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As you enter the Running Spot in O'Bryonville, you will see a colorful bin at the bottom of the steps near the Boston Marathon Qualifiers Board. We call it the Drop In Spot. You are encouraged to drop your used shoes there. Please have them in a clean condition. We have a number of local charity groups that gladly receive your shoes. They appreciate getting them very much.
By Brian Schleeper
If you’re like most runners you’ve probably got a closet or garage full of old, worn out running shoes. While they served you well and carried you through many miles, they’ve been relegated to rainy day or grass cutting duty. Now you can put those trusted old friends to an even better use. The Running Spot is proud to be a partner in Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program.
In 1993 Nike started the project which has become its longest running environmental and community program. They take old, worn out athletic shoes and recycle them into various sports facilities. Since its inception, over 170 sport surfaces have been donated through the program, including one right here in Cincinnati. The Seven Hills Neighborhood House received an indoor basketball court through the Reuse-A-Shoe program.
All parts of the donated shoes are used to construct a wide range of athletic surfaces. The rubber from outsoles is used to build baseball and soccer fields, weight room flooring and running tracks. The foam cushioning from mid-soles is turned into synthetic basketball courts, tennis courts and playgrounds. And the mesh and leather uppers are recycled into basketball court padding.
Since its introduction twelve years ago, over 16 million pairs of shoes have been recycled. It takes approximately 2,500 pairs to make a new athletic surface. Finding alternative uses for the shoes accomplishes several goals. It frees up landfill space and creates less garbage and waste. More importantly it provides recreational facilities for children and communities they may not have had otherwise. Improving the health of America’s youth is a major objective behind the program. And all this comes from those beat up old shoes you just can’t let go of!
Most kinds of athletic shoes are accepted. Not included in the program are any types of cleats or spikes or shoes with metal, dress shoes or boots. The Running Spot is gladly accepting old shoe donations for the Reuse-A-Shoe program in our donation spot at the entrance to the lower level store. So here’s an excellent way to clean out the garage and get rid of some of those old shoes, while helping a good cause.
Progress is slow but everything continues moving forward to make the Withrow High School Community Track Project a reality. This is something that we have been closely involved with for the past three or four years. As you may be aware, significant physical changes are occurring within the Cincinnati Public School system. At Withrow, a much needed gymnasium facility, among other areas, will be built. Then work on the track and inner field will commence.
> Learn More about the project
There are a number of fine charity team groups that we support:
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