Nike's Shoe Recycling - Reuse-A-Shoe

Got an old pair of athletic shoes that just don't make the grade anymore? Lets turn them into playground padding! No, seriously!

Since 1990, the Nike athletic company has been grinding down old shoes and making them into courts, tracks, shoes, clothing accessories, athletic mats, synthetic turf and playground surfaces. As of this posting, 24,220,775 shoes have been collected and given another chance to play...and kept out of landfills.



You're thinking, "Sign me up!", right? Well, it couldn't be easier. Just bring your worn-out athletic shoes to any Reuse-A-Shoe collection center or shoe drive event. They can accept any brand of shoes, but remember - their equipment isn't yet able to process cleats, dress shoes or shoes with metal pieces. Make sure your shoes are dry and free of any mud or dirt. You can find your nearest drop-off location with the map on their website...

Nike's Shoe Recycling and Sustainability Program | Reuse-A-Shoe

P.S. I've sent the company a question if the metal pieces could be cut off before collection...therefore deeming more shoes as recycliable. I'll update with the answer when I get it!

~*~ UPDATE 10/8/09~*~
I got a reply from Nike:

"We do not recommend augmenting the shoes to our specifications, as we cannot assume responsibility for injury.

To let you know, our recycling equipment is set up specifically for the material and dimensions of athletic shoes. Footwear such as thongs, sandals, pumps, dress shoes, and boots contain different material and generally have a different shape. In addition, anything containing metal such as cleats or spikes is not accepted, as metal is not allowed in the sports surfaces containing Nike Grind material for safety reasons. It’s also hard on the grinding machines.

We are working diligently to improve our technology to accept all shoes types in the future. Until then, we suggest that you sort through the collected shoes and discard any unacceptable shoes mentioned above. It only takes a moment, and it makes all the difference in the success of the program."

So basically if you can safly remove any metal from your athetic shoes, then they can be recycled. No other types of shoes yet...But I'll keep you all posted if/when that changes!