Reducing Your Shoes' Footprint

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Once you’ve given your shoes the boot

Old shoes go to die in the same place that most unwanted goods end up – in landfill via the back of the closet for a while.

There’s not much that individuals can do with a worn out shoe. Sure, I repurposed my toddler’s old gumboots into a pair of cute planters, but sadly they’re the minority. 

In the US, over 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfill annually - I suspect there are heaps in our landfill too. Leather and synthetic shoes both take about 30 to 40 years to break down.

The good news is that some companies have started to reuse the material in shoes. Nike has implemented the “reuse a shoe” initiative, which takes material from unwanted sneakers and processes these into a material used for indoor basketball courts and playgrounds.

The bad news is – oh the joys of living on this side of the planet – their website does not list any locations in Aus that collect dead shoes.

So for now we’re stuck with using our own initiative.

We could pass old shoes on to a better home. This works well for younger children who will outgrow their shoes before they deteriorate. But not so much for adults.

Or find creative uses for our unwanted shoes. Or re-purpose their materials. 

Or we could delay our shoes’ demise in a few simple ways:

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 Shop so they don’t drop (quickly)

Leather shoes? Vegan shoes? As consumers, we are bombarded with choices.

Leather production is seriously toxic for the environment – the process of turning hides into leather uses harmful chemicals and heavy metals. And synthetic shoes are made of various types of synthetic materials. Not the biodegradable type, either.

Shoes are one of the least environmentally friendly clothing products you can buy. And they are a necessity.

Unless you make your own wooden clogs.

The high toll of footwear manufacture means that choosing a durable product is one of the most helpful consumer choices for reducing environmental impact.

Despite being vego myself, I choose a leather product because of its durability compared to synthetic products. The initial cost of leather shoes is offset by purchasing fewer.

And by taking care of shoes, they will last for ages – I am still using shoes I bought ten years ago.

Giving leather some love

Leather care products are a great investment. A conditioner to keep the leather supple, a regular polish to keep the shoe looking good. It’s not difficult. I tend to polish mine once a fortnight whilst watching the idiot box. Who am I fooling - probably even less often.

Once done they look shiny and new! And repel water. Bonus!

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They’re in the closet

Who wants to fish out an old faithful pair of shoes only to find the uppers have dried out and hardened? No thanks. Simply giving them some attention before putting them to hibernate is helpful. You don’t need to sing them lullabies, just bed them into a nice, dry closet.

Give them a bedtime snack of something to help them maintain their shape over those long months when they’re not in season. Maybe a shoe block, maybe an inflatable insert. This keeps the fabric taut (and terrific)! And they wake up feeling fresh again.

Repair the pair

Most malls have a shoe repairer who will fix or replace the heel or sole for a small cost. Do the maths. Such a great investment compared to buying another pair.

So if you care for the leather or synthetic uppers, the repairer can fix up the underside. Easy – you’ve kept them away from landfill for another year. Keep those boots a-walkin'.

My conclusion?

Go for the best quality shoes within your budget. Leather and synthetic shoes are both harmful to the environment, but leather less so because you can draw out its lifespan.