My tennis sneakers are dead. :(
Finding a renewed passion for tennis this summer, I wore a large hole through the sole within a few months. Luckily, I can give a new life by donating them to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. The program, Nike Grind, takes apart athletic shoes into three parts to integrate them into athletic and playground surfaces:
- outsole rubber – soccer pitch, running track, playground
- midsole foam – outdoor basketball courts, outdoor tennis courts, indoor synthetic basketball/volleyball courts
- upper fabric – indoor wood basketball court
Guidelines:
- Athletic shoes only (any brand ok)
- No metal (eyelets, cleats or spikes)
- No dress shoes, thongs, sandals, boots
- No hiking boots or shoes with lights
- No wet or muddy shoes
Shoes can be dropped off at various locations or mailed in. In the Boston area, go to the Niketown store at 200 Newbury Street or the Wrentham Factory Outlet store. Surfaces using the recycled shoe material can be found at the Josiah Quincy School’s playground in Chinatown and the Colonel Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club’s outdoor basketball courts in Dorchester.
For more information about Nike Reuse-A-Shoe, go to nikereuseashoe.com or call 800-344-6453.
If your sneakers are still usable, check out Runner’s World list of organizations that accept shoe donations.
