The average American man owns 12 pairs of shoes and the average American woman owns 27 pairs, according to the Center for the New American Dream in 2013. Unfortunately, I found I am above average – I own 33 pairs of shoes. I tend to hold on to shoes for decades. I made this episode so I could confirm that there are great options for recycling shoes that are no longer wearable.
You can listen to my podcast episode on shoe recycling and reusing in this YouTube video. It originally aired in February 2018.
If you need suggestions on decluttering your shoes, I recommend the podcast “The Art of Decluttering” episode 58 on shoes.
If you are someone who needs only one shoe for different sized shoes, check out the National Odd Shoe Exchange or Shoewap.
Organizations Which Recycle and Reuse Shoes
The Power of a Pair of Shoes from Soles4Souls on Vimeo.
Does your Nike store gather worn out running shoes?
DIY Projects to Reuse Shoes
- Make flip flops into rubber stamps
- Painting canvas shoes
- Curriculum for teachers about painting shoes inspired by a famous artist
Purchase slippers made from denim jeans.
Artists Who Creatively Reuse Shoes
Ocean Sole
Chiharu Shiota
Tyree Guyton
Hwang Ji-Hae
Elina Chauvet
Noah Scalin
Buying Shoes with the Least Environmental Impact
Recommendations from Ethical Consumer:
Show Details
- Script for this podcast episode about creatively reusing shoes (not a transcript but gives the main ideas)
- The Trashmagination podcast theme music is Kitchen from the Marian Circle Drum Brigade.
