Sportsshoes.com partner to give running shoes a second chance

FASHION

Sportsshoes.com has partnered with the running shoe recycling initiative JogOn and logistics provider Evri to allow customers to donate their unwanted running shoes to keep them out of landfills and in use.

The £92million online retailer of running shoes, running clothes and outdoor equipment has set up a special returns service with its two partners.

For a flat fee of £2, the service allows customers to send up to six pairs of unwanted running shoes, up to a maximum of 15kg, to JogOn, meaning return costs can be as low as 33 pence per pair of shoes.

According to JogOn, around 18 billion running shoes are sold worldwide every year and around 30 million end up in landfill every year. The organization has set an ambitious goal of keeping one million pairs of used running shoes out of the landfill each year.

Donated used shoes are distributed to benefit charities, NGOs and micro-economies in 15 destinations around the world.

JogOn Founder Tony Piedade said, “Securing SportsShoes.com and Evri as partners is a real coup for us. Both companies are committed to sustainability for the benefit of their customers and society at large, so our initiative complements this approach.

“We look forward to working with the teams at SportsShoes.com and Evri as we move toward our goal of keeping one million pairs of used running shoes out of the landfill each year.”

Earlier this year, SportsShoes.com announced plans to become the world’s most sustainable running gear retailer by 2025. Called “Leave No Footprints,” the company’s sustainability strategy also includes goal of becoming zero carbon in the future.

SportsShoes.com Managing Director Brett Bannister added, “JogOn is a great initiative, so we’re very excited to be able to start working with Tony and his team. We are very interested and committed to this end-of-life running shoe device.

“Our logistics partner Evri also does a wonderful job of offering a top notch low cost returns service using the company’s low carbon ParcelShop network. Without the Evri commitment and the £2 cost , the barrier for customers to return their shoes at their own expense would have been too high.

“We will be promoting this new returns service to our existing and new customers as often as possible, and we are confident that it will be well received by the SportsShoes.com community.”

SportsShoes.com and Evri have a long-standing relationship, with the logistics company providing distribution services to the retailer since 2011.

Nancy Hobhouse of Evri, said: “We are proud to support this fantastic initiative through our national network of ParcelShops. This aligns well with our ambitious ESG strategy, as we place sustainability and ethics at the forefront of our operating model. We are committed to delivering a better future for the planet, including our employees, customers and business partners, and communities at large.

Founded in 1982, SportsShoes.com, headquartered in Bradford, offers customers more than 17,000 products from 150 global running and outdoor brands. From a running perspective, these include Asics, Nike, Adidas, Hoka and New Balance.