The Sneaker Journey
Every sneaker has a story — from the miles you put on them to a second life that keeps them out of the landfill. Here's where your sneakers really go.
Raw Materials
Every sneaker starts with raw materials — rubber, foam, textiles, and plastics, many of them petroleum-based. Pulling them from the earth and turning them into shoes takes intensive energy, water, and labor.
Manufacturing
Billions of sneakers are produced every year — and most take 30 to 1,000 years to break down in a landfill. The making of a shoe is energy-hungry and wasteful, which is exactly why what happens at the end of its life matters so much.
Request Your Free Collection Bags
Sign up, tell us how many bags you need, and we ship them to your door — with a free prepaid FedEx label included. No cost, no commitment. Individuals, schools, teams, and nonprofits all welcome.
Real People. Real Drives. Real Impact.
This is where the journey gets personal. Individuals, schools, teams, and organizations fill free collection bags and ship them back at zero cost. Last year, the GotSneakers community gave 2.29 million shoes a second life — bag by bag, drive by drive, community by community.
Ship It Back — Free
When your bags are full, seal them up and drop them at any FedEx location. Your prepaid label is already in the kit. Zero cost, zero hassle.
- Seal your bags
- Use the prepaid FedEx label in your kit
- Drop off at any FedEx location — done
Sorting & Grading
Once your bags arrive, our team sorts and grades every pair to determine whether it's headed for reuse or recycling. Every sneaker is evaluated by brand, condition, and quality — nothing gets wasted, nothing gets guessed.
Reuse
Around 90% of every sneaker we collect is reused — cleaned, recirculated, and given a genuine second life in domestic and global secondhand markets. Reuse is our mission, and it's the most sustainable path a sneaker can take.
0%
of collected sneakers
are reused
~0%
less CO₂e than
making new
0%
sent to
landfill
Recycling
The remaining ~10% that can't be reused are responsibly recycled through our partner network. Materials are ground down, separated, and repurposed into new products — flooring, playground surfaces, insoles, and more.
Start Your Sneakers' Next Chapter
Turn your old sneakers into impact — and earnings. Request your free collection bags and join the movement.
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