GotSneakers Shoe Recycling Organization at Hough

February 20, 2026 - Liv D'Alessandro (11)

Got Sneakers? I bet you do. Most discarded sneakers can be recycled and reused. 

In the United States, almost 200 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills each year, while over 600 million people worldwide don’t own a single pair of sneakers. With the buildup, CO2 and hazardous pollutants are emitted into the Earth’s soil and atmosphere, contributing to the crucial problem of climate change. 

Hough’s soccer coach and CTE Business teacher, Mr. Kutcher, is running a fundraising program with GotSneakers within our school halls to help this cause.

GotSneakers is a nonprofit organization that wants to help the environment by recycling tennis shoes, old and new. They take your used sneakers and resell them through secondhand markets and venues to those who need a pair.

And if your footwear is worn out, damaged, or old, they recycle the rubber within the shoe instead, turning what was once garbage into fuel or electricity. It is a way to convert waste into new energy, without the materials sitting in landfills.

It’s a sustainable, eco-friendly way to give back to the world while helping people in need. 

Not only would you be helping the environment, but you would also be helping our soccer teams! Every pair of sneakers donated equals a certain amount of money that helps cover expenses and travel costs, raising funds for our Huskies’ soccer program. 

Mr. Kutcher wants to ensure his players can take their two big yearly trips to Jacksonville and Wilson to play opposing teams on the eastern side of the state. With just hotels and buses, the cost is nearly $10,000. However, if a big chunk of students and staff here donate two pairs of old sneakers, it would make Kutcher’s goal achievable. 

Thus, if you have sneakers or tennis shoes lying around, feel free to bring them to Kutcher’s room in C108 in a bag or box, where there will be bins you can place them in. Look out for the incoming bins being placed around the school and at the front office! 

SHOE REQUIREMENTS

ONLY SNEAKERS & ATHLETIC SHOES

NO BOOTS, DRESS SHOES, SANDALS, HEELS, WEDGES, RAIN BOOTS, WATER SOCKS, OR FLIP FLOPS

SHOES MUST BE IN A PAIR

BRING THEM TO SCHOOL IN A BOX OR BAG

SHOES CAN BE OLD AND TORN

CLEATS ARE ACCEPTED, BUT NONE WITH METAL BOTTOMS

Any more questions concerning GotSneakers, shoe requirements, or their guidelines, you can find them here at GotSneakers website: https://gotsneakers.com/. Any questions regarding Mr. Kutcher, you can contact him at georgem.kutcher@cms.k12.nc.us.