Yahoo Lifestyle How to give your old sneakers a second life
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly said Nike Grind accepts all brands of athletic shoes. The program accepts only Nike waste products. Originally moved Aug. 20.
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Shoes take a beating. They get wet, dirty and scuffed. Soles wear down. Laces break.
If you think the only thing you can do with the grubby sneakers you’ve worn to death is throw them out, you’re not alone. In the United States, more than 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills each year, said Karen Pearson, chair of the Sustainability Council at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
But Pearson and other experts say worn-out shoes could have more value than you think.
“These are things that could have a second life,” she said.
“We all need to have shoes,” Pearson added. “There’s a lot of ways that they can be donated, recycled or repaired, and based on your own personal convenience and needs, you can do one of those things quite easily today.”
Here’s what to know.
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Donation
One way to extend the life span of shoes that are still wearable is to donate them or give them away through clothing swaps, experts said. Depending on the condition of your shoes, you could also try to resell them through secondhand stores or online resale platforms.
Goodwill, which receives billions of pounds of donations every year, accepts shoes in any condition, including single shoes, said Catherine Meloy, president and CEO of Goodwill of Greater Washington.
“You would be amazed at the resale and the reuse value of shoes,” Meloy said. What may seem like a tattered shoe to you could be deemed sellable - either in Goodwill stores or to other countries in need of shoes.
“We say we will take your product because we’ll know what to do with it, if it should go in the store, or if we can go ahead and repurpose it in another matter,” she said.
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Take-back programs
An increasing number of companies have also launched programs that allow customers to bring back old shoes instead of throwing them out. Returned shoes might be donated or recycled.
Keep in mind that certain programs might be brand-specific, meaning a company will take back only its products. Nike’s program, for instance, says it accepts “gently worn or worn Nike athletic footwear.” Known as Nike Grind, the program turns your old sneakers into a variety of new products beyond shoes, including fitness gear or materials used for tracks, turf fields or playgrounds.
Meanwhile, there are other programs that say they will take multiple brands of shoes, but it’s important to check guidelines for details about what is accepted.
But while technology for breaking down and repurposing shoes is improving, some experts note that recycling old footwear still has some challenges.
For one, it can be difficult to take shoes apart and process them because they often contain a mix of materials, such as fabric, rubber, leather and metal, that are typically held together with adhesives and stitching, said Katrina Caspelich, chief marketing officer for Remake, a nonprofit that advocates for sustainable and ethical fashion.
Shoes that are collected for recycling also don’t always end up being recycled. One Reuters investigation published last year found that many shoes donated to a program spearheaded by the Singapore government and U.S. petrochemicals giant Dow ended up exported.
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Maintenance and repair
Another way to keep your shoes longer is to take better care of them.
Think about the potential wear and tear you might be subjecting your shoes to, said Madelyn Morgan, circular economy program manager with the city of Austin. If it’s raining or you’re going to be walking through mud, don’t wear shoes that aren’t meant to get wet or dirty. You should also consider rotating your shoes and not wearing the same pair every day.
“Seeing your possessions as valuable” is key, Morgan said.
Cleaning and repairing your shoes can help extend their life. The city of Austin, for example, has offered residents the opportunity to participate in clinics where they can learn to repair items themselves, including shoes, Morgan said. Some shoe brands also offer repair services.
It’s also important to consider brands and how your shoes are made, she said. Before buying shoes, ask yourself: Does the manufacturer have a reputation for durable products? Do they offer repair or take-back programs? What types of materials are they using?
While prolonging the life span of your shoes might take a bit of effort, doing what you can to keep them out of the garbage matters, Pearson said.
“It’s easy for an individual to feel they’re not making a difference by their one pair of sneakers that they’re going to just put out with the garbage on Monday,” Pearson said. But “the more of us who do that, the bigger impact it is.”
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