Donate old shoes for a good cause

BARRIE, ONT. -

An Orillia shoe store is encouraging people to donate their old shoes for a good cause.

BioPed Footwear and Orthotics clinic has teamed up with Soles4Souls to collect gently used footwear to donate to communities in need.

The shoes collected go to those who can't afford proper footwear, from Canada to the Dominican Republic and third-world countries.

While the initiative appears to be solely footwear-driven at first glance, it reduces the amount of garbage in the landfill by finding another use for the second-hand items.

All shoes collected help the economy by allowing women in the country to sell the shoes to support themselves and their families.

"It really allows these women to have dignity, to have a job and to support their families," says Jasmine Basner, manager of BioPed Footwear and Orthotics in Orillia.

BioPed collects used shoes year-round, but for the month of October, anyone who donates shoes will receive a 15 per cent discount to use in-store.

To date, BioPed Footcare clinics across Canada have collected 400,000 pairs of shoes. Now, they have a goal of reaching one million.

More information on the shoe donation program is available on BioPed's website.