Got shoes?  Lots of them? If they hurt, you don’t like them anymore, you haven’t worn them in years, you’ve worn them too much, you’ve been tripping over them, or you just have too many, this is a good time to give them the boot!  Here are six ways you can do that:

• Nike Reuse-a-Shoe Send Nike your sneakers and they will recycle them and turn them into running tracks or even a basketball court. This is a great option if you have children who quickly outgrow their kicks, especially if they’ve been a bit beat up.  Nike really wants your old, worn out athletic shoes.

• Soles4Souls This organization will take new and gently worn shoes and send them to people in need in places like Thailand, Nepal, and even areas here in the U.S.

• One World Running This group sends new and almost new shoes, T-shirts, and shorts to several international locations.

• Sole Responsibility This Ottawa based organization was first started by a group of runners.  They donate gently used running and walking shoes to the needy in Ethiopia.  In the past, they have donated to Chad, Rwanda, Lesotho, and Cameroon.

• The Shoe Bank All types of foot coverings are welcome:  women’s, men’s, children’s, dress, and athletic shoes of any size.  After collecting them, they are sent to several social service agencies (local and overseas) to be distributed.

• RecycledRunners.com This a directory of national and international recycling programs. For serious athletes who tend to beat up their shoes often, this is a good way to choose what will happen to your old shoes and where they will go.