Old shoes find new lives

Do you have a problem throwing out those old sneakers? You know the ones that you spilled pink paint all over and can't wear anywhere but in the garden? Or how about the ones that are so worn out that when people see you wearing them they offer to buy you some new shoes? I just can seem to toss out my old sneakers (or my childrens'). I try to use them until they are worn out, but even then it's sad to see such waste. Then I discovered a great way to solve my desire to recycle and get RID of old shoes.

Unlikely as it may seem, Nike wants your old sneakers. The company's Reuse-A-Shoe program collects worn-out athletic shoes, (All brands of footwear are welcome, no dressy ones please) grinds them up, and ships them off to be used in surfacing athletic courts, tracks and playgrounds in under-served communities. It takes about 2,500 pairs of shoes to build a tennis or basketball court, and 375,000 for a track or soccer pitch. What a good idea. Imagine all the good that you can do with your old dirty sneakers! This could be a community project or a church drive. You will help keep sneakers out of the landfill and provide the raw materials for something good like playgrounds. Check out Nike's Web site for a list of shoe stores that accept donations.

Or

Go ahead and mail your old shoes to: Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 S.W. 95th Avenue, Wilsonville, OR 97070.

Think of all the good you can do just by recycling your shoes. Now that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "walk a mile in someone else's shoes".

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