The Erie Shoe Fly Drive

The Erie Shoe Fly Store announced recently that it will host a shoe drive to assist Soles4Souls. The Erie Shoe Fly Store is located at 7520 Peach Street in Erie, PA.


During the shoe drive, The Erie Shoe Fly Stores will be offering a $5 Savings Certificate for each pair of gently worn shoes donated and up to $15 towards the purchase of new footwear in their store. The shoe drive will begin on February 1, 2009 and will end on February 28, 2009.

"There are hurting people throughout the world and shoes provide protection, comfort and relief," said store manager Art Oligeri. "We all have several pairs in our closet that we can share with the less fortunate."

Kiddie Shoppe to Host Drive

The Kiddie Shoppe, the store that specializes in hard to find kid's shoes, has announced that it is hosting a shoe drive to benefit Soles4Souls.

During the shoe drive, The Kiddie Shoppe will offer shoppers a discount off a new pair of children's shoes to customers who bring in a gently-worn pair of shoes.


The shoe drive begins this Sunday, Feb. 1st and ends Sunday, Feb. 28th.

"For 76 years, The Kiddie Shoppe has been all about children in our area. Not just dressing them, but trying to make a better life for them," store owner Rick McKnight said. “This program will allow parents to talk with their children about helping other children all over the globe by the simple act of putting a pair of their used shoes in a barrel in Columbus Ga."

The Kiddie Shoppe is located on 1640 Rollins Way in Columbus GA. For more information call 706-327-0334.

Soles4Souls Partners with Liberty Tax Services

Soles4Souls announced the creation of a national partnership with Liberty Tax Services. Customers can use coupons to receive a $20 discount on their 2008 tax services and Liberty Tax will donate an additional $20 to Soles4Souls for each coupon used. In addition, at participating locations customers will be able to donate their "gently worn" pairs of shoes. Visit www.giveshoes.org to find a participating location near you. All shoes donated to Soles4Souls will go directly to helping needy people in the United States and around the world.

"Our Liberty Tax team is energized to help this worthy cause by creating a buzz in our offices and communities that will generate collections, donations and further national awareness for Soles4Souls," said John Hewitt, CEO and Founder of Liberty Tax Service.

Customers can send an email with the location of your service and contact information to libtax@giveshoes.org. A Soles4Souls representative will email the customer a printable coupon. In addition, select Liberty Tax offices will host shoe drives during the tax season. Patriotic-themed shoe collection boxes will be at these locations and customers are encouraged to clean out their closests and donate their shoes to help those in need.

Stan's Share-A-Pair for Soles4Souls

Was one of your New Year's resolutions to help those less fortunate this year but the tough economy is preventing you from doing so? Is your closet overflowing with shoes? If so and you live in the Greater Milwaukee, WI area, here is the perfect opportunity to help others while clearing out your clutter - our friends at Stan's Fit For Your Feet will be hosting their "Third Annual Share A Pair" shoe drive from Sunday, February 1 thru Saturday, February 28.

People can drop off their new or gently used shoes Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or Sundays from Noon to 5 p.m. at any of the "Share A Pair" collection bins at Stan's Greenfield store in the Layton Plaza at 7405 W. Layton Ave., Stan's Brookfield store, in V. Richard's Plaza at 17155 W. Bluemound Road or Stan's Glendale store across from Bay Shore Town Center at 505 W. Silver Spring Drive.

Admirals' fans attending the Sunday, February 15 afternoon game will also have the opportunity to "Share A Pair" at a special drop off location within the Bradley Center.

The annual shoe drive, hosted by Stan's Fit For Your Feet, has collected nearly 10,000 gently used pairs of shoes from Greater Milwaukee residents since its inception. All donated shoes are passed onto Soles4Souls. In addition, Stan's employees personally deliver and fit shoes for many of the area's homeless who frequent Milwaukee's Repairers of the Breach homeless shelter.

"We hope the residents of Greater Milwaukee will brave the cold and snow to once again embrace our shoe drive," said Jim Sajdak, owner of Stan's Fit For Your Feet. "The poor economy is impacting so many people and the need to reach out to others who are less fortunate has never been greater."

"This is a really easy way to help Soles4Souls and Repairers of the Breach who are both doing incredible things for the less fortunate people in our world," continued Sajdak, "We'd like to encourage everyone to bring in that pair of gently used shoes that doesn't fit quite right or that they no longer wear. Join the cause, and clean out the clutter of your closet."

As a way of saying thank you, people donating shoes at Stan's Fit For Your Feet will receive a $10 gift certificate to be used towards a footwear purchase during February at any Stan's Fit For Your Feet location.

For more information on the "Share A Pair" shoe drive, visit stansfootwear.com or call 262-432-4030. Stan's is locally owned and operated. It has been in business since 1950, and specializes in quality footwear from around the world. Its three stores are home to Wisconsin's largest collection of regular and hard to find shoe sizes.

Puma Partners with Soles4Souls at Sundance

Sportslifestyle brand PUMA made a special appearance at this year's Sundance Film Festival at the Film Lounge Media Center, which included the Getty Images/WireImage Portrait Studio. Celebrities and special guests had the opportunity to give back by signing PUMA footwear that will be auctioned off to benefit Soles4Souls.

"Park City is buzzing with excitement this time of year," said Jay Piccola, President of PUMA North America. "We are so thankful to be a part of it and to be able to give back to such a noteworthy cause."

In addition to the autographed shoes, PUMA will be donating footwear to the organization on behalf of each of the lounge's guests.

"We are very excited about working with PUMA at the Sundance Film Festival," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "This is a tremendous opportunity to enlist Hollywood stars to donate signed footwear that will benefit needy people here in the U.S. and around the world. We are extremely grateful that PUMA thought of Soles4Souls and the people who look to us for help," he said.

Visitors to the PUMA lounge will also had a chance to experience 60 Years of PUMA's history. The brand just celebrated its 60th anniversary and the lounge was decked out with iconic imagery, archival footwear, historic ads and other memorabilia from the last 6 decades. This initiative rounds out a string of events and programs thrown by the brand in celebration of its birthday.

This is the second year that PUMA has had a presence at Sundance. In 2008 PUMA hosted a special customization booth with their Mongolian Shoe BBQ program to benefit Clothes off our Backs. The PUMA lounge will be open January 16th through 21st at The Film Lounge Media Center in Park City, Utah.

See Kai Run's matching Charity Promo nets 9,700 Shoes

See Kai Run was able to donate more than 9,700 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls thanks to its November/December 2008 promotional event. The company matched each pair of shoes sold on its retail Web site during the two-month promo.

With this donation, See Kai Run will have shared a total of nearly 34,000 pairs of shoes to children who need them the most. “Share A Pair” is part of See Kai Run’s overall charitable giving campaign, which focuses on international, national, and local charities for children.

"Although 2009 will be a difficult year for many of us, we can be grateful that we are able to purchase a comfortable pair of shoes for our own children,” said founder Cause Haun. “We are so happy that through their purchases at seekairun.com, parents across North America were also able to provide a pair of shoes to a deserving child in another part of the world. As always, Soles4Souls makes it incredibly easy to help and we are grateful for that."

See Kai Run is a family-owned and operated business located outside of Seattle, Washington. The idea was born when owner Cause Haun was on a quest for the perfect first pair of shoes for her son, Kai. Unable to find shoes in fun styles that still promoted the healthy development of little feet, Cause and her husband created their own line of shoes that satisfied all of these needs. In just four years, See Kai Run has seen sales expand from a few boutiques, mostly in the Seattle area, to stores all around the country and worldwide.

Livin' the Music Event for Soles4Souls

Livin’ the Music is a non-profit organization that was founded on the idea that music can, and will, change the world. The purpose of Livin’ the Music is to use music to bring light, love & hope to those in need.

Last Night, Livin' the Music hosted a songwriters night to celebrate their one-year anniversary which benefited Soles4Souls.

Livin' the Music also helped Soles4Souls launch the 'Talkin' it to the Streets' campaign. Volunteers and Songwriters went to three different places in Nashville to deliver shoes to those in need, including the homeless and women's shelters. A different group of artists volunteered their singing and song writing 'talents' at each of the locations.

Livin' the Music also collected many shoes for Soles4Souls during the anniversary party after the shoe drop off. Everyone who brought a pair of gently worn shoes received a gift.

Adam Gregory Partners with Soles4Souls

Adam Gregory, a rising country star has teamed up with Soles4Souls to raise money and provide shoes for needy individuals around the world during his 'What It Takes' 2009 club tour.

The ten-week tour includes dates in 25 different cities, beginning Jan. 19 and running through March 31. Fans will be provided an opportunity to donate a new or gently worn pair of shoes or make a donation to the Soles4Souls organization.

“I’m really looking forward to these shows because I feel like we can make a difference in people’s lives,” Adam says. “It’s not just me performing for an audience, it’s all of us working together for a bigger cause. I can’t wait to get started.”

Adam, whose new single is “What It Takes,” will kick off the partnership on Jan. 8 by delivering shoes to local Nashville shelters as part of the “Takin’ It to the Streets” shoe drive. He will perform at the “Livin’ the Music” benefit concert for Soles4Souls at Nashville club 3rd & Lindsley Bar & Grill later that night.

Shoe Giveaway at the Wade Center

The Wade Center in Blufield, West Virginia handed out hundreds of shoes to their students over the Holiday break. The Wade Center exists to nurture Bluefield’s children and youth, many who come from impoverished homes, through spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual programs and mentoring relationships.

Vicki Mahood, the program and finance director of the Wade Center, displayed the shoes in the game room in a "store" type setting. Through out the week, students came down to the "shoe store" to try on shoes and take a pair home they liked.

"The Christmas shoes were a huge success," said Mahood. "The kids were so excited and soon the news was spreading to all the other kids on the hall that they were receiving new shoes. By the end of the week, the building was full of smiling faces all wearing their NEW SHOES!"

Mary Williams, who now lives and works in North Carolina, hosted a shoe drive for the kids of her home town of Bluefield, WV. Soles4Souls sent an additional two hundred new pairs of athletics to go along with the shoes Mary collected.

Soles4Souls Heading to Miami to Pick Up Thousands of "Lost Shoes" Spilled on Highway

Thousands of shoes were dumped on a Miami expressway Friday morning causing significant traffic delays.

Lt. Pat Santangelo says the Florida Highway Patrol received the report during rush hour. Workers were able to clear at least one lane after a short time by sweeping all the shoes to shoulder, but delays were expected to last until all the shoes could be removed.

Santangelo says he's not sure where the shoes came from. There were no signs of a crash, and no one stopped to claim them. He says the shoes appear to be used, and most were tied together in pairs. He says he's looking for a charity to take the shoes, rather than sending them to the dump.

Soles4Souls contacted the Florida Highway Patrol and offered to immediately collect the shoes on behalf of needy people it supports.

"These shoes are abandoned property and we're happy that Soles4Souls can make good use out them," said Santengelo.

Soles4Souls Founder and CEO, Wayne Elsey, said the sight of thousands of abandoned shoes was a stark reminder of how many shoes are tossed into American landfills. "Too many perfectly good shoes are thrown away each year, and it's a shame," he said. "Soles4Souls is dedicated to keeping usable footwear out of our landfills and putting them on the feet of needy people around the world," he said.

Soles4Souls has a team on the way to Miami to pick up the shoes, and will distribute them to needy people in Haiti. The island nation is still recovering after a devastating hurricane season, and the shoe charity has already distributed 100,000 pairs of shoes to Haitians in the past four months. Soles4Souls is working with several other charities to send relief shipments of food, clothing, shoes and medicine before the end of January.

String of Shoes aims at Guinness record

While most people were out tipping glasses to the New Year Wednesday, volunteers were tying shoelaces to break a Guinness World Record at Opry Mills in Nashville, TN.

The volunteers were trying to collect shoes for Soles4Souls to help those in need and break the record for the longest chain of shoes at the same time.

The current record holder is the National Geographic Kids Magazine with 10,512 shoes measuring 8,700 feet. That chain of shoes was tied up in July.

It is estimated that there will be 26,000 shoes to span the mall twice, which is about a mile inside. This is in addition to a tower or massive barrel of shoes holding about 30,000 pair near the mall's second entrance.

"It's overwhelming that something like this is going to impact so many people," said Killian Deats, 18.

Deats, who is striving for Eagle Scout status, got involved in collecting the shoes through his father who works with Soles4Souls.

Dragging mostly tennis shoes tied lace-to-lace out of four-foot tall boxes, Deats and several friends in one group lined the shoes up on the floor throughout the mall. Most of the stores were closed New Year's Eve as the crew struggled to line the shoes up the length of the mall.

Curious visitors couldn't resist watching the spectacle of footwear.

In town for the Music City Bowl, Linda Georganas, 62, of Hamilton, Va., said she thought the shoe charity's record-breaking event was a great idea. Dennis and Betty Brown of Sheffield, Ala., were impressed at how nice the shoes were.

"I think it's fantastic," Dennis Brown said. "I like what they are doing with them afterwards."

Villages in Haiti Receive Footwear

A container of food, clothing and shoes were sent to villages in Haiti that were hit hard from hurricanes this past year. In partnership with Global Outreach Haiti, about 7500 pairs of shoes were distributed among villages in the Bon Repos area and suburbs of Port-au-Prince.

"We had hundreds of people waiting for us when we arrived with food, clothing and the new shoes," said David Heady of Global Outreach Haiti. "For many of these children and adults...all they have ever had on their feet were flip flops. What a thrill to see their faces light up as they received their new shoes and clothes," he said.

Four hurricanes or tropical storms—Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike—pounded Haiti one after the other in August and September of 2008, killing more than 800. Around a million people were left homeless and some 100,000 homes were damaged in the Caribbean country, which is the poorest in the region.

Through generous support from distributors, retailers and individuals, Soles4souls has sent about 100,000 pairs of shoes in the last four months to Haiti.

Fairmont Hotels Announces ‘Give from the Sole’ Campaign

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a leader in the global hospitality industry, has announced a partnership with Soles4Souls. Buying one gift card at Fairmont now means giving two gifts: for each gift card purchased before December 31, 2008, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will donate a pair of footwear to Soles4Souls.

The holiday season gift card donation is one aspect of a new partnership in which Fairmont properties worldwide donate gently used footwear from Fairmont Fit. The program offers members of Fairmont President’s Club, the brand’s exclusive guest recognition program, access to adidas athletic apparel for use during their stay.

“We would like to thank the people at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for their generosity that allows us to accomplish our goals,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder & CEO of Soles4Souls. “The ‘Give from the Sole’ campaign will make a positive impact in thousands of lives,” he said.

“We’re proud to support Soles4Souls throughout the year, but particularly during the holiday season, when so many are in need,” said Brian Richardson, Fairmont’s Vice President Brand Marketing and Communications. “We know our guests will also welcome this opportunity to give back.”

Gift cards may be purchased at all Fairmont hotels and resorts, at Willow Stream Spas (in select hotels) or online at http://www.fairmont.com/giftcard. Online purchases are available in any denomination ranging from $50 to $5000.

The Walking Place Drive

The Walking Place in Rookwood Commons in Cincinnati, OH has partnered with Soles4Souls for a shoe drive. This is the fourth year that the shoe store has hosted a drive for Soles4Souls.

"Before working with Soles4Souls, we would give donated shoes to local charities," said Debbie Davis of The Walking Place. "However after hearing about Soles4Souls we felt that their organization could allow us to help more people."

Davis said those who donate will receive 15 percent off of a new pair of shoes. The Walking place has seen donations increase every year through word of mouth.

New or gently used shoes can be dropped off at The Walking Place in Rookwood Commons at 2733 Edmondson Road Cincinnati, Ohio until the end of the year.

The Walking Place offers a world-class selection of European comfort shoes, more brand names and more styles than anywhere else in the entire Midwest.

Elementary Students Collect Shoes for Needy

St. Columbkille Elementary School in Dubuque, IA recently teamed with Soles4Souls to collect gently worn shoes for people in need throughout the world and in the U.S.


The school collected 298 pairs of shoes from community members and raised $410 between Nov. 21 through Dec. 1. They also received a donation from UPS that will go toward shipping the shoes to the Soles4Souls primary warehouse in Roanoke, Ala.

Great job St. Columbkille Elementary School!

Soles4Souls Featured in National Geographic's "The Green Guide"

National Geographic Magazine has featured Soles4Souls in "The Green Guide" that highlights the humanitarian process, following a sample of donated shoes to the Soles4Souls warehouse and continuing to a final destination benefiting children in Mexico.

The Green Guide makes living in an environmentally-aware way easy, understandable, and practical. Intended for general consumers, the Green Guide (in print and on the web) shows people how to make small changes that add up to big benefits for their wallets, for their health, and, of course, for the health of the planet.

"Appearing in The Green Guide is an incredible honor," said Wayne Elsey of Soles4Souls. "It's humbling to see our work presented in such a prestigious publication and we are very grateful for the beautiful photo essay. The story clearly demonstrates the generosity of our partners and volunteers, and we are truly blessed to have fantastic supporters join with us to change the world one pair at a time," he said.

Elsey said that ongoing support is crucial to the success of Soles4Souls. "Simply cleaning out your closet and sending us your forgotten pairs can make a huge impact on someone's life. If you've ever wondered where your donated shoes end up, we invite you to get a current issue of The Green Guide and see for yourself," he said.

Key Club Sole Project

When the Harrisonburg High School Key Club in Harrisburg, VA began collecting shoes for those in need, its members never anticipated the response the project would receive.

Since the beginning of November, when it began collecting shoes for Soles4Souls, the club has gathered between 1,200 and 1,300 pairs of footwear.

HHS teachers, staff members and students donated all but about 80 pairs of the shoes the Key Club has collected, said Maurizio "Tony" Antonnicola, club adviser. Some of the shoes are gently used, while others are practically brand new, he said.

"It turned out to be much more successful than we thought it would,"" said Meredith Rose, 17, a senior and Key Club member, of the project.

In fact, many of the Key Club members were skeptical about the project at first because they didn't think it would draw much of a response, Antonnicola said.

It wasn't until a national news story aired about a college basketball coach who went barefoot to draw attention to the need for shoes around the world that students really got on board with the project, Antonnicola said.

After committing to the effort, Key Club members began getting the word out about the shoe drive. They told their friends about the project, erected a display near the school's library and broadcast it on the school's student news program.

Before they knew it, club members say, they had hundreds of pairs of shoes and the donations kept pouring in. The drive has really given students an insight into people's waste, they say.

"Statistics are great and all but they're just numbers,"" said Tina Nguyen, 17, a junior and Key Club member, referring to the statistics regarding the number of idle shoes. "This project was kind of an eye-opener."

Members of the club say their goal going into the drive was to collect 1,000 pairs of shoes, but they've already exceeded that and still have nine more days to collect donations.

As the drive enters its last days, club members say they hope to collect a few more pairs of children's shoes, before an HHS staff member hauls the donations to the Soles4Souls distribution center in Nashville, Tenn.

Nashville Schools Help Raise Money For Sole4Souls

Three Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools are contributing shoes and funds to Soles4Souls.

Encore Program students at Croft and J.T. Moore Middle Schools are hosting a shoe drive, Dec. 8-12, to collect shoes for Soles4Souls and to help break the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of shoes. The students will be collecting new and slightly used shoes, all sizes, for women, men and children. The shoe collection will be combined with other shoe donations at Opry Mills Mall on Dec. 20.

Croft students will also be participating in the Walking a Mile in Their Shoes fundraiser, Dec 15 and Dec. 16. The walk will help raise funds to purchase new shoes for Soles4Souls.

H.G. Hill Middle School students will assist Soles4Souls by hosting a penny drive. Money collected from the drive will also be used to purchase new shoes.

Group in Oregon Collects Shoes

The McDonald group, a staffing agency in Bend OR, hosted a Holiday party where 191 pair of gently worn shoes were collected. More than half of those shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls, the rest will go to the Bend Community Center.

"To see the Bend, Oregon community come together to support this cause was incredible.," said Anne McDonald, the president and CEO of The McDonald Group. "I feel fortunate to live and work with people that give back to those in need both locally and abroad.”

The McDonald group also collected 380 pounds of food for the less fortunate in the Central Oregon area. Proceeds of the party went to the local Boys and Girls club that recently had to shut their doors for 30 days due to funding.

Long Journey for Barefoot Teen Nears Completion

Dashiel Alsup can't help but look back on the seven months since he stepped away from the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean and started walking toward Florida. The first week was brutal: his feet were coated with blisters, he was consumed with loneliness and plagued with doubts about ever reaching the East Coast. 

"Florida felt like a fairly impossible goal," he says. 

But Dash kept walking, mile after mile.

The 19-year-old encountered wild animals in the cold Oregon mountains and suffered through 100+ degree heat walking through the Flaming Gorge in Utah during a scorching week. 

"Yeah, those were hot days, and 60 miles between stops," he said. "But coming into Vernal, Utah and getting to the 7-11 to pick up an ice cold 44 ounce Big Gulp was joyous," he says, laughing.

Dash kept walking, steadily achieving 20-25 miles per day, mostly barefoot, through Colorado, Kansas and Missouri. 

"There were a few times that I had to put on sandals, when the road conditions were just too hot or the debris was so bad," he says.

He lost count of the number of people who gave him food or gave him a place to stay for the night, insisting on feeding him dinner, or sharing their faith. 

"America is full of incredibly gracious people," he says. "I can't tell you how many times someone went out of their way to help me. They had no idea what I was up to, they were just doing it from their heart."

There were also times his safety was in doubt. Occasionally, locals would confront him about his intentions before they realized he was supporting charity. Dash spent one day working for a man who had spent 11 years in prison for drug smuggling. 

"Here we are alone, deep in the woods, and I'm hauling brush while he's getting sauced and revving up his chainsaw," Dash says. "Turns out he was a good guy; he just wanted someone to confide in, not chop into pieces."

Dash started appearing in newspaper stories and being featured on television, especially in Nashville, where Soles4Souls is based. He walked together with charity Founder, Wayne Elsey, to a local shelter to distribute shoes to the homeless.

"He is a special kid, and there's no doubt his commitment to helping people is authentic," says Elsey. "Just look at all the fans he has who are following his epic journey. We're proud to be associated with him."

He walked southeast through Georgia, sensing the end of the journey and counting down the number of miles to Jacksonville. Today, he's less than 100 miles from the end of his journey, and hundreds of supporters and Soles4Souls staff will be on hand to walk with him to the Atlantic. Even several NFL players from the Jacksonville Jaguars will be in attendance and participate in another shoe distribution for homeless in their city.

"I'm happy that I can bring some attention to Soles4Souls," he says. "It's a simple thing, you know, putting shoes on people's feet. For people without shoes, it can mean the world."