Renewed Running

When thinking about what to do with trainers at the end of their life, it isn’t obvious how to go about stopping them from going straight to landfill. However, there are several ways to recycle running shoes, and some are more effective than others. So you’ll need to find the way that works best for you.

1) Post your shoes to JOGON

Send them to JOGON to redistribute to their partners, where people who need them the most will get them. If the shoes have absolutely no life left, they’ll also dispose of them appropriately. JOGON stop around 1 million out of 33 million shoes a year from going into landfill.

2) Drop the shoes into a Runners Need store

As of 2024, there are more than 50 Runners Need stores around the UK. Each store has a footwear and clothing recycling bin to drop your retired gear in. Based on the condition of the shoe, they’re either sent to be reused, or broken down into their raw materials to be repurposed. For more information about the process, visit www.runnersneed.com/about-us/recyclemyrun.html

3) Buy or subscribe to a recyclable running shoe

Salomon and On Running offer road running shoes made completely out of recyclable materials like soya and recycled polyester.

Salomon’s Index.0 range can be bought as a one-off shoe to be recycled after they’re worn out:

On Running offer a £25 monthly subscription where they let you return their worn out shoes in return for a new replacement pair each time, called Cyclon:

Both brand of shoes are sold in various shades of white (to save on ink waste) and don’t quite compare to the comfort of premium trainers. However, if you clock up a lot of miles each week and don’t care about your shoes looking a bit “off white” after a few runs, the thought of saving the planet should more than make up for it.