to our day programming, where they have a community and activities.

What is Dress for Success?

Dress for Success is a global nonprofit organization that provides professional attire for low-income women, to help support their job-search and interview process. Drop off new or gently used work-appropriate shoes at one either their Manhattan or Queens location.

What is poshmark shoes?

Poshmark is a digital marketplace where people from the United States can buy and sell new or used clothing, shoes and accessories.

What is housing works?

Housing Works is a New York City based non-profit fighting AIDS and homelessness. Donations help fund their mission to provide lifesaving services to homeless, low-income and marginalized men, women, and youth. Drop off your shoes at one of their Manhattan or Brooklyn thrift store locations during store hours.

Where is beacon closet?

Beacon’s Closet ( beaconscloset.com) – all types of shoes. Beacon’s Closet is a brick-and-mortar vintage store with several locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. They buy (and trade) vintage and modern shoes 7 days a week on a walk-in basis. Find out more here.

What is a tradesy?

Tradesy ( tradesy.com) – high-end & contemporary women’s shoes. Tradesy is an online peer-to-peer resale marketplace for buying and selling women’s luxury and designer contemporary fashion. You photograph and list your items. It’s more work on your end but you also get a higher cut (than on The Real Real, for example).

What is the marketplace on Facebook?

Facebook Marketplace is an online market located directly within Facebook that allows users to discover, buy and sell items with people in their local community. Learn more here. Beacon’s Closet ( beaconscloset.com) – all types of shoes.

Does Nike recycle shoes?

Nike recycles athletic shoes at the end of their life, giving them a new life through Nike Grind. Just drop your used shoes at a participating Nike retail store. Adidas’ Take Back program aims to raise consumer awareness of what happens to products at the end of their life.

Why can't I donate clothes?

Thankfully there are other things to do with clothes you can't donate because they're not in good enough condition to give away. There's always a solution to a problem, and a place for your favorite boy band t-shirt. Old or unwanted clothing, it turns out, is also an environmental threat, just like plastic.

How many tons of textiles were in landfills in 2015?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that in 2015 landfills received up to 10.5 million tons of textiles. If your jaw has appropriately dropped and your tree hugging heart has been crushed under the weight of this number, know there are ways to prevent this!

Can you compost old clothes?

According to Recyclebank, you can compost old clothes that you can't donate. However, this is only exclusive to cotton. Your dad's polyester suit from the '70s won't be able to be processed. According to Recyclebank, "Cotton and other natural-fiber clothing can even be composted as long as they are not blended with synthetic fibers like polyester; make sure to shred it finely and remove attachments like zippers and buttons."

Can you donate clothes to H&M?

Give Your Clothes To H&M. Giphy. Eliminate "can't" from your vocabulary. Actually, you can donate your worn out clothing. Kind of. Clothing retailer H&M has joined the zero waste mission. According to their website you can donate textiles from any brand, in any condition and they'll take care of the rest.

Can you donate old socks?

You may not be able to donate all your old and odd socks, but you can recycle them. You can recycle most textiles your closet doesn't have space for anymore or your socks don't have a pair for. Going through companies like American Textile Recycling Service, you can hand over your worn out clothing responsibly.

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