Can We Please Share the Road Until Springtime?
For a brief time every winter, we runners are forced onto the roads with the rest of the world. Can't we all just get along and share the road?
Here are a few ways to recycle and repurpose your running shoes instead of just tossing them in the trash
As an avid runner since I was in middle school and a running shoe wear-tester for the past 30 years, I’ve worn a lot of running shoes in my life.
But someone reminded me recently that there’s a good chance that every single pair of shoes I’ve run in is still somewhere on the planet, many probably barely broken down in a landfill somewhere.
That’s a bit of a dreadful thought, especially since I haven’t purposely put a single pair of running shoes in the trash for more than 30 years. Instead, I’ve recycled every pair of shoes during that span by giving them away to other runners or donating them to schools and programs, knowing that the life of those shoes—some in great shape, some really worn out—could be extended in a lot of ways.
Running shoes are part of an intriguing and frustrating paradox: We need new shoes on a regular basis because they wear out relatively quickly, yet the synthetic materials used in shoes—rubber, foam, textiles, and glue—don’t decompose very quickly. (Yes, there is a rise of brands using more sustainable materials, which is good.)
Although shoes are designed for rigorous use, they eventually come to the end of their functional life. After 300–600 miles, most shoes lose the springiness and structure of their cushioning, uppers wear out, and outsoles lose their tread. Running in shoes beyond their functional lifespan can lead to changes in your gait pattern and ultimately overuse injuries.
But that doesn’t mean you should put your old shoes in the trash. Whether you donate, repurpose, or send them to a specialized recycling program, your sneakers can live on long after the last mile. It’s good for the planet, and—let’s be honest—good for your conscience as you splurge on that shiny new pair.
Don’t send your old kicks straight to a landfill. Here’s how to give them a meaningful second life.
Just because your shoes aren’t marathon-ready or responsive training shoes doesn’t mean they can’t help someone else. If your sneakers aren’t completely worn down, there are good ways to give them a second life. Shoes like these can make a real difference for someone in need, and several organizations specialize in collecting and redistributing them.
Soles4Souls provides shoes to people living in poverty, helping them attend school, go to work, and maintain their health. The group also offers volunteer trips for individuals and organizations to help distribute donations.
One World Running, a Colorado-based nonprofit founded after journalist Mike Sandrock’s trip to West Africa, supplies running shoes to athletes and communities in need around the world.
Share Your Soles delivers gently used shoes to people in developing countries, giving them safe and reliable footwear for work, school, and daily life.
Sneakers for Good has a retailer reuse program designed to help you make a difference effortlessly. Show your commitment to the community, fund events, and demonstrate sustainability—all while helping customers responsibly reuse and recycle their sneakers.
Also, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and most community shelters typically accept used athletic shoes and distribute them to people in need.
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TerraCycle is a company dedicated to recycling items that typically can’t be placed in curbside bins. Operating in 20 countries, they handle everything from food wrappers and cigarette butts to water filters and electronic waste—all with the mission to “eliminate the idea of waste.”
For shoes, TerraCycle offers a Shoes and Footwear Zero Waste Box, which accepts almost every type of footwear (with the exception of skates and ski boots). The boxes come in three sizes, priced between $109 and $249, and once full, they can be shipped back to TerraCycle via FedEx for recycling.
Nike has a free recycling initiative called Reuse-A-Shoe. The program accepts worn-out athletic shoes from any brand, as long as they’re dropped off at a Nike store. Once collected, the shoes are broken down and repurposed into materials for sports apparel and athletic surfaces, including tracks, courts, and playing fields.
In 2022, On launched its Cyclon circular shoe program in which runners can subscribe to what is essentially a monthly program for running shoes. For about $30 per month, runners can continually get new pairs of shoes by logging into their account and request the recycle option. Days later, a brand-spanking-new pair of Cyclon shoes arrive, along with a FedEx return label. Subscribers then have 30 days to send back their old pairs, which are cleaned, ground down into recyclable components, and made into new pairs of shoes.
Last year, ASICS launched a shoe called the Nimbus Mirai, a premium max-cushioned running shoe that’s meant to be disassembled and recycled after it reaches the end of its functional life as an everyday trainer. (In Japanese, the word “mirai” translates to “future.”) Designed with a one-piece recycled polyester mesh upper, a cushy and responsive FF Blast Plus Eco midsole foam, and a one-piece segment of recyclable outsole rubber, the shoe looks and runs similarly to the brand’s traditional-built GEL-Nimbus 26 that hit running stores earlier this year.
What sets the Nimbus Mirai apart is that it’s designed to be returned once runners are done with them. In the launch markets—the U.S., Canada, UK, Netherlands, France, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand—customers can send their used pairs back to Asics recycling centers. A QR code on the tongue links to instructions, making it easy to either drop the shoes off at an Asics retail partner or ship them directly to a collection facility.
Thanks to the advent and availability of more green materials, several brands have been working on performance running shoes with a greater sustainability ethos. In 2022, Adidas and Allbirds collaborated to make the Adizero x Allbirds running shoe with a 2.94 kg CO2e score. In 2023, Saucony launched its Triumph 21 RFG with a high-rebound corn-based PwrRun Bio+ midsole that was comparable to the standard PWRRUN+ midsole. Last year, Saucony has launched a Peregrine RFG trail running shoe with a sugar-cane PwrRun Bio+ midsole.
Meanwhile, a new brand called Hylo Athletics has launched its Impact training shoe with a corn-derived lining and a supercritical nitrogen-injected foam with added bio-EVA to increase responsiveness and a 8.63kg/CO2e score, while Mount to Coast has quickly become a leader in using sustainable materials.
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When you can’t recycle your shoes or a donation isn’t possible, think creatively or seek out other programs.
Yard shoes: Old running shoes can be used for gardening or mowing lanes.
DIY projects: Old uppers and outsoles can be repurposed as tote bags, pet toys, pencil cases, door stops, and more.
Material recycling: If brand programs aren’t available, check your city’s textile recycling drop-offs. Municipal programs or organizations like TerraCycle will accept worn-out shoes to harvest usable components.
Senior editor Brian Metzler has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado.
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