How to donate your running shoes and apparel
Looking to donate footwear and apparel? Here are some options for Canadians to donate to those in need.
With running footwear lasting between 500 and 800 kilometres, many runners go through at least a few pairs every year. Rather than adding footwear and apparel to the landfill or to the back of your closet, consider donating them to charity.
In Canada, there are a number of options to donate running shoes and apparel to those in need ahead of the holidays and year-round. Here are a few of them:
Running Room
Location: Across Canada.
All Running Room locations accept wearable footwear year-round.
Running Free
Location: Five locations in Ontario: Ajax, Barrie, Markham, Newmarket and Orangeville.
Running Free’s Re-use Shoe Program has partnered with aid workers in Haiti, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Cuba, Bolivia and in Canada to donate running shoes to those in need. Running Free also accepts non-running footwear if they don’t show too much wear.
BioPed
Location: 75 locations in Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Ontario.
BioPed collects new and gently used footwear from individuals, schools, faith based organizations and corporations to be distributed to those in need.
ShoeRenu Clinic
Location: Vancouver.
At major races in Vancouver, the ShoeRenu Clinic accepts footwear and apparel donations and works with Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Canadian Diabetes Association
Location: Drop-off locations in eight provinces
The Canadian Diabetes Association accepts gently-used clothing and household items with 100 per cent of net proceeds supporting the cause. Those interested can also schedule a free pick-up.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Location: Donation bins across Canada.
Big Brothers Big Sisters accepts clothing of all kinds, accessories and shoes. Items are then sold and proceeds go to the charity’s mentorship program.
Shoe Bank Canada
Location: British Columbia and Ontario
Shoe Bank Canada accepts footwear donations with shoes first going to Canadians with excess footwear being shipped overseas.
Soles4Souls
Location: Across North America.
Soles4Souls allows people to search for the closest drop-off location in Canada. The organization aims to fight poverty through footwear and apparel donations.
Shoe4Africa
Location: Mail-in
Shoe4Africa is a donation program based in Eldoret, Kenya. Shoes should still have approximately 100K left on them so they can be used for health and fitness programs.
Readers of Canadian Running have also suggested local stores that accept running shoes.
.@AerobicsFirst will also take your pre-loved shoes for one of the many programs they support. https://t.co/VYyB7DSBtZ
— Run Nova Scotia (@runnovascotia) December 15, 2015
@CanadianRunning @TheRunnersAcad is collecting shoes for #Soles4Souls.
— Andrea Seccafien (@aseccafien) December 14, 2015