Got Sole??

No, not the fish, although that could be tasty.  What I'm talking about here are the soles on shoes.  How many shoes do you have?  How many do you need?  Arguably, most of us probably have way too many shoes in our closets.   Some we wear now and then, a few pairs of these, a couple of pairs of those in various colors, heel types, out-of-date styles, etc.  Although I did a post last year entitled Surrender your Soles about donating shoes to those who are in need, a recent stop at my local Good Will drop off location reminded me that it was probably time to take another inventory.  The receiving attendant commented that Americans have way too many shoes (based on the fact that the previous donation was over 50 pairs-- from one woman!).  Kudos to her for donating her shoes.

Here's an interesting thought:  Every year, between 100 and 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills.  What's worse is that these shoes take anywhere from 40 to 1000 years to break down, depending on what they're made from. 

Adding insult to injury, a quick Internet search indicates that nearly 300 million people are without shoes.  No shoes.  Period.  Think about how your daily life would be different if you didn't have any shoes to wear, or anything to protect your feet.

With Earth Day celebrating its 41st birthday on April 22nd, donating your gently used and rarely worn shoes to those in need is a great way to eco-step your way to a greener tomorrow and to help your fellow humans. What a great way to show your Earth Day spirit!

From personal experience, I can tell you that donating your shoes and spreading the word is not hard at all.  Last  year, I collected 57 pairs of shoes (from just my immediate family) and sent them to Soles 4 Souls. 


You can find the nearest Souls 4 Soles Drop off location here: 
http://www.soles4souls.org/about/locations.html
 
Below are some other excellent places to donate your shoes:
 
Goodwill
 
Salvation Army
 
Volunteers of America
 
I am sure there are others.  If you know of another place to donate shoes, please share.
 
Happy Eco-Stepping and Happy Earth Day!

Surrender Your Soles!

In the spirit of eco-stepping to a more sustainable, happier world:

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April 8th is TOMS One Day Without Shoes. This is the day that we spread awareness about the power a simple pair of shoes has over a child's life. Most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. This leads to many diseases, hardships, and prevents the children from attending school. Through everyday encounters with domestic poverty, we are reminded to appreciate having food and shelter. But have you ever considered how lucky and blessed we are to have shoes? Imagine a life without them; constantly being aware of the ground in front of your, suffering regular cuts and scrapes, tending to infection after each walk, and enduring not only terrain, but the heat and cold too. 
By going a day without shoes you will be helping spread awareness of the simple solution to a huge pressing problem. Wearing shoes and practicing primary hygiene can prevent both infection and disease due to unsafe roads and contaminated soil.
Here are 5 interesting facts about our soles:

• In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
• Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
• In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.

Come take a walk with TOMS! GO SHOELESS APRIL 8th, 2010!!!


Or, if that's really not an option for you, you can donate some gently used shoes to organizations like Soles4Souls.