Where to Recycle Running Shoes in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Determining the right time to retire your running shoes is more of an art than a science. Most recommendations estimate anywhere between 300 and 500 miles, there are many factors that contribute to the wear and tear of a running shoe, including the terrain you run on, your gait, and the non-running activities during which you wear your Hokas.
Either way, there comes a time for us all to replace our shoes. For those of us who want to be kinder to our world and reduce our contribution to the floating pile of garbage in the Pacific Ocean, the first thing that comes to mind is recycling your old pairs.
Our closets and shoe racks hide a staggering environmental challenge. According to the most recent comprehensive EPA data, consumers in the United States discard roughly 17 million tons of textiles and footwear annually. Unfortunately, about 85 percent of those items ultimately end up in landfills or incinerators. As athletes who spend countless hours traversing local trails and frequently plogging to keep our community paths pristine, we share a responsibility to keep our old gear out of that towering pile of synthetic refuse.
Fortunately, DMV runners have several convenient ways to break this wasteful cycle.
How to tell when it is time for new shoes.
While a good rule of thumb is 300-500 miles, if you haven’t kept close track of your mileage, you can get a sense of your shoe’s life with a visual examination. Signs of a shoe ready for retiring is compressed or lopsided foam, treads that have worn smooth, or when the outsole pattern disappears. You can also listen to your body to determine if your shoes are working against you. If you start noticing knee or hip pain, it may mean it is time for new shoes.
Local Drop-off Locations
=PR= Run & Walk - Multiple Locations
Pacers Running - Multiple Locations
Fleet Feet Adams Morgan and Gaithersburg
Nike Factory Store - Fairfax
Gently Used Donation Options
If you have running shoes that just didn’t work after you’ve put a handful of miles on them, there are places you can donate them to help those in need. Organizations like Soles4Souls, Project B Green, and Got Sneakers? are all great options. Depending on the quality of the shoes, some donation centers will pay you to send them your shoes.
