Saving Your Soles

By Christine & Nathan 

There's nothing like a new pair of running shoes. Whether they took you through your first 5K or your first marathon, we all know that all good things must come to an end. And so the time inevitably comes when your shoes must be retired in favor of a newer pair.

But this doesn't have to be the end for those shoes. AARC has been collecting old running shoes from members, to either donate to populations who can still use them, or to recycle them. According to Shelley Bueche, writing for Road Runners Club of America, "In this age of eco-friendly alternatives, there simply is no excuse for trashing a pair of running shoes - regardless of their appearance or performance. A pair that is still in relatively good shape can make its way to a new owner. A worn-out pair may have a second life as a running track."

Pre-owned shoes can be given to indigent populations in the U.S. and abroad, or shoes beyond salvation can be recycled. In 1993, Nike initiated an international Reuse-A-Shoe program with a goal of reducing overall waste while encouraging youth to participate in an active lifestyle. Approximately 13 million pairs of used and defective athletic shoes have been recycled since the program's inception and more than 200 sports surfaces have been donated worldwide. While the ultimate goal for Nike is to create new shoes from old shoes, until then, landfills are being spared over a ton of shoe and shoe manufacturing waste products each year.

In the recycling process, shoes are disassembled into their three basic components: the upper fabric, midsole foam, and outsole rubber, which then become Nike Grind material. This material has been used to create new soccer and football fields, basketball and tennis courts, tracks, weight room flooring, and playground surfacing. In the Philadelphia community, examples of the program's success can be found at the playground for the Bridesburg B&G Club, and at indoor basketball courts at the Hank Gathers Memorial Recreational Center and the Torresdale Boys Club

As runners and community members, AARC would like to contribute to this worthy effort. Do you have some shoes sitting in the back of your closet, or one too many pairs banished to the garage as gardening shoes? Just bring them to any Fun Run for recycling, and we'll take care of the rest. All brands of shoes are acceptable, just no shoes with cleats or eyelets, please. This is as good a time as any for you to look through your closets and help AARC and your community by doing some sole-searching.