So Christmas is over, what did you get? Do you need to pair down? We tried to keep Christmas small around here, but I do need to go through the toys. WOW, seeing all of the presents under the tree made me remember back when I used to have mounds of presents under the tree. Today, Summer has a few tips on how to pair down, especially how to pair down on shoes!

If you got new clothes for Christmas don’t forget to go through your closet to consider clothing for donation to a charity of your choice . But if you got new sneakers and your old ones are not donate able then consider repurposing, reusing, and recycling your old shoes with Nike. They will make your shoes get the kind of game you only wish you had! Your shoes will become an athletic surface — field, track, court, or playground.

Nike will take your sneaks (any brand) and grind them up. (yes, they take your used shoes and repurpose them) They use the 3 portions of the shoe for different purposes … or should I say repurposes. First, the rubber from the outsole of the shoe can make track surfaces, interlocking gym flooring tiles, playground surfacing and even new Nike products like shoes or on clothing as buttons and zipper pulls. Then, the foam from the midsole is used as a cushion for outdoor basketball and tennis courts, as well as futsal fields. Lastly, fabric from the upper portions is used in the creation of cushioning pads for facilities like indoor synthetic courts and wood courts.

You just need to turn those shoes in to any Nike store or certified Nike collection center or mail them into Nike. Be sure you adhere to their guidelines to help them cut down on waste — both time in sorting and literally trash of shoes they can’t recycle.
Even if you didn’t get new tennis shoes consider going through your family’s stock pile for out grown or old shoes just lying around and turn them into Nike so they get used. Come on … Just Do It! (Okay, that was cheesy, but you get the point.)

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.