A bad situation turned good? We are on our way to Miami!

Soles4Souls is working with Florida Highway Patrol to find new life for abandoned shoes

Miami FL & Nashville TN — The start of the New Year turned ugly for many commuters in Miami on Friday, when drivers were delayed by several thousand pairs of shoes littering the highway. Nashville-based shoe charity Soles4Souls contacted the Florida Highway Patrol and offered to immediately collect the shoes on behalf of needy people it supports, both here in the United States and around the world.

“These shoes are abandoned property and we’re happy that Soles4Souls can make good use out them,” said Lt. Pat Santengelo of the Florida Highway Patrol.

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.

Elsey estimates that over 300 Million people around the world don’t own a pair of shoes. But the charity is working hard to reduce that number: it has already distributed 3.9 Million pairs since the Asian tsunami four years ago.

“We hope people remember us as a simple recycle-and-reuse program,” Elsey said. “We can take any types of ‘gently worn’ shoes. There is no need to throw away usable shoes because we can find the person who will treasure your gift,” he said.