At one time, Crocs footwear was a very large fad. The brightly colored, lightweight shoes made of Croslite, a closed cell resin that molds to the wearer’s feet, was originally marketed as a casual wear shoe.

Today, the comfortable footwear is still a popular

choice amongst many and has been tossed into the realm of a “greener” product.

SolesUnited is the first-of-its-kind recycled footwear donation program designed by Crocs, Inc. The idea is to give back worn-out Crocs shoes to be recycled into new shoes that will later be donated to people in need around the world.

It’s easy: just wear, share, recycle, and donate!

Recycling is done by sorting, cleaning, grounding up and making the shoes into new SolesUnited recycled shoes. The recycled shoes are then loaded into containers and picked up by shipping artners that send them to approved non-profit organizations around the world. The various countries the SolesUnited program is helping include Armenia, Cambodia, Haiti, Mali, Romania, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

“We are very excited to help improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world with a program that ties so closely to our business,” said Ron Snyder, CEO of Crocs, Inc. “Many people are unaware of the importance and need for quality footwear around the world. More than 1 billion people, or 1 in 6 people around the world, live on less than $1 a day according to The World Bank Group; through the SolesUnited program we can help these individuals.”

One can share the worn-out Crocs at participating retail locations around the nation or by mailing them directly to the SolesUnited program.

A local retail location that has joined the cause is Pine Bay Gallery & Gifts in Matlacha, FL. The cozy cottage nestled at the northwest corner of the Matlacha Bridge showcases local art, antiques and gifts. After Hurricane Charley, the interesting joint began selling the comfortable footwear and is now the largest Crocs shoes outlet in Southwest Florida.

“We got word of the program from a small article we found in the newspaper,” Pine Bay Gallery & Gifts Manager, Deb Cole says. “Our customers have always asked why the Crocs couldn’t be recycled. And the idea Crocs came up with is wonderful two ways. The worn out shoes don’t go to waste, and the need for shoes around the world is being addressed. And since they were asking for new partners, we joined the efforts!”

Therefore, Pine Bay Gallery & Gifts is offering customers an incentive. Those who come and leave their old Crocs at the store will get a 10% discount on a pair of replacement Crocs. As well as the satisfaction of knowing they did something to help those in need.

“For our customers, consider that just by donating something that would otherwise go into a landfill, each of us can help in this effort,” Cole adds. “I believe that donating shoes is as important as giving food, medicine, and other basic necessities. Wearing shoes can make all the difference in a person’s life.”

SolesUnited has already partnered with Raising Malawi, a humanitarian program co-founded by singer/songwriter Madonna. Raising Malawi is designed to revitalize the lives of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged and orphaned children and has already donated 20,000 shoes to villagers in Malawi, Africa.

The program has also partnered with Dispatch, a popular American rock band on their “Dispatch: Zimbabwe,” an event to donate 20,000 pairs of recycled shoes.

The next stop for 10,000 pairs of shoes from the SolesUnited program is Haiti thanks to organizations like the Wyclef Foundation.

To date, over 1.4 million pairs of shoes have been donated. In 2008, the goal is to donate 2 million pairs of recycled shoes to those in need.

 

 

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