None of us ever mean for it to happen, but occasionally, a pair of shoes falls out of favour and ends up resigned to the bottom of the rack or the back of the cupboard and left unworn and unthought of for months or even years on end. However, it doesn’t have to be this way for every pair of shoes that have left the regular rotation.
If you’ve got shoes that are wasting away, why not get into the spring cleaning spirit and find out how to give your old shoes, boots and sandals a new lease of life? At Rieker, we believe all shoes should be long-lasting and serve multiple purposes.
Read our guide to learn the options you have to extend the lifespan of your old shoes and become a shoe sustainability superhero in the process!
Table of contents
- How to clean & restore your old shoes
- Benefits of recycling old shoes
- Best ways to recycle your old shoes
- How to upcycle old shoes
- Refresh your shoe collection with Rieker
How to clean & restore your old shoes
Getting rid of shoes can be tough, especially if you have fond memories of certain pairs. If they’re still in decent enough condition and aren’t ravaged by ruptures and tears, there’s a good chance that you can restore them to something resembling their former glory. In some cases, you can make them look as good as new!
No matter what type of footwear you want to spruce up, it’s very doable! You can bring a pair bought years ago back into your everyday life with the right materials, patience, and good old-fashioned hard work.
For all your shoe cleaning and restoration needs, ensure you have these items available to properly tackle the worn-down areas and bring your favourite old pair back to its best:
- Bristle brush/toothbrush
- Microfibre cloth
- Warm water
- Cleaning chemicals
- Baking soda & vinegar
- Leather conditioner
For detailed guides on several kinds of footwear, including sandals, trainers and leather shoes, visit our expert shoe-cleaning hub full of helpful tips and answers to common shoe-cleaning FAQs.
Benefits of recycling old shoes
Recycling is another excellent solution if restoration seems too strict of a task for your old shoes or boots. You can even restore and recycle to give someone else the same experiences you had when you first bought them.
While it can be a tough decision, sending a beloved pair of old shoes to new pastures has several benefits that will soften the blow.
Sustainability
Recycling your shoes instead of throwing them away is an undeniably good environmental decision. By allowing your old shoes to live a new life elsewhere, you reduce waste and take positive steps to living a sustainable lifestyle.
However you recycle your shoes, you’re preserving the raw materials for use in several ways. Disposing old shoes also uses far more energy than restoring or recycling them, so put another tick in the sustainability box!
Helping those less fortunate
Giving your old shoes to charities that can pass them on to those who need them means you’re making a substantial difference to people often less fortunate than most. Access to shoes for many isn’t as easy as we’d like to think, so donating shoes you no longer wear can ensure someone has an everyday essential they would otherwise have struggled to obtain.
Your good deed for the day
It shouldn’t be ignored that performing a good deed like donating or recycling your old footwear can feel fantastic! Giving back to your community or helping maintain a sustainable world should feel great, and there’s nothing wrong with embracing that satisfaction.
Best ways to recycle your old shoes
Being inspired to donate or recycle your shoes is wonderful! Feel rewarded for your sustainable decision by choosing from a list of easy methods that will give your old shoes a fresh start.
Gift to a friend
If you’ve put the time and effort into restoring your shoes or if they were already in pretty decent shape, you can offer a kind gesture to a friend by giving them your shoes. Ask your friends and family if they’re after some new footwear but don’t want to part with too much cash. Whether those close to you are after some running shoes or office boots, it can be great to see your once cast-off footwear breathe new life!
Find a local charity shop
When talking about donating items, minds will, of course, turn to charity. Charity shops are a great place to take your shoes in good, sellable condition. Your footwear donation will be kindly welcomed at these shops as they always seek new items. Raising money for a charity of your choice can be extremely fulfilling, knowing you’ve gotten old shoes out of your wardrobe and helping those doing magnificent work.
Use a shoe bank
While you may not have noticed them much before, shoe banks are big metal bins often found beside supermarkets, large car parks and similar locations. Not all these bins accept shoes; some take just regular clothes, but plenty of shoe banks are easily accessible. Shoes placed in these bins will be transferred to a relevant charity or textile company to make better use of them.
Take them to a recycling centre
Is your footwear too far gone to restore or make use of at home? This doesn’t mean you can’t recycle them. Recycling centres will assess and appropriately recycle all the materials of your shoes, helping reduce waste and pollution. Find a designated recycling centre rather than placing your old shoes in household recycling bins.
How to upcycle old shoes
Sometimes, your old shoes may be too far gone to restore and recycle. The punctures can be too deep and the tears too big. That can be from wearing them out without proper care or if the dog has gotten hold of them one too many times.
If your shoes aren’t fit to be passed onto others or brought back to life, you can still use the core materials. Upcycling is the method of using discarded materials and converting them into something new. You can let your imagination run wild and do whatever you like with your old shoes, but here are some of our favourite ideas.
Make a quirky addition to your garden
Lean further into the environmental benefits of using your old shoes by turning your worn-down boots and trainers into planters. House plants and succulents will thrive in your old footwear, allowing them to grow and flourish. This provides a great and sustainable way to reuse old shoes and saves money on brand-new plant pots! This also negates the need to dig up areas of your garden, reducing land waste.
Use as a birdhouse
Sticking with the theme of supporting nature, turning old footwear into a birdhouse is a wholesome way to upcycle your shoes and provide shelter for our flying friends. This act of support for local wildlife can be done ideally using old adult-sized boots. Nail the boots to an area of a tree populated with birds and ensure there’s an accessible entryway.
Canvas for creativity
Express your artistic instincts and creativity by using your old shoes and boots as a canvas to practice your painting and illustration skills. Experiment with new colour combinations, design ideas and more. If your old canvas shoes are still in somewhat decent condition and you have some swanky new designs in mind, make them a reality and paint them on your trainers after restoration.
Refresh your shoe collection with Rieker
Once you've recycled, donated or upcycled your used and aged footwear, your shoe collection may seem sparse. If you want to reward yourself for your good deeds done for those around you, charity or the environment, you can shop stunning new footwear at Rieker.
Browse beautiful and comfortable men's and ladies' Rieker shoes that give your feet the support they need without sacrificing style. Our shoes are all made with the utmost care and quality so you can get the best possible look and feel.
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