If you’re like me, you own a few pairs of athletic shoes for all your exercise needs. I have a pair for running outside on pavement, a pair for running in the woods, and a pair for tennis. (Sounds a little ridiculous right?). And when I buy a new pair of sneakers, I always hold onto the old pair “just in case.” It’s always good to have a back-up pair, right?Well you may feel differently when you think of the millions of people around the world who can’t even afford one pair of sneakers. You can help by donating your old sneaks to an organization called Soles4Souls or Shoe Bank.
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. Shoe Bank has provided shoes for 20,000 people every year, both in the United States and abroad.
I know I retire a pair of running sneaks after I’ve clocked 350 to 500 miles, but the pair I wear on the treadmill hardly looks worn. If you have gently used sneaks like these, you can mail them to one of these locations found on there website:
www.soles4souls.org
www.shoebank.org
And here’s a fun idea! Before sending along your lonely pair, why not compile a collection from your friends, family, and fellow exercisers? Shoes for all ages and sizes are needed. Ask and see if you can set up a donation box at your local gym! What shoes go around come around!
